 Sherry Yard is the executive pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant Spago
Beverly Hills. She has created desserts for the Grammy Awards, the Emmy Awards,
and the Academy Awards. She has been featured in Vogue, Bon Appétit, Gourmet,
Food & Wine, and the Los Angeles Times and has appeared many times on
national television, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and Access Hollywood.
The Secrets of Baking is a comprehensive primer that guides the cook through the
world of baked goods and other desserts, from time-honored classics of the
French patisserie to the inspired and fanciful creations that made Spago the
famous restaurant it is today. At the same time, it advances a radically new
understanding of these recipes, one that will give the baker greater flexibility
and confidence in the kitchen.
Instead of grouping desserts into traditional
categories (pies, cakes, cookies), Sherry Yard arranges them around crucial
master recipes. Starting with these recipes -- simple, basic guidelines for
making caramel, chocolate sauce, lemon curd, pound cake, and brioche, to name
just a few -- Yard shows the cook how to create dozens of variations. Knowing
how ingredients interact opens the door to a multitude of baking possibilities.
For example, cream puff dough forms the foundation for éclairs, profiteroles,
and the caramel-coated tower the French call croquembouche, but understanding
how and why it behaves the way it does allows the cook to create deep-fried
beignets, mascarpone-filled cannolis, or simmering-hot dumplings. This
authoritative, friendly bake-shop bible contains fascinating mini-lessons on
food science, illuminating bits of baking history, and time-saving tips.
Newcomers to the world of baking will feel at ease with such simple, homey
desserts as Banana Bread and Mississippi Mud Pie, and elaborate show-stoppers
like Chocolate Brioche Sandwich with Espresso Gelato and Blackberry-Lime-Filled
Doughnuts with Blackberry Sorbet and Berries will transform amateur bakers into
expert pastry chefs.
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