Season's Grazings
Giving the gift of food this Christmas
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., Dec. 7, 2001
Baked Goods
Very few things evoke more pleasant seasonal memories than holiday baking. To inspire the baker on your list, choose a volume from this annotated list of new titles, and grab one or more of the "must-have" gadgets for stocking stuffers. There's something here for professionals, passionate amateurs, and beginners, too. You can't go wrong.
The All-American Cookie Book
by Nancy Baggett (Houghton-Mifflin, $35)
Author Bagget is one of the country's most respected baking instructors, and she's come up with a collection of more than 150 great cookie recipes: regional favorites, rediscovered heirlooms, decadent contemporary creations, homespun classics. Includes a useful chapter on cookie decorating and crafts. A must-have for cookie monsters.
The Baker's Dozen Cookbook
edited by Rick Rodgers (Morrow, $40)
The original baker's dozen was a group of San Francisco Bay-area bakers and pastry chefs who got together regularly to chat about baking and solve problems. It grew into a group of over 400 participants and has now given birth to this book of more than 150 foolproof sweet and savory recipes. Thorough explanations and great tips make it perfect for beginners and a good resource for accomplished bakers.
Chocolate Cake: 150 Recipes From Simple to Sublime
by Michele Urvater
(Broadway Books, $35)
French Culinary Institute-trained pastry chef Urvater has done a smashing job with one of America's favorite single subjects, chocolate cake. Recipes for everything from brownies to cheesecakes, plain and fancy layers, tortes and mousse-filled wonders. Instant gratification for chocoholics.
Luscious Lemon Desserts
by Lori Longbotham (Chronicle Books, $19.95)
This author addresses a single tangy subject that makes my palate tingle. Cakes, tortes, cookies, tarts, puddings, mousses, custards, and ice creams; there can never be enough lemon sweets for me.
A Year in Chocolate: Four Seasons of Unforgettable Desserts
by Alice Medrich (Warner Books, $25.95)
Another winner from San Francisco chocolate guru Medrich, this slim volume features 50 seasonal delights: autumnal fruits with warm spices and toasted nuts complimented by chocolate; bittersweet decadence in winter; bright fruit flavors matched with chocolate in spring; and refreshing cold sweets for sultry summer months. Any new book from Medrich gets me into the kitchen in a hurry.
Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
by Dorie Greenspan
(Little, Brown & Co., $40)
The previous dessert cookbook collaboration from this twosome won all the big awards two years ago. The chocolate recipe collection is elegantly photographed, filled with exquisite chocolate sensations that demonstrate a refinement of taste, texture, and temperature. Could be intimidating to the beginner.
