Dorie Greenspan

I've heard of Dorie Greenspan for a few years now, but this was my first time reading one of her books (thanks to a borrow through Prime Reading). I now understand the buzz around her cooking. She presents 300 French recipes in this book--recipes that often look intimidating--but does so with a gentle, calming manner. Her voice truly comes across on every page--these recipes are not mere recitations of ingredients and do this and that. I loved that most also featured little "good ideas" on show more modifications, too. The asides on French culture, like how to handle oneself in a cheese shop, were incredibly fun.

She also understands her audience. The book is from the vantage point of someone who has lived, grocery shopped, and cooked in France, but she knows her audience is American, and suggests necessary recipe changes for ingredients that are accessible and affordable.

Usually when I read a cookbook, I find maybe a couple recipes I want to try; that's a big reason why I buy few cookbooks these days. Why waste the space? However, I found a bunch of recipes of interest in Around My French Table, and already tried one! This is a book I would actually like to have in print--plus, I'm now keenly interested in finding more of her cookbooks, too. show less

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

Dorie Greenspan is a treasure to the world. I've adored several of her cookbooks, not simply for the recipes, but for her voice. Some cookbooks exude arrogance. Dorie's books feel like an aunt taking you by the hand and casually talking you through a recipe without any strict edicts involved. Most every recipe includes variations of ingredients and/or techniques so that individual bakers can make the recipe their own.

As the title says, show more this cookbook is all about baking, and there's a wide spectrum involved. There are basic chocolate chip cookies and pie crust recipes, as well as those for more complex éclairs and layer cakes and pies. There's even a section of savory baking recipes that, in a suitably French-influenced way, seem to revolve around cheese. Readers of Dorie's other cookbooks will see new takes on old favorites, too, like her cheese puffs and her famous World Peace Cookies.

The two criticisms I have of the book are on a more technical level. (I did read a galley so some information such as gram amounts were incomplete, but the formatting itself is set.) First of all, I wish every recipe had a picture. The photography that is included is stunning--I wanted more! I want to know what the final versions should look like! Also, some of basic building block kinds of recipes, like the pie and tart crusts, were all the way in the back, and I wish they were actually within the relevant section for easier reference.

Overall, though, this book is a winner. I'm sure it will be a bestseller and a book that many people wear out with use. show less

Well. I think I can say Dorie Greenspan is my new favorite cookbook author. Most cookbooks, I'm lucky if I can find a couple recipes of interest. In her cookbooks, I find bunches. I just recently borrowed her Around My French Table through Amazon Prime, and loved it so much I went out and bought a hardcover. You better believe I jumped on the chance to read this cookbook for free through Prime, too--and I found even more recipes of interest. Not only are her recipes appealing, but her tone show more is utterly approachable and friendly. I'll continue to seek out her books and try her recipes. show less

This is an absolute masterpiece among baking books. Dorie is a very talented chef and writer, and her recipes are as clearly laid out as they are delicious. She includes sidebars for how to plan ahead (if a given recipe can be prepared up to a certain point and then frozen, or how long it will keep and how it should be stored), and lots of variations for many of the recipes. Ingredients, equipment needed, and yield are all clearly marked. Her anecdotes in the introductions to each recipe are show more heartwarming and often funny. The pictures are gorgeous and the food is styled beautifully without intimidating the average home baker into thinking the results are unattainable. I have made dozens of the recipes and have only been disappointed once - the Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread on page 127 and I are not on speaking terms, but the rest of the recipes are excellent enough to far outweigh one bad one.

A few favorites: the chocolate chip cookies on p. 68 (these are thin, chewy, and the sugar gets almost caramelized.... so good!), sugar topped molasses spice cookies (p. 77), world peace cookies (p. 138), rugelach (p. 150 - these are the best rugelach ever, and I'm a jew from Brooklyn, so take my word for it), perfect party cake (p. 250), tarte tatin (p. 312), chocolate-crunched caramel tart (p. 355 - this is so good I can't make it anymore, because I will eat it all), and the cranberry-lime galette (p. 364 - try it as an unconventional thanksgiving dessert option).

This book is so huge and encyclopedic that even after all the dishes I've tried, I feel like I've barely made a dent. This is always one of the books I browse first whenever I feel like baking something. show less