Paris_ The Collected Traveler - Barrie Kerper [113]
The Cake Bible (William Morrow, 1988) and The Pie and Pastry Bible (Scribner, 1998), Rose Levy Berenbaum. The use of the word “bible” is not misplaced here as these are the most definitive books on the subject. For novices and seasoned bakers alike, featuring many cakes, pies, and tarts in the French tradition.
Great Pies & Tarts (1998) and Great Cakes (1999), both by Carole Walter and published by Clarkson Potter. The pies and tarts volume has more recipes for French-style creations than the cakes volume, but both are excellent.
La Maison du Chocolat, Robert Linxe (Rizzoli, 2001). I’m intimidated by some of these recipes from the legendary Paris chocolatier, but the Moist Chocolate Almond Cake and the Chocolate Almond Macarons are not complicated and wildly delicious.
Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts (Clarkson Potter, 1985). I plowed through this in much the same way that Julie Powell steadfastly made her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (Okay, I can’t take quite as much credit as Julie, as there are three recipes I just never made.) Martha’s recipes for pâte brisée and pâte sucrée crusts are the ones I turn to still, and her recipe for tarte tatin is flawless.
Paris Boulangerie-Pâtisserie, Linda Dannenberg (Clarkson Potter, 1994). This fine book features recipes from thirteen legendary Paris bakeries; the pain d’épices honey cake from Pâtisserie Lerch is a staple at my house. The directory of mail-order sources in the United States and restaurant supply stores in Paris is great.
Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes, David Lebovitz (Ten Speed, 2010). A revision of his Room for Dessert—which was an International Association of Culinary Professionals award nominee—and with a dozen new recipes, this wonderful book is filled with many French-inspired treats.
SINGLE-SUBJECT CULINARY BOOKS
I love to delve into books devoted to one culinary specialty, and here’s an assortment of some on specialties near and dear to the French:
Absinthe: History in a Bottle, Barnaby Conrad III (Chronicle, 1988). This is an alluring history of the infamous anise-flavored libation also known as la fée verte (the green fairy). The production, distribution, and sale of absinthe was banned in France on March 16, 1915, as it was believed to be the cause of alcoholism, suicide, general insanity, and epilepsy. Wormwood and its essence, thujone, was the ruinous and dangerous ingredient. Absinthe had its supporters, but they had no sway over the army: absinthe promoted drunkenness among soldiers, and it was crucial for the troops to be sober and united against Germany. In 1922, the government allowed the sale of wormwood-free absinthe, known today as pastis, available from producers such as Pernod and Ricard.
Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best, Max McCalman (Clarkson Potter, 2005). This beautifully photographed and useful book features cheeses from around the world, but, naturally, many of them are French. I like it especially for the wine-pairing tips; the book makes a great gift when accompanied by selected cheeses and the recommended paired wines.
The Joy of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying, Corby Kummer (Houghton Mifflin, 1995; revised 2003). A comment I often hear from people who visit France is that the coffee is so much better there. I believe it’s not the coffee that’s better but the quality of the preparation and the dairy products. (Coffee, after all, does not grow in France, and good-quality beans are available to coffee roasters around the world.) Coffee lovers will find this book enlightening as it addresses plantations, cupping, roasting, grinding, and storing (the best place for storing, if you drink it every day, is not in the freezer, as many people mistakenly believe). But even better are the recipes for