With a title like this I couldn't resist picking this cookbook up. When I crave something more often than not it is something salty or savoury. Very rarely is it something sweet. Although just the other night I reached for some dark chocolate with ginger pieces to satisfy my craving... Anyhow the art of pastry making is something I could learn more about.
Savory Baking: Warm and Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries by Mary Cech, Photography by Noel Barnhurst; first edition 2009; pp.[9]168 published by Chronicle Books LLC, has some very unique recipes for everyone. Just after the introduction the cookbook has a section on Tools for Success. It explains everything from ingredients, equipment and techniques to help you. Each section has anywhere from 10-15 recipes. They are divided into these: Quick Breads, Flaky Pastries, Rustic, Pastries with Puff, Cookies, and The Side Show. Glossary and index, of coarse are at the back and something I always find useful, The Table of Equivalents. Regardless of the cookbook I am using I can always appreciate a page like that. It just makes it easier when converting measurements. And shows that the author has thought through the baking process.
Majority of the recipes sound wonderful, are easy to read and photos are close up. The few recipes that caught my eye are the Stilton Cheesecake on a Candied-Walnut Crust, Canadian Bacon Bread Pudding, White Cheddar Zucchini Pancakes, Chicken Dijon Brown Betty, Potato Cheese Fritters and Sour Cream Fig Spirals. They all sound comforting and creative. Again, this cookbook is for everyone despite your level of kitchen comfort. It brings cook and baker together with pastry being at the forefront, appetizers and main dishes rather than at the end of your meal, the dessert. - JW