|
Tartine | 
 enlarge | Authors: Elisabeth Prueitt, Chad Robertson
Creators: Alice Waters, France Ruffenach
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $19.87
You Save: $15.13 (43%)
New (39) Used (9) from $19.87
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 9407
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.5
Dimensions (in): 10 x 8.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 0811851508
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.865
EAN: 9780811851503
ASIN: 0811851508
Publication Date: August 24, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Every once in a while, a cookbook comes along that instantly says "classic." This is one of them. Acclaimed pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt and master baker Chad Robertson share not only their fabulous recipes, but also the secrets and expertise that transform a delicious homemade treat into a great one. It's no wonder there are lines out the door of Elisabeth and Chad's acclaimed Tartine Bakery. It's been written up in every magazine worth its sugar and spice. Here their bakers' art is transformed into easy-to-follow recipes for the home kitchen. The only thing hard about this cookbook is deciding which recipe to try first: moist Brioche Bread Pudding; luscious Banana Cream Pie; the sweet-tart perfection of Apple Crisp. And the cakes! Billowing chiffon cakes. Creamy Bavarians bursting with seasonal fruits. A luxe Devil's Food Cake. Lemon Pound Cake, Pumpkin Tea Cake. Along with the sweets, cakes, and confections come savory treats, such as terrifically simple Wild Mushroom Tart and Cheddar Cheese Crackers. There's a little something here for breakfast, lunch, tea, supper, hors d'oeuvres and, of course, a whole lot for dessert! Practical advice comes in the form of handy Kitchen Notes. These "hows" and "whys" convey the authors' know-how, whether it's the key to the creamiest quiche (you'll be surprised), the most efficient way to core an apple, or tips for ensuring a flaky crust. Top it off with gorgeous photographs throughout and you have an utterly fresh, inspiring, and invaluable cookbook.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
 Excellent Samples of Professional Patisserie. Buy It. January 1, 2007
B. Marold (Bethlehem, PA United States)
54 out of 67 found this review helpful
`Tartine', a high end American Patisserie cookbook by husband and wife master bakers, Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson is a fine exemplar of a particular kind of baking book, where the emphasis is simply on communicating excellent recipes from professional bakers which are, with proper patience and technique, quite doable by the home baking hobbyist.
This book can be distinguished from several other fine baking books. The most outstanding variety genus is the restaurant baker / baking instructor book. Two of the finest examples are `The Secrets of Baking' by Spago superbaker, Sherry Yard and `The Sweet Live, Desserts from Chanterelle' by Kate Zuckerman. Another major genus is the professional baking teacher / encyclopedic book, such as the several `bibles' from Rose Levy Beranbaum and `How to Bake' and `Perfect Pastry' from Nick Malgieri. Still another genus is the `I love to bake, and here are my favorite recipes' books such as `Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters' and `Baking From My Home to Yours' by Dorie Greenspan. Two other small but important categories are the basic baking manual, such as the excellent `Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook' and Alton Brown's nerdy `I'm Just Here for More Food' and the omnibus sampler of baking techniques such as `Baking With Julia (Child)' written by Dorie Greenspan. Note that Alton Brown's book could also be lumped together with Sherry Yard's book, as both are excellent at illuminating the whys of great baking. In addition to all of these, there is the whole family of bread baking books, which is outside this discussion. I also have to give special mention to all books by Flo Brakker and the great Maida Heatter as great sources of instruction and encyclopedic range.
So where does that leave us with `Tartine'. My first impression is that it could have been given the same name as culinary journalist Jeremy Jackson's `desserts that have killed better men than me', since these recipes are uniformly outstanding in standing out from the crowd. It should be no surprise that recipes from a high-end bakery fit within the range of skills of the hobbyist baker, since the difference between home and professional technique is much closer than it is for the savory kitchen. In fact, if anything, the home baker needs more patience, space and time to match professional results rather than more speed and hotter ranges needed by the professional line cooks.
A perfect example of the need for lots of time is the recipe for brioche, which can often be seen more as a cake than as a bread (but it commonly appears in both pastry and bread books). My paradigm for brioche up to now has been Nancy Silverton's `Breads from the La Brea Bakery' recipe, but I think `Tartine' will replace it, not because it's easier, but because it requires even more steps and care, giving an even richer result.
Books of this genus are great for entertaining recipes, as one challenge of the high end professional bakery is not only to produce great results, but to easily stand apart from the average stuff you may find on the supermarket cookie shelf or bakery counter. For example, the eight cookie recipes all seem vaguely familiar on first glance, but they all stand out in some way when you look at the recipes. The shortbread recipe is a fine example of how the authors have taken the pedestrian cookie found in a `Lorna Doone' Nabisco box and turned it into a rare treat. Another lesson from the shortbread recipe is the fact that the authors go to great lengths to be sure that no detail of their technique is left out. This is not to say this is a good teaching book. You will still do much better with these recipes if you have mastered the basics than if you are starting with no baking knowledge. But, with experience, you will be able to appreciate the wisdom of the authors' technique.
While almost all recipes in this book are outstanding, there are three chapters that are more valuable than others. The first is the `Pasteries & Confections' which covers some of the wilder marches of the baking landscape, such as Eclairs, Friands, Toffee, Truffles, and Peanut Brittle. This is not your garden-variety peanut brittle! The second is in the `With a Glass of Wine' chapter covering gougeres, cheddar cheese crackers, wild mushroom tart, and pissaladiere on brioche. These are for entertaining with a flair. The last is the `Basic Baking Recipes' chapter that is notable for its recipes for chiffon cakes. The authors explain that unlike angelfood cake, chiffon cakes have gone out of fashion for their relative richness. So, if you are in need of something which is `decadent', traditional, and unusual all in one, try one of these four (lemon, orange, coconut, or chocolate) chiffon cakes. Even Alton Brown hasn't done a `Good Eats' show on chiffon yet.
Given the authors' connection with Alice Waters, who supplies the introduction, it is not surprising that the only recipe in the book for which I could identify a superior replacement was the blueberry lemon tart, which seemed not quite as interesting as my favorite from Chez Panisse (in their `Chez Panisse Fruits' book). The only non-culinary caveat I have is that the spine of the book was just a bit stiff, so it will not easily lie flat on your kitchen table without some hefty weighting.
All in all, a really great book on professional baking products and techniques.
This book works, and it's fantastic June 2, 2007
Stepone (TX)
45 out of 45 found this review helpful
Updates August '08: Just wanted to reiterate how successful these recipes are. Since my first review, I've baked several more cakes, a couple of tarts, and the brioche (of 3 versions I've tried, by far my favorite, better than the version in Baking with Julia). This book has a large section of bavarian style cakes, and I credit the authors for this becoming my very favorite type of cake. I've tried the passion fruit-lime cake and also the strawberry bavarian, and they came out so delicious, light, ethereal even. The lemon curd recipe is also delicious. This is my go-to baking book now, especially for cakes. The recipes really highlight quality, fresh ingredients, and they're never overly sweet or fussy. In addition to the weddings cakes (mentioned below), I've brought Tartine cakes to friends, family, and the office, and--assuming they are being honest--everyone says they are among the best they've had. I believe them because I agree, and I give full credit to the authors for that.
One note, however, is that the basic cake recipes produce more batter than needed to fill the pan. For me, this usually means a 6-inch cake for the freezer, which is a treat.
Usually I try not to review any book until I've cooked at least 3 recipes from it (which is often 3 more recipes than some of the highly-ranked cookbook reviewers around here try). Technically, I've only prepared 2 from this book: croissants and tres leches cake. However, that cake involved the recipe for a coconut chiffon cake, caramel, and vanilla pastry cream, in addition to the syrup and cream for assembling the final cake. That, coupled with the intricate nature of the croissant recipe, gives me enough evidence to say that this is an excellent baking book, a great addition to any baker's collection.
I've tried croissants before, struggled with the technique, and failed to approximate the taste of a good, buttery, proper croissant. I followed the detailed instructions here exactly, and I got exactly what I want. My French husband approved, and my mom and sister and I ate them up far too quickly. The dough wasn't easy, but it made a true croissant. I especially like Tartine's extra touch of baking them a little darker than most other recipes.
As for the tres leches cake, I'll say nothing as to its authenticity, since I wouldn't really know. As far as the recipe, though, it's utterly manageable: instructions and measurements are accurate and clear. The results: absolutely delicious, maybe the best non-chocolate cake I've made. The coconut chiffon is moist and tender, and the coconut syrup, caramel, and vanilla pastry cream make it so moist, flavorful, and satisfying. Another touch I liked was the small touch of lemon juice in the caramel. I haven't made it before, but I don't recall this as a standard addition in recipes I've seen. But it was definitely worth eating with a spoon. Probably a dozen or more people sampled this cake over the weekend, and they all loved it.
I look forward to trying the devil's food cake and the brioche, and I'm confident that they'll turn out as well as what I've made so far.
Added later:
I also tried the devil's food cake recipe (Which includes recipes for the cake, caramel, ganache). It was a bit involved, but the directions were again very clear and spot on: I knew what to look for and even my first try came out great. I ended up making about 4 batches of the recipe and using it for my brother's grooms cake. Had raves from dozens of people.
Also, ended up using the tres leches chiffon cake for part of the brides cake, which also got tons of great feedback.
I look forward to working through this book even further.
The Very Best! November 23, 2006
A reader (Honolulu, HI USA)
36 out of 37 found this review helpful
I am always very impressed when I find cookbooks whose recipes have been tested meticulously by the authors. That's an evidence of honesty and hard work. This book is simply the very best desserts cookbook I have ever used. Not being a very good cook, I find the recipes to be easy to follow and accurate. I also like that most of the recipes call for minimum amount of sugar needed. As a result, the final products taste light and flavors of ingredients really come through without being masked by excessive sweetness.
So far, so good December 12, 2006
T. Parker (Minnesota)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
I made the gingerbread cookies and they are spectacular. I like that the recipe is fairly simple, but the results are extra-special in taste and appearance. My only suggestion is that you need to read the WHOLE recipe pretty thoroughly before getting started. Little details, like the need to keep the dough overnight before rolling out, seem to be tucked into paragraphs which can get missed if you skim like I do.
Looking forward to testing some more!
 Very Disappointing!!!! December 22, 2006
Crickett (SF, CA)
16 out of 48 found this review helpful
I love Tartine bakery, but this book falls short. I suspect it is the editors who failed on this venture. The biggest dissapointment -- WHERE IS THE RECIPE FOR THE MORNING BUNS???? If you're including nearly everything else the bakery makes, then why not one of the MOST popular items.
After a brief skim of the book, i noticed several problems (i'm sure there are many more):
1. The print as someone else mentioned is extremely difficult to read (the font is too small, and the color of the page numbers makes them invisible!).
2. The toffee says it takes only 5-7 min to cook. Could be on their super duper stoves, but on my home stove takes 30 min like all of the other 15 recipes i've looked at say.
3. The almond lemon tea cake in the bakery has poppy seeds as does the pictures of this cake in the book, but no mention of poppy seeds in the recipe (should have taken a pict of the actual cake that the recipe will make).
4. A recipe calls for almond paste, but no mention of how to make it (i know it can be purchased, but i bet they don't do that....).
Finally, i initially wanted to buy two, but couldn't find the second one anywhere. Did the publisher realize its mistakes ? Or,did they goof again and miss out on the best time for this book to be on the shelves (lucky for their customers that they didn't have more on hand).
|
|
|
|
| |
