4 comments about DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style.

1. What's not to love about the taste of New Orleans? Cooks from all over the world think of the best and most exciting classic desserts when they hear the name of this famous city and its region. That is just what a home cook finds in the Dam Good Sweet (Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style) cookbook. Recipes include: Bananas Foster; Crepes du Vieux Carre; Pecan Pie; Black and Blue Crumble; Lemon Icebox Pie; Red Velvet Cake; Pralines; Turtles; and Peanut Brittle. There are 50 delicious recipes; family and travel stories; and numerous color photographs in this unique volume. The book is gorgeous; the recipes are outstanding. I can't wait to try my hand at making the Pralines! This will also make a wonderful gift.



2. A Southern masterpiece exists in David Guas and Raquel Pelzel's DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style. Through the pages of this informative cookbook you will be swept away to discover the true essence of delicious New Orleans cuisine.
   
   The fifty recipes that make up DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style are derived from historic recipes of times past. Each one serves as a tribute to the true New Orleans culture.
   
   Some of my favorite recipes that bring New Orleans to my own kitchen included:
   
   Buttermilk Beignets
   King Cake
   Red Velvet Cake
   Pralines
   
   Just the mention of the above listed recipes puts a smile on my face as I remember the last time I visited New Orleans. Each recipe brings back fond memories of a city that I can't wait to revisit.
   
   What is so unique about this book is the author intertwines the recipes with famous New Orleans landmarks. With the Buttermilk Beignet recipes a history lesson of the French Market and Cafe Du Monde is presented. This historic detail gives a greater appreciation of the recipe and its origin.
   
   DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style is a cookbook that you absolutely will fall in love with. Each recipe captures the magical beauty and radiance of New Orleans. This book will become a priceless addition to your cookbook collection. You will find yourself consulting it when you want to make an extra special dessert.



3. Some of my favorite food memories relate to a pre-Katrina visit to New Orleans. Beignets at the Cafe du Monde, pralines at Aunt Sally's, hurricanes(the drink) just about everywhere, what's not to love?
   
   This book is part memoir, part cookbook and part tribute to the legends who have fallen to the ravages of time, natural disaster and the economy. The author, a renowned pastry chef was a rambunctious child living in New Orleans. In an effort to deter him from a path of juvenile delinquency, his family sent him off to stay with his Aunt Boo. While in exile he learned to love cooking and after a few missteps found a profession as a pastry chef. Now living in DC, he is a consultant. The book contains appetizing color photographs of the food and black and whites of the New Orleans of the past. The author has a fresh, engaging style devoid of sappy sentimentality but full of sincerity.
   
   The real test of any cookbook are the recipes. As the arctic chill hit New York, I made the double chocolate bread pudding, substituting challah for the brioche. The bread soaked up most of the custard and the bourbon caramel sauce was a delight. It was an elegant riff on an old favorite. February is a big birthday month for me and this year it was my turn to bring the cake. Red Velvet cakes are always impressive although the cake itself can be a bit bland. This one set a new standard. Rich and moist, you can taste the chocolate and it is visually stunning. Finally, I tried the pralines. They were creamy and delicious and surprisingly easy to make. The recipes are not particularly difficult although some are labor intensive. Most of the ingredients required are available at the local supermarket or natural foods store. The author is generous with his tips and resources.
   
   This is a great little book that captures the taste and spirit of New Orleans. Fun to read and attractive to look at, I highly recommend it. Just make sure you've renewed your gym membership--this is not cooking light.



4. New Orleans dessert traditions are explored in DAMGOODSWEET, a dessert cookbook devoted to New Orleans sweets and written by a local pastry chef who blends a travelogue and memoir with 50 recipes. From Vanilla Bean Pudding and Red Velvet Cake to Lemon Poppers, this is packed with outstanding fare perfect for any dessert cookbook collection.

5 comments about Sweets: Soul Food Desserts and Memories.

1. Thanks to Patty Pinner everyone can now enjoy authentic and delicious family favorites! I have tried several of the recipes, from cakes to cookies, and my family has enjoyed them thoroughly. The strawberry cake, coconut cake, brown sugar pound cake, 7up cake, dr pepper cake and oatmeal cookies have delighted everyone at our family gatherings. I will definitely keep these recipes in our family and have enjoyed reading tales of Pinner's family. This cookbook is a feast for the eyes, the palate and the soul! Thank you Patty Pinner!!



2. I originally ordered this cookbook myself, then after seeing it, ordered nearly 10 copies as gifts for friends and colleagues here in Munich - several of them homesick Southerners. This cookbook is really a delight to read and the recipes bring back alot of memories.



3. Brought this book for a gift based on reviews and I am very happy that I did. My sister loves it.



4. I'd been making the peach cobbler recipe from this book for years without paying attention to where it came from. The recipe appeared in a magazine a few years ago and I've been making it every since. For some reason I decided to see where the original recipe came from and that brought me here to buy the book. I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. This isn't just a cook book, but almost like part family history as well. I'm very eager to try the recipe's in the book...especially the Dr. Pepper cake (I've never heard of) and of course the sweet potato pie (I've always bought frozen and passed it off as my own). There's other recipes that I've heard of, but never knew what they were (egg pie). This book is a good addition to your library. While I haven't made all of the recipes in the book, I can attest that the peach cobbler recipe is perfect. Some recipes require you to add a little extra sugar, butter, etc. This recipe is perfect as it is. The only thing I did differently was buy refrigerated pie crust instead of making it from scratch...delicious!



5. This book is great. It reminds me of so many of the things I ate as a child in my grandmother's kitchen

5 comments about Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors).

1. I think what got me interested in this book to begin with was seeing a picture of Juniors Triple chocolate mousse Cheesecake. I'm a big fan of dark chocolates cheesecakes. Something about a multilayered dark chocolate cheesecake that gets my attention. I figured it was worth the investment just to learn more about their process so I ordered this book. I really haven't had much of a chance to explore the recipes in depth yet however, my first observation was it lacks photos -I would think if were going to publish a cheesecake book you would want to entice people with photo's? Why not show some examples of your cakes to avoid any confusion and show how wonderful these finished product should look like? Another thing that bothers me is bouncing between pages for certain procedures instead of just posting and including it in all in the recipe. Sure it may make the book bigger but nobody likes flipping through a bunch of pages just to figure something out when cooking a cheesecake. Guess it depends on what you're expecting in a cheesecake cookbook?



2. I had been taking this book out of the library and after four trips and making four different cakes, I decided it was time to purchase. These are the most amazing cheesecakes. They are labor intensive but worth the effort for special celebrations. I highly recommend if you are into cheesecake!



3. I bought this book since I am a big fan of Junior's and let me tell you I made some of the recipes and the cheesecakes tasted like if I just got them from Junior's restaurant. I cant believe how well ilustrated and detail the recipes are, most of them have pictures of the final product (not all). Considering the price of the book this is a very good deal, since you will be saving lots of money by making Juniors cheesecakes right at home. Enjoy!!!



4. The Best Cheesecake book I have found. Recipes require attention to detail and exact measurements but the rewards are worth it - high quality cheesecakes that no one will believe that you made yourself!



5. I bought this book as a gift for a friend, and luckily they let me copy a few recipes. I am a pastry chef and have tons of cheescake recipes, but these are awesome. They are so good, that I stopped making my other recipes and started using these to sell at my husband's work events. Everyone can't get enough and can't wait until the next party!

5 comments about Bake Me I'm Yours Cupcake: Over 100 Excuses to Indulge (Bake Me Im Yours).

1. I expected more "how to's" from this book. I got the impression that I'd have instruction on prep, but alas NO!
   Nice ideas if you know how on your own thought



2. a very nice book although it was not what I was looking for it made a nice addition to my cookbooks



3. After reading the reviews on this book I decided to buy it anyway and I'm happy I did. I love the fact that it's a decorating book instead of a recipe book, the ideas are really cute and easy to accomplish!



4. Great book to bake cupcakes! several ideas to decorate cupcakes for every occasions. photos are wonderful.



5. Very pleased with this little cookbook! Was sent very quickly and a bargain prize. Recommended!

5 comments about Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

1. Well, I decided to try and conquer this cookbook after reading the reviews. ALL of the cupcakes I have made have come out perfectly. Every single one and I've made about seven of the recipes. However, does anyone have any suggestions for the Buttermilk Pound Loaf? I've baked it twice, and had my cousin in FL bake it once as well (I'm in NE) and both of us had the same thing happen every time: it falls IN the oven and is total goo in the center. I tried adjusting baking times. I also read the cookbook ammendements I found. (They posted this link on google: [..]) Still, the same thing every single time. Has ANYONE has success with this recipe? I love the book, by the way, and this is the first recipe I've had trouble with therein.



2. We have made three recipes from this book so far - the blueberry cake, lemon loaf, and spinach cheese muffins. Followed every recipe to the letter (which is outrageous, by the way - 3 sticks of butter, 6 eggs and 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of baking powder in ONE CAKE?!) and got just awful results. The blueberry cake fell and was totally gooey inside, but got dry and crusty around the outside. Even the parts that were cooked just didn't taste right - they almost had a cornmeal-y taste to them. Maybe it's all the baking powder? I have no idea.
   
   The lemon loaf was probably the most successful - it at least cooked all the way through - but it was just a very basic pound cake that hardly even tasted like lemon except for the syrup on top.
   
   The spinach cheese muffins were so bad we threw them out.
   
   All in all, we have wasted so much time, money and ingredients on this book! We won't be making anything else. I don't know if they didn't convert the measurements properly from metric to "American" or what, but I highly recommend skipping this one.



3. I love cupcakes, cookbooks and bakeries. I have even been to the real Hummingbird Bakery, had my cake and ate it too. The bakery itself was disappointing and in my opinion, a VERY much overrated bakery. I had the vanilla cupcake and it was dry and boring, and the people who worked there were arrogant. But I'm guessing they had a bad day and still went ahead and bought the cookbook.
   
   It's a beautiful cookbook with mouthwatering pictures. Mmm.. raspberry brownie cheesecake anyone?
   What I really like is that it is a photo of every single cake (The cookbook of Magnolia Bakery was very disappointing due to lack of photos..and the lack of cupcake recipes!) The recipes in this book all have good instructions and are easy to follow. I follow them precisely and they turn out perfect, every time! I have tried most of the cupcake recipes and a few of the cakes, huge success! I see a lot of criticism is based on the order of the ingredients, but I think that's the whole clue to getting moist cakes.
   
   I've made a lot of cupcakes the recent years using different cookbooks and these are the best! I don't understand how so many of you (Americans) can fail using these recipes claiming you are great and experienced cooks. Is it your ingredients? Maybe we have better raw ingredients in Europe? Or maybe the oven? I don't know and I don't understand, because when I follow these recipes the cakes turn out perfect, light, moist and delicious! I always have to make double batches because they're addictive. Several times I've caught my friends lurking into the kitchen searching for more!
   
   I have to admit I was even hestitating reviewing this product because I wanted to keep it my little secret, but now I feel like I have to to defend this lovely book.
   I remember the American cupcakes (and cakes) as dry, odd-tasting and artificial. Don't get me wrong, I love American food and the US, I've even lived there, but I'm starting to doubt the whole American cupcake culture, I think Europeans might do it better! Sorry guys!



4. I have made two of the recipes, the vanilla and the pumpkin cupcakes. They were both excellent. There are mistakes in the book. The pumpkin cupcake recipe says to add half of the milk and never says to add the other half. The editor was bad. The cookbook is still good. Yum.



5. I really like this book so far. The recipes seem pretty simple and so far I made the red velvet cupcakes and they turned out amazing!!! I am not one to buy many cookbooks, I only buy if I am going to use them and this book I will be using! I recommend you get this for your shelf!

5 comments about Bite-Size Desserts: Creating Mini Sweet Treats, from Cupcakes and Cobblers to Custards and Cookies.

1. This book is all it claims to be. Will be great for parties and office-functions. What fun!!



2. Pastry chef Carole Bloom shows how to create memorable mini-desserts with a cookbook for any who want to downsize desserts into bite-sized pieces. From small cakes and scones to muffins, turnovers, cobblers and puddings, this offers tips on attractively making and downsizing desserts, with color sidebars of detail and attractive color photos throughout. Any general interest collection will find this appealing.



3. Not long ago I purchased the book "Bite-size desserts". When I was recently asked to make desserts for a fundraiser for a non-profit organization (I do the baking for free and only get reimbursed for the ingredients) I decided to use recipes from this book because I needed to make small desserts. I planned 7 desserts for about 100 people (a 2 day baking marathon in my small home kitchen) and selected 5 of the recipes from Carole's book: Sour Cream Cupcakes, Lemon Tartlets, Madeleines, Filo Triangles, and Cardamom Butter Cookies. I made few adjustments to some of the recipes (for example the filo triangles I filled only with a tiny scoop of Nutella, in the cupcakes I replaced the cinnamon with vanilla, Madeleines I made with finally chopped crystallized ginger and in the lemon tartlets I replaced the meringue with fresh blueberries because of transporting logistics), but in general I followed all the instructions in the recipes.
   
   The desserts were a huge hit and I want to complement Carole on her book. I found the sections on "'keeping" and "making a change" very useful too. I liked the overall selection of the recipes in the book and will certainly try to make many more.
   
   There was only a slight issue for me with listing all the ingredients in one list and not separating them into a list for a dough or batter and for a topping or frosting. Couple times I put the whole amount (of sugar for instance) in the batter or dough and later as I was following the steps did I realize my mistake. Luckily I tested the recipes in small batches before I made a bigger amount. Once I figured the organization of the ingredients I carefully read each recipe before making it (which should always be done anyway) and noted on the margins the correct amounts. But this issue still did not detract from the overall value of the book.
   
   Carole's book will be on my Christmas shopping list for all my friends who share my passion of baking.
   
   
   Thanks for a great book.
   
   veronika krejci
   Denver
   
   Bite-Size Desserts: Creating Mini Sweet Treats, from Cupcakes and Cobblers to Custards and Cookies



4. Cute. Easy to follow recipes. Fun to read and bake. Good book for beginners.



5. This book is one of the best cookbooks I've ever owned. When we are all focused on healthy eating and weight management, it is refreshing to discover bite-sized desserts. Yeah! I can indulge my sweet tooth without eating huge portions of cake, pie and custards. When we make desserts bite-sized, we can indulge and still meet our goals for healthy living. I tested the lemon meringue tartlet recipe and loved it. Snall is beautiful! Can't wait to try some of the other sweet treeats! Just reading about them seems to satisfy the appetite.

5 comments about The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread: Cakes, Cookies, Bars, Pastries and More from New York City's Favorite Bakery.

1. As a lucky owner of Amy's first book, Amy's Bread, I could not wait to get my hands on her newest volume. I have not been disappointed. It is written with the same warm, engaging style and is full of recipes for the delicious sweet treats her NYC bakeries are famous for. The Cinnamon Challah Knots are heavenly. I also made the White Chocolate Cherry Chunkers. A huge hit at my house. Each recipe has an inticing intro and the whole book is filled with helpful "Tips and Techniques". There is also a quiche chapter that full of winners! This book is a must have for any lover of baked goods.....and who isn't?????



2. I've tried the cake frostings from this cookbook and they have all been outstanding. I have no doubt the other recipes will be just as wonderful. Although the authors give a lot of tips and techniques before each chapter, I wouldn't call this a book for beginners. (most beginners don't have a heavy duty stand mixer or scale) However, I believe someone with a little bit of experience would be successful with most of these recipes using the volume measurements. The authors sprinkle in just enough "behind the scenes" details of the bakery and their clients to make you feel like you are a regular guest yourself.



3. I first checked this book out of the library and then decided I needed to purchase so I could use anytime I wanted. The recipes are amazing and everything I have tried has been wonderful and I have gotten rave reviews.



4. This book is a must have for those who love to bake. I have never weighed my ingredients until reading this cookbook. I have tried several recipes and all have turned out perfectly. Amy sets you up for success. My favorites- Red Velvet and Coconut cream cake.



5. I checked this book out of the library and liked it so much that I decided to test some recipes to determine if it was worth buying. I made the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with the hopes that they would be like the Double Chocolate Pecan Chubbies they sell at the bakery. Though they came out more delicate, they baked beautifully and tasted great. I wish they had included the Chubbies recipe in the book, though. The second recipe I tried was not as successful. I made the Banana Blueberry Quickbread, and it came out salty and dry. Though it calls for 1 pound of bananas, their taste was hardly discernible. The amount of flour and oatmeal (almost 6 cups total for two loaves) overwhelmed the more delicate flavors. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and I am left wondering if this was a mistake. I have never tasted the banana bread in the bakery to compare flavors, but I cannot imagine that this would be a crowd-pleaser.
   
   Since I am one for two, I will have to try at least one more recipe to see if it breaks the tie.

5 comments about Enchanted Cakes for Children (Merehurst Cake Decorating).

1. Love the details in this book. I have 4 of her books and love them all.



2. As soon as I got this book, I started getting orders for the cakes in it. I have been using it a lot for little girls' birthday cakes. My only dissatisfaction [and this is minor] is that I would have liked it to contain a greater number of interesting cakes for little boys. Nevertheless it's a very good book - I am happy with it.



3. Are you kidding!! Debbie is Amazing, this book is so much fun. I have made a few of her cakes, so easy if you follow her easy instructions. Everyone loves her cakes. Thanks Debbie, keep your ideas coming.



4. This book is totally wonderful. I can't believe how easy it is to make these cakes.



5. Can't stop reading this book. I got so crazy just looking at the pictures. I WISH i could at least build one of the cake in there. I'm not too sure about this book. Maybe it's for a more higher level person? But just looking at the book is fun, lots of GREAT ideas.

5 comments about Taste of Home: Cake Mix Creations: 216 Easy Desserts that Start with a Mix.

1. very nice book, it was a gift and the person liked it very much



2. this book arrived in excellent condition. it is a great book the recipes are easy and a picture is provided on the same page for each one. have recommended it already to many busy working mothers.



3. Lots of wonderfully delicious and simple recipes! The Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert and the Pumpkin Torte are scrumptious! I cant wait to try more recipes!



4. I love to cook and collect cookbooks. This is by far the BEST cookbook for desserts and cakes! Hands down the best. The ingredients are simple and directions that are easy to follow. What I like best are that recipes are simple and easy to do. Don't be fooled by the title, it's more than just cakes. They have recipes for cakes, cookies, brownies, trifles and much much more. I can promise that if you get this book, it's the only dessert cookbook you'll need. You won't be sorry if you buy it, I know I wasn't. The recipes look delicious and I can't wait to try them.



5. Excellent cook book for those of us in a hurry. This book uses cake mixes as a base for all types of excellent desserts. Also has a party section for the younger sweet lovers.

5 comments about The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th Edition.

1. The Professional Pastry Chef is a complete bible on baking and using this book step by step as mentioned, one cannot go wrong on the product outcome.Its an excellent work by Bo Friberg



2. This book is outstanding in its information though I think it is way beyond the amateur baker. I have found much info about which I was unsure and will keep it as a ready reference...sometimes I may not use the info within but will at least know what a professional offers. The book is almost 1000 pages and quite large; a bit unhandy to use.



3. This is an excellent book for those entering into the professional baking industry. Like many schools, we used this book--and the advanced book--as our text book. There are some fantastic recipes. His Lemon Curd recipe is fantastic and I use his pie dough recipe all the time.
   
   Chef Bo worked on cruise ships for many years and picked up different styles, recipes and ideas over the years. My book is well-worn, with plenty of notes. It remains one of my favorite baking books.



4. Very Esensial for any Pastry and Baker chef. detail tools and complete Design for professional



5. This is cookbook has my highest recommendation. The author has garnered a legendary reputation as an educator to newbie pastry chefs, and this book is a distillation of his knowledge and skills. Even the dedicated home pastry chef can benefit, but with a few caveats as noted.
   Each recipe in this book is equivalent to those mini-demos I got in cooking school. You have a copy of the recipe in front of you, and the chef executes the recipe step by step and explains what he is doing and why, each and every step along the way. This book has hundreds of such recipes, many of them are sine qua non. Especially: your employer has asked you to make something that you have never even heard of before, much less seen or tasted. If you can find that recipe herein, your chance of success the first time through is very high: the chef will gently lead you through the recipe.
   The chapter on mise-en-place and sauces are quite useful (ditto for the appendices: ingredients, tools). Here, in one book, is collected all of those annoying little bits and pieces that you are always looking for but can never find, no matter how many books you rifle through.
   A rare gem: on page 701, the chef tells the truth. Those impressive, architectural desserts that you will see in food magazines and cookbooks are for the camera only. They are not practical, inasmuch as they will not survive a trip by a waiter from the kitchen to the dining room. Even if it does survive the trip, it will probably cause some sort of dry-cleaning bill to the hapless customer. I personally know of some fellow cooking school students who tried to base their careers on such architectural monstrosities.
   
   Scandinavian Accent
   The author was trained in Scandinavia. As such, the selection of recipes is heavily tilted toward typical Scandinavian recipes. This is good, in that you will find many sort of wonderful B&P goods that you probably have never heard of before. There many sort of recipes you might expect to find, but are absent. The choice of recipes has some peculiarities:
   x in the brownie recipe, the chef insists that raisins are a good addition
   x there is only one red velvet cake recipe, and it is the oddball one that has beets (no, that is not a typographical error)
   x the recipe for genoise has cornstarch
   x strawberry shortcake biscuit has orange peel and poppy seed
   x there are 4 recipes for pound cake, but only one is the traditional one.
   x the author beats a dead horse with no less than 8 cheesecake recipes
   x relatively speaking, there is a dearth of chocolate recipes
   
   Good Format
   The beginning of each recipe has a list of all recipes and the page number. The color plates are concentrated on the recipes from the plated desserts chapter, where a picture really does help.
   
   Odd Things
   *The yields from recipe to recipe are all fairly uniform, e.g. 2 cakes. The author says it is quite easy to simply multiply up or down; curiously, a few recipes have a small batch version of the recipe. ¡§All purpose¡¨ flour does not make an appearance; instead, all recipes use bread and cake flour in various combinations. Of course, this is the correct solution to AP flours that vary in protein % from brand to brand and in different parts of the country.
   *The recipe titles are usually, but not always, English translations. So, if you are looking for a recipe by a French name, you may not find it, e.g. genoise is titled ¡§sponge cake¡¨, and the word genoise does not appear anywhere in the book.
   *Note carefully that there is no info about basics and techniques. If you need to know how to whip egg whites, fold batter, knead bread, or different methods of cooling and un-molding cakes, you will not find it here. A list in each recipe of the type of pan or tin used would be helpful. A wonderful substitute for mascarpone cheese (3 parts cream cheese to 1 part sour cream) is buried in the sauce section where you will never find it. The reference on page 856 (it says p. 921) should read ¡§p. 927¡¨.
   *During a few recipes, the author describes that various items are conveniently frozen, so they will always be on hand and also for emergencies. A prep list of these things for a restaurant or hotel kitchen would be helpful.
   *There is a mini encyclopedia (one for ingredients, one for equipment) occupying 125 pages of small, dense type. As such, it is one of the more useful of its type. One detects a few vagaries here and there. The only shortcoming is that one wishes for a slightly more detailed and practical explanation of the difference between semi-sweet, bittersweet, and ¡§sweet dark¡¨ chocolate (ditto for evaporated vs. condensed milk). The listings for commercial mixer are specifically for ¡§Hobart¡¨; there are other brands, and the information is not really exact from brand to brand.
   
   Home Pastry Chef
   This book can be used the dedicated home cook, but with a few caveats. Many chapters you should stay away from, but some of them you can make use of, such as: yeast breads, cookies, pies, quick breads, custards should certainly be in the domain of the talented, home pastry chef. Note also that you will need a battery of standard professional tools and such, and there is no list in the book of these ¡§essentials¡¨.