Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America

Rating:
Summary: Excellent baking book for novices & pros
Review: OK first off, I LOVE to bake and own probably 15 cookie/cake/chocolate cookbooks so I like to think of myself as a somewhat expert on baking books. I opened this book up this morning and was amazed at how easy it is to understand figuring it is from a highly respected cooking school. Most of the cookbooks you read from schools, like this one, are almost like reading a foreign language book. Unless of course, you are a pastry chef (thats a baker with a degree in baking). It covers how to measure flour, what the different fats (butter, margarine & lard) do and the flavors they put across and a very interesting thing on baking soda and powder. It covers everything a baking book should cover. And the recipes go from the basics to a bit more difficult, but not out of reach. I have not tried any of them yet so I am not sure how they taste, but just looking at some of the them they look very similar to what I already use. Although I do use more chocolate chips in my cookies than what it called for, but other than that the chocolate chip cookie recipe looks just like the one on the back of a bag of toll house morsels. I suggest if you aren't quite sure go to a bookstore and just look through it. I guarantee you will want to buy it. Oh and it has quite a few pictures too - a major plus for baking books. One last thing, I came across this cinnamon raisin bread recipe and the picture of it - it looks sooooo good. Just buy this book - you won't be disappointed. :)