The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef
by Bo Friberg
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Book Reviews of The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef
Book Review: When Regular Just Isn't Enough
Summary: 5 Stars
When regukar just isn't enough, you can haul down this huge ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL from your pastry bookshelf. After the hundreds of pages of Bo Friberg's regular PROFESSIONAL PASTRY CHEF, who would have thought there was anything more to say? But yet this book is just about the equivalent in poundage. Suffice it to say that most of the pastries in this book weigh less than the book itself. Maybe one or two of the wedding cakes Friberg describes will weight more.
If you want to know how to make a macaroon, French toast, or even salty pretzels, you can look them up in the first book. Plus, you can learn how to make them professionally, including tips they don't bother teaching the ordinary home cook. And also how to make in bulk and still maintain quality control. How often do you have to multiply everything in your head, from flour to salt, while trying to cook for a party, and still you know that it won't come out right because of the increased volume of the pastry? It happened to me just last Sunday, and all because I wasn't using either of Friberg's books.
This book goes into great detail into what Friberg calls "Modernist" desserts. It's a comical name for any student of Modernism, but you know what he means. Those fancy desserts with little poles of pastry ringing together an odd batch of components, and trying to make the dessert higher than it is wide. Remember the old days of the 1950s, when they showed French chefs in the movies or on TV shows, they were always trying to impress with Baked Alaska? Here there are some recipes that put that to shame.
Warning, it's a heavy book, and don't try to balance this up against a mixing bowl or your eggs could go skeetering right along the linoleum as happened to me three weeks ago.
Book Review: Spectacular!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm going to start with one little criticism, and I only do it because I love this book: If you live in a small town like I do, many of the ingreedients in this book will be nigh-impossible to find. Things like goat's milk cheese or some specific varieties of fruits or seeds or specific types of chocolates simply aren't available where I live. So, if you're also from a small town that lacks specialty shops or whose stores lack variety, prepare to do a lot of inventive substitution.
That being said, the book provides crystal-clear, step-by-step directions that lead you to create some of the most beautiful, delicious desserts you can imagine. Plus, it doesn't skimp on the science either, and for people like me who like to know the "why" as well as the "how", you'll appreciate that.
The book is shockingly specific. First of all, all measurments are given in weight, which is much more accurate. Someone here once said that volume measurments exist to keep us stupid and professional bakers in business, and they're absolutely right. So invest in a good scale. Plus, the book gives great information about compensating for altitude, which is a huge deal where I live (nothing's ever easy in Wyoming). The written directions make even the most difficult procedure simple to follow along, and where things get even a little hazy, the author includes diagrams and photographs.
Every recipe in this book is a perfect illustration of the fine balance between art and science that fine cooking really is. Not for those without the attention span to spend an hour or two in the kitchen, but if you have a passion for pastries you cannot do without this book.
Book Review: Excellent book, everything in one place
Summary: 5 Stars
This book deals with a very wide raneg of techniques, and has quite a few good recipes. Some of the recipes may be a bit of a problem when scaled down for home baking, but if you do have some experience (which you should if you are considering this book, this is not for beginners) you can easily adjust it. Also, boiled sugar recipe doesn't work in humid climates, but if you come up with proportion which does work for you, tips and techniques are still very valuable.
Highlights of the book - tuile and ladyfingers batter recipes. I use both of those regularly, I love the look of decorated sponge cakes, but I actually use ladyfingers sponge batter (given in cake section at the begining, not lady fingers biscuits) instead of joconde sponge for decorated sponge layers (joconde is a bit more dry) and it turns out perfect.
Book Review: Praise for Bo Frieberg
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an amazing book full of color pictures of many of the itmes to be made. However, I do advise you, that this is not a book for beginners. I came to realise this after attempting the Chestnut Puzzle Cake. I knew it was going to be a tough task to accomplish, so I tried it with boxed cake mixes, and frosting from a tub at first. ( No one knew the difference). The instructions are worded so that anybody can make the recipes, and some have illustrations to aide in the task. They are time consuming, but the extra effort is worth it in the end. If you plan on purchasing, and making the recipes, I reccomend taking a picture of it before you consume.Book Review: I love the details in this wonderful baking book
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a student studying to become a professional pastry chef. This book has great details and pictures of every advance cake and pastry you can think of. I just took the Certification test for baking, and have decided to purchase the Study Guide for Baking: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations to help me pass. I also bought the Study Guide for Advanced Baking. These books have very similar questions to what's in class and on the test. I highly recommend it to every student and professional whom want to become certified.