The Elements of Dessert Hardcover – Illustrated, November 5, 2012

I own many, many cookbooks - maybe 50 or so just on baking. I am very passionate about cooking. Only recently have I become obsessed with presentation. I received this book just a few days ago and admit that I have not made anything from it. But I have been browsing for hours. First, if you are not a foodie and are too frustrated by recipes that use hard to find items (for instance, just picking a few random pages I have come across the following ingredients - gellan gum, low acyl or elderflower liquer or beet powder or wormwood schnappps essense or edible lacquer or sliver green luster dust) then this book (despite the fact that it provides resources for some of the items) will probably only be of interest to you for the purposes of dreaming and aesthetics. I have other books that contain ingredients impossible for the common cook to find (see all of Thomas Keller's books - seriously single source cheese from a dairy farmer on the other side of the country is a wonderful notion but impractical). Second, the contents are beyond beautiful - presentation and photography might be worth the price of a very good used book even if you were never going to cook. Third, the desserts presented make my mouth water just reading their names. One example is maple tapioca/vanilla panna cotta.or caramelized chocolate puff pastry. Fourth, I love that the author/publisher has taken the time to put all measurements in metric and US measurements. A few years ago I began cooking by weight rather than volume. The results differ and weight is a much better measurement for consistency. Get a precision scale - relatively cheap (especially if you are investing in expensive ingredients) and very easy to use. Eventually I may be one of the few non-science based Americans who prefers the metric system. Fifth, for those of who have more ambition than experience, there are 105 pages in the Chapter "Basic Elements." This chapter explains ingredients and how they work and techniques with hints. It also provides information about complementary tastes (a la The Taste Bible). The instructions are clear and have sufficient photos for you to learn. There are also tips and explanations in the other chapters. I cannot wait to try out some of the recipes but even if they are not my cup of tea when I have made them, the book has satisfied every other requirement I have for a cook book.

You will want to put this cookbook on your coffee table to impress your foodie friends. The pictures are an incredible showcase of the modernist ingenuity of the recipes.The layout of the book is very well thought out. You must be prepared to invest in ingredients and equipment to make the majority of the recipes in this book.A suitable amount of background is recommended before attempting the recipes found later in the book and this background is provided in Chapter 1. Do not skip this chapter! The first chapter provides an extensive explanation of preparation and cooking methods (for example: tempering chocolate), an overview of flavor and texture profiles of ingredients, and even considerations in menu composition.Subsequent chapters contain recipes and photographs grouped by the type of setting under which the dessert would be served (such as plated, in a buffet, cakes, etc.). The ingredient amounts in the recipes are weight based so at the very least you must have a kitchen scale.In the end of the book is a list of on-line resources where unique ingredients or tools can be purchased which I found very helpful.I'd recommend this book to anyone who has an appreciation of culinary artistry, and strongly recommend this book to chefs who enjoy modernist cooking.

although there are a lot of amazing techniques described in the beginning of this book, this is not a book for someone first getting into pastry. most, if not all the recipes are plated in a way a 3 michelin star restaurant would (more specifically, alinea). but if you are resourceful, recipes of specific components can be very useful. i found a goat cheese bavarian cream recipe that was perfect for a berry gelee and goat cheese tart i had to make for my chef (in lieu of just plain goat cheese rolled thinly). this book is what you make it, but it is an advanced book, no doubt.

I bought this book because i own 'Frozen Desserts', and i loved that book. Well, let me tell you that this is even better!!!All the information, techniques, and ingredients are very well organized.The recipes are in metric, U.S. and % (a little detail that i found very important when i purchase a book, given that i don't live in the U.S.)It even has recipes for making your own chocolate, i'm not saying people is likely to do it... yet it's good to have an ideaI've received it a few days ago, and i haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but i'm confident that they will work, just as the ones is frozen desserts do.This book is divided in 7 sections:The basic elementsPre DessertsPlated DessertsDessert BuffetsPassed-around BuffetsCakesPetit Fours.It has also lots of pictures and very clear instructions.I JUST LOVE IT!!!!I totally recommend it :)

I always try to buy used books before new and I still support that cause. I have never received a book in poor condition and this one is no exception.The book is amazing and it is in fair condition like the listing said. It does have a 4.99 price tag on it which makes the 45 dollars I paid for it sting a little bit.

Great insight of different elements of desserts. A great pastry chef that has expertise, creative and innovation on pastry. This book is so comprehensive but easy to understand. Yet I was searching for some elements that I didn't quite understand,and this book answers it all. Also, I noticed that experienced chefs have a similar recipe for ganaches like Pierre Herme', William Curley. It just depends how they formulate their recipes to create multiple flavors that complement well. This is a must have for any home baker that wants to acquire more knowledge to develop recipes, or an aspiring pastry chef. Awesome and excellent resource. You can find recipes at the end with modern techniques.