SCIENCES

Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes

by Dominique Ansel
Thomas Schauer (photos). S. & S. 2014. 272p. index. ISBN 9781476764191. $35. COOKING
COPY ISBN
Frequently likened to Willy Wonka, award-winning pastry chef Ansel is the mastermind behind the Cronut™, the frozen s'more, and other delights sold in his eponymous New York City bakery. His debut—part essay collection, part cookbook—sheds light on how these desserts were developed and offers home cooks a chance to try 31 of them at home. Recipes are grouped into beginner (vanilla ice cream), intermediate (cotton-soft cheesecake), and advanced (the at-home Cronut™ pastry). For most of these, readers will need a precision scale and specialty molds (tart rings), equipment (airbrush), and ingredients (instant yeast). Even advanced bakers should plan to review each recipe several times; spanning 3–4 pages in length, with numerous notes in the margins, they can be extremely cumbersome to read.
VERDICT Ansel's essays will delight his fans, as well as foodies who enjoy learning about the creative processes of famous chefs. Those new to French pastry will prefer collections with more recipes and instruction.
Reviewed by Lisa Campbell , Dec 01, 2014
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024
by McKibben, Bill & Jaime Green
NONFICTION

Hungry Beautiful Animals: The Joyful Case for Going Vegan
by Halteman, Matthew C.
NONFICTION

The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs
by Smith, Richard
NONFICTION

Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future
by Beiser, Vince
NONFICTION

The Church of Stop Shopping and Religious Activism: Combatting Consumerism and Climate Change Through Performance
by González, George
NONFICTION

Not My Type: Automating Sexual Racism in Online Dating
by Williams, Apryl
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?