Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts
Mostly Food & Travel Journal Baking Book of 2017
I review many books during the year. The majority of them have great culinary merit and illustrate the passion of those who penned these volumes. They come in all sizes but sometimes they are just too big for the subject.French Pâtisserie is perfect!
French Pâtisserie: Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts is perhaps the largest cookbook I have ever been invited to review. I was somewhat dubious until I actually took time to turn the pages. Yes, the photographs are outstanding, and a book of some 656 pages does have a lot of stage presence, but I also discovered a treasure.
This book is a paper personification of a French patisserie course, as the title does indeed suggest. This must surely become a classic, and sought after by culinary students and domestic baking enthusiasts alike. One might feel a little daunted at the sheer complexity of some of the recipes but each of those can be deconstructed into its constituent elements. Master each facet and one can confection a dessert of which to be professionally proud. Not all of the techniques are complicated: there are relatively simple recipes for classic tarts, sponges, cookies and pastries.
Michelin-level baked goods
French Pâtisserie offers those who can’t go to catering college the chance to hone skills and learn about equipment and ingredients. The would-be chef is walked through every step, from basic methods to the presentation of Michelin-level baked goods. Ferrandi, an internationally-renowned professional culinary school, offers this intensive overview of the art of French baking. It’s written by the school’s teaching staff of qualified master pâtissiers.
This stunning book is fully illustrated with photographs of core techniques and full-page images of finished cakes, gateaux and sweet treats. Yes, those colour plates add to the size of the book, but those pictures will be such a support to the novice baker, and an inspiration to the more confident. Practical information is presented in tables, diagrams, and sidebars, and recipes are graded for level of difficulty, allowing readers to develop their skills. One could become an accomplished pâtissier by working through the recipes.
This is the Mostly Food & Travel Journal Baking Book of 2017
French Pâtisserie: Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts
Authors: École Ferrandi, Rina Nurra
Published by: Flammarion
Price: £45.00
ISBN-10: 2080203185
ISBN-13: 978-2080203182
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Cookbook review by Chrissie Walker © 2018