Friday, August 24, 2012

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy

In what has been a(nother) difficult week chez nous, one thing has kept me going. No, it's not increased gin rations, industrial amounts of chocolate or a pool boy called Raoul, it's this incredible book.
 
My sister sent me this for my birthday. I'd never heard of Alice Medrich before but I knew I was going to love her. How could you not admire a woman who is credited with introducing chocolate truffles to the US?
 
There are millions of cookbooks in the world but few written as well as this one. Even the ingredients lists are perfect. And the advice. And the photographs. There are 130 recipes, plus mini-tutorials and an FAQ section. It's 416 pages of brilliance, with rigorous testing and research worn as lightly as a dusting of icing sugar. If you have any interest in baking, this is the book for you.
 
I haven't made a single thing from it yet, but it has been a place of wonderful escape (I'm also reading The Corrections, in case you think my brain is pure sugar). My one wish for the weekend is to lie on the sofa on Saturday afternoon and read some more of it.
 
Before that though I'm making a fleeting appearance at the second New Zealand Food Bloggers Conference, where I'll be coughing and spluttering my way through a discussion about blogging vs writing. Let's hope no one throws a cream pie at me.
 
Have a great weekend everyone x
 
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5 comments:

  1. So glad you like it! But wait till you see her "Pure Dessert" which among other elegant delights has the best biscuit recipe ever - Nibby Buckwheat Cookies. And "Bittersweet" is great too.

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  2. Good luck. I hope if you end up with a pie in the face it's from Mrs cake or Alessandra rather than a meat pie! Would love to go check out the conference one day. Maybe next year.

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  3. Well, I'd never heard of Alice Medrich either but I certainly need to know more about her now. Good luck with the conference - I'm sure you'll dazzle everyone. (By the way, I reckon that Raoul will be upset to be replaced by a book.)

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  4. Thanks for introducing us to Alice Medrich! I did check out her site and some of the recipes. I love her chocolate marbled cheesecake...bookmarked it to try. All of the other dessert recipes sound and look amazing as well!

    Lucky you, to go to a food blogger conference...they are so much fun, and all the fabulous foods, and knowledge you gain by these conferences, not to mention getting to meet some of your foodies in person. I had so much fun in San Francisco, just about a year ago at one of these conferences and food festival!

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  5. I have never heard of her either....but thanks for the intro....as baking is most definitely where I need some tips. One to add to the ever growing list of must have cook books!

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Hello - thanks for stopping by. If this was real life I'd make you a cup of tea and open the biscuit tin, but in lieu of those things, let's have a chat anyway...