The Art and Soul of Baking - Tapa dura

2009 IACP Cookbook Awards Winner!

Nominated for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award.

Sur La Table teamed with pastry chef and baking teacher Cindy Mushet to bring you the ultimate guide to baking. Beautiful photographs and more than 250 easy-to-follow recipes lead you into a world of alluring aromas and light, flaky pastries. Illustrated asides take you step by step through important techniques, from carmelizing sugar to working with croissant dough. Plus, you'll find invaluable information on over 100 ingredients and 50 baker's tools. A true pleasure for anyone who loves to bake.

Each selection of the Gourmet Cookbook Club is handpicked and road-tested by the editors of Gourmet magazine, so readers can cook with confidence, knowing the recipes really do deliver. Online at Gourmet Book Club you can find videos of the authors demonstrating recipes, share your thoughts on the cookbooks in the forums, and learn more about each book's topic.

BENEFITS:

* The ultimate book for bakers.

* Professional tips and tricks are made easy for the home baker.

* Step-by-step techniques of baking.

* 100 photographs, 250 foolproof recipes and variations, and information on over 100 popular baking ingredients and over 50 pieces of baking equipment.

Praise for The Art and Soul of Baking

"...when a baking book in which the recipes perform as flawlessly as they do in The Art and Soul of Baking comes out, we're particularly impressed." --Gourmet magazine, October 2008, Cookbook Club selection

"If you buy just one new baking book this season, make it this one. ...covers everything from essential equipment...and pantry staples to chapters on savory breads, quick breads, tarts, pies, cookies and cakes.... The recipes are exceedingly detailed and include do-ahead tips, notes on equipment needed, advice on storing the finished treats and suggestions for variations." --Associated Press, September 2008

"Mushet's invaluable lessons in ensuring oven accuracy, incorporating butter into dough for layered pastries...and the causes of falling souffles will get novices up to speed.... Those already comfortable with baking will get the most out of the book's 250 recipes, but there are plenty of dishes well within the reach of those new to creme brulee and lemon bar construction, making this a great volume to learn and grow with." --Publishers Weekly, August 2008

"Many elements combine to make a great cookbook, all of which are in The Art and Soul of Baking. ...the book possesses the singular quality that lifts a cookbook above the rest, and that is the ability to inspire. The Art and Soul of Baking inspires." —inmamaskitchen.com

Sur La Table is the trusted authority when it comes to all things cooking related. Sur La Table entices aficionados and curious beginners alike with its amazing selection of cookware, bakeware, tools, cookbooks, and cooking school programs designed to make any cook's life easier. They have coauthored nine cookbooks including The Art and Soul of Baking (2008), which received the 2009 IACP Cookbook Award for Baking, was chosen byGourmet magazine as a book club selection, and was nominated for 2009 baking book of the year by the James Beard Foundation. Baking Kids Love (2009) was also nominated for a 2010 IACP Cookbook Award for Kids/Family Cookbooks. The original store and headquarters are in Seattle, Washington.

Cindy Mushet is the author of The Art and Soul of Baking, which won the IACP Cookbook Award for Baking, received a nomination from The James Beard Foundation, and was chosen byGourmet magazine as a book club selection. She has been a professional pastry chef and baking instructor for over twenty years. Her recipes have appeared in numerous publications, includingBon Appétit, Fine Cooking, Country Home, the National Culinary Review, theNew York Times, and The 150 Best American Recipes (2006). Her first book,Desserts: Mediterranean Flavors, California Style, was published in 2000. Inspired by her daughter Bella, Cindy has taught baking to many children, both in school classrooms and in summer baking camps. A fun and engaging teacher, Cindy has also taught thousands of adults nationwide. She makes her home in the Los Angeles area.