Collection Development: Hitting the Sweet Spot (Baking), November 1, 2010
John Charles Nov 1, 2010
Baking can be intimidating. Just ask all those contestants on Top Chef who would rather prepare Beef Wellington than bake a cake. But libraries can take the fear factor out of baking by putting together a solid collection of cookbooks that can help anyone master the sweeter side of the culinary arts or even serve as delicious armchair reading for fans of the new Top Chef: Just Desserts.
If you think the ebook revolution and the World Wide Web have made the old-fashioned cookbook passé, think again. Yes, there are websites galore dedicated to the creation of baked goods and sweet treats, including the information-rich Home Baking Association (www.homebaking.org) and sites by popular cookbook authors and bloggers such as Marcy Goldman (ww w.betterbaking.com), useful commercial sites such as King Arthur Flour Company (www.kingarthurflour.com), and even resources such as the American Egg Board (www.aeb.org), but nothing beats the regular print text for most home cooks.
Libraries should offer a range of baking titles that address their patrons’ skill levels. Novices will require introductory guides that offer easy-to-follow recipes with lots of good illustrations. Bakers with a bit more mileage in the kitchen will want books that challenge their culinary chops by going beyond the basics with new variations and fresh twists on classic sweet treats. Baking collections should also include both cookbooks that cover the gamut of baking possibilities as well as a few titles dedicated to specific branches of baking, such as bread making.
A recipe for success
What should librarians look for in a good baking title? The same qualities that make for any great cookbook: an engaging writing style, a distinctive culinary point of view, and a great selection of recipes. One easy way to find the best new baking books is through the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) (www.iacp.com) and the James Beard Foundation (www.jbfawards.com), both of which give annual awards in different cookbook categories, including baking.
The majority of big-name publishers—Scribner, Houghton Harcourt, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Wiley, Workman, Clarkson Potter, and Chronicle Books—have strong cookbook divisions. Then there are the old standby culinary brand names such as Good Housekeeping and Better Homes and Gardens, whose span of titles extends to the sweeter side of cooking. But don’t forget small presses, such as Lake Isle Press (www.lakeislepress.com) and the Little Bookroom, whose new line of single-subject cookbooks inspired by the American Academy in Rome will debut in November 2010 with Biscotti by Mona Talbott and Mirella Misenti (www.littlebookroom.com/biscotti.html). British publisher Kyle Books (www.kylebooks.com), whose September 2010 Bake! Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking is by baking instructor extraordinaire Nick Malgieri, also promises to become a prominent player in the American culinary publishing field.
Up in the air
There is one caveat for those collection development librarians in mountain states. Where you live can affect your success as a baker. Atmospheric pressure can wreak havoc with a recipe if you’re baking 1000 feet or more above sea level. Most baking books assume that anyone living in a high altitude locale knows how to adapt a recipe to their unique geographic demands, but this isn’t always the case. Fortunately, cookbook author and baker par excellence Susan G. Purdy fills in this gap with Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes (Morrow, 2005), which features 100 recipes that have been tested for success at altitudes up to 10,000 feet.
Most baking books are built for the long haul, and apart from dusting off some flour or cleaning up a few chocolate smudges, they should hold up for years. For the most part, weeding will be based on condition, though librarians should be aware that titles published before 2000 may include the use of raw eggs in a recipe, which can be a cause of health concern for some individuals. While a few classic baking titles have been revised and republished, allowing libraries to replace worn or damaged copies, some of the best baking guides ever written, such as Marion Cunningham’s quintessential The Fannie Farmer Baking Book and many of Maida Heatter’s terrific home baking books, are now out of print. So give these titles serious consideration before discarding them from your collection.
Stay fresh but avoid the trendy
The overall culinary movement toward using locally grown ingredients has influenced baking to a certain degree, with a current crop of titles that emphasize the freshest seasonal ingredients available. This includes Marcy Goldman’s much anticipated The Baker’s Four Seasons (HarperCollins, Mar. 2011). But most bakers worth their salt have always used the purest ingredients on the market. The world of baking is not immune to culinary trends—for the last three years it has been cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes—but libraries should be cautious when purchasing the latest “hot” baking tome. Just as in the world of fashion, a classic—such as the books below by Flo Braker, Dorie Greenspan, and Cindy Mushet—never goes out of style.
The following collection of baking books (two include companion DVDs) can either freshen up a tired collection or serve as a template when building a baking collection from scratch. Starred [.] titles are core purchases for most libraries. While outside the scope of this article, libraries will also want to keep in mind their patrons with special health needs by purchasing baking titles that meet those demands, such as Lori Sandler’s The Divvies Bakery Cookbook (St. Martin’s, 2010), which provides sweet recipes free of nuts, dairy, and eggs or Anne Byrne’s The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free (Workman, 2010). [For more tasty delights, see The Reader’s Shelf, p. 95.]
THE LIST
The following titles are all great baking resources, but some are a little less intimidating to novice bakers. Here are my choices for the best “beginners” baking titles with that added edge: The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book; Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours; The Art & Soul of Baking by Sur la table with Cindy Mushet; James Peterson’s Baking ; Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook; Carole Bloom’s Intensely Chocolate ; and Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day.
Reference
Chattman, Lauren. The Baking Answer Book. Storey. 2010. 384p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781603424394. pap. $14.95.
Chattman, a former professional pastry chef and author of ten cookbooks, takes the guesswork out of baking by answering basic questions on ingredients, equipment, and techniques and then provides a few classic recipes that help illustrate her key points. A solid choice for any public library collection.
Daley, Regan. In the Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker’s Companion. Artisan: Workman. 2001. 704p. photogs. index. 2010. ISBN 9781579654276. pap. $24.95.
While other books include some details on baking ingredients and tools as part of their introduction to the craft, Daley’s International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Award winner is the definitive guide to all the equipment, techniques, and ingredients a baker uses. With 150 inventive recipes. (LJ 1/01)
General Guides
The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. America’s Test Kitchen. 2008. 552p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781933615226. ringbound. $34.95.
The cooks on this PBS show are known—and loved—for their relentless testing in order to determine the “perfect” recipe. Now the results of their dessert labors have been gathered into a cookbook that will delight their fans. Libraries may also wish to consider adding the DVD counterpart—America’s Test Kitchen: Best Baking Recipes. color. 115 min. WGBH-Boston Video. 2007. DVD ISBN 9781593757465. $19.95—to their collections. (LJ 8/08)
Barricelli, John. The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Occasion. Clarkson Potter: Crown Pub. Group. 2010. 287p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780307449450. $35.
He’s baked for Martha Stewart and hosted the PBS show Everyday Baking from Everyday Food, and now Barricelli shares with home bakers 125 of his favorite recipes from his Connecticut shop—all standard sweet treats with his own twist. (LJ 12/09)
Beranbaum, Rose Levy. Rose’s Heavenly Cakes. Wiley. 2009. 498p. illus. ISBN 9780471781738. $39.95.
Winner of both the IACP and James Beard Foundation awards, Beranbaum wrote the bible (literally) on cakes, pies, and bread and now blogs on baking (www.realbakingwithrose.com). Beranbaum is known for her precise, detailed instructions that ensure success even for novice bakers, and her latest title includes a few of her past hits, with some tempting new goodies. (LJ 8/09)
Braker, Flo. Baking for All Occasions: A Treasury of Recipes for Everyday Celebrations. Chronicle. 2008. 396p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780811845472. $35.
West Coast cooking teacher, San Francisco Chronicle contributor, and award-winning cookbook writer Braker’s first cookbook, The Simple Art of Perfect Baking, is still a classic. Her latest distills nearly two decades of baking wisdom into a terrific guide with an inventive range of recipes that will delight both new and experienced bakers.
Corriher, Shirley O. Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with Over 200 Magnificent Recipes. Scribner. 2008. 544p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781416560784. $40.
If you really want to understand the science behind baking (and don’t mind the occasional flashback to chemistry class), Corriher’s James Beard Foundation Award–winning book is the one for you. In addition to explaining the theory behind creating no-fail cookies, cakes, and pies, Corriher, who herself has a degree in chemistry, provides a good selection of basic recipes. (LJ 10/15/08)
DeMasco, Karen & Mindy Fox. The Craft of Baking. Clarkson Potter: Crown Pub. Group. 2009. 256p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780307408105. $35.
James Beard Foundation Award winner DeMasco worked as Tom Colicchio’s (you know, the head judge on Top Chef) pastry chef for nearly a decade. Now she shares her recipes—along with “craft” notes on how to revise or rework them—for a variety of sweet and savory treats. (LJ 9/15/09)
Fobel, Jim. Jim Fobel’s Old-Fashioned Baking Book: Recipes from an American Childhood. Lake Isle, dist. by National Bk. Network. 1987. 207p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780962740367. pap. $14.95.
Sometimes you just want a taste of yesteryear, and Fobel delivers the culinary goods in this plain and practical guide to classic baked dishes from our past.
Greenspan, Dorie. Baking from My Home to Yours. Houghton Harcourt. 2006. 514p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780618443369. $40.
Greenspan, who has garnered both IACP and James Beard Foundation awards, has coauthored books with a number of culinary legends, including Julia Child (see below), but this book, which even has its own fan-based blog, “Tuesdays with Dorie,” is all about her own warm, comfortable brand of home baking magic. (LJ 2/1/06; LJ Best Cookbook of 2006, LJ 1/07)
Greenspan, Dorie. Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America’s Best Bakers. Morrow. 1996. 576p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780688146573. $40.
With Julia Child’s name on the cover, you really don’t need anything else, but this book, based on the PBS series (which is also available on DVD), has an added selling point: a terrific selection of recipes provided by bakers from across the United States who know the dish best and share their expertise with you.
The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook. Countryman. 2003. 640p. illus. index. ISBN 9780881505818. $35.
Famous for its flour and other baking products, the King Arthur Company delivers a solid introduction to the art of baking with 350 recipes for both sweet and savory indulgences. (LJ 8/03)
Lewis, Matt & Renato Poliafito. Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. 2008. ISBN 9781584797210.
Lewis, Matt & Renato Poliafito. Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented. 2010. ISBN 9781584798507. ea. vol: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. 208p. photogs. index. $29.95.
Oprah and Martha are fans of newcomers Lewis and Poliafito, and if those two media titans can agree on something, you know it has to be good. In both of their books, the two Brooklyn-based bakers take on classic sweet surprises and give them a fresh, modern twist. (LJ 10/1/08)
Peterson, James. Baking: 350 Recipes, 1500 Photographs, One Baking Education. Ten Speed: Crown Pub. Group. 2009. 416p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781580089913. $40.
Peterson is the author of more than 15 cookbooks, including the James Beard Foundation Award–winning Sauces, and his treatise on baking takes the same classic French approach as his other cookbooks. The more than 1500 illustrations will help bakers confidently work their way through the solid collection of recipes.
Sax, Richard. Classic Home Desserts: A Treasury of Heirloom and Contemporary Recipes. Houghton Harcourt. 2010. 688p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780618057085. $35.
Originally published in 1994 and long out of print, Sax’s timeless guide to home baking is once again available. Sax gathers more than 350 recipes from around the globe and then shows home cooks how to re-create them successfully in their kitchens.
Stewart, Martha. Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. Clarkson Potter: Crown Pub. Group. 2005. 416p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780307236722. $40.
Everything one would expect from the reigning diva of the domestic arts. The precise instructions and a solid selection of standard baking classics with that special Martha touch make this a very good thing for both novice bakers and Martha wannabes.
Sur la table with Cindy Mushet. The Art & Soul of Baking. Andrews McMeel. 2008. 464p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780740773341. $40.
Even those who don’t know a spoon from a spatula will be tempted to head for the kitchen after going through California baker and culinary instructor Mushet’s brilliantly clear and carefully detailed introduction to the art of baking. Mushet’s “What the pros know” tips are an added bonus. Sur la Table is a high-end baking supply store and a force in the culinary world. This 2009 IACP Award winner is essential for any library’s baking collection. (LJ 9/15/08)
Yockelson, Lisa. Baking by Flavor. Wiley. 2002. 566p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780471361701. $45.
This IACP Award winner by Yockelson, a former food journalist and the author of the equally scrumptious ChocolateChocolate and the recently released Baking Style, offers bakers a truly revolutionary arrangement—recipes are grouped by flavor, such as chocolate or butter. (LJ 2/15/02)
Bread and Chocolate
Many of the general baking guides above do include a selection of chocolate-based recipes and/or a quick introduction to the art of bread baking, but because these two fields of baking place some unique demands on cooks—let’s just say tempering chocolate and working with yeast—libraries should consider adding a few subject-specific titles to their baking collections.
Bigelow, Fran with Helene Siegel. Pure Chocolate. Clarkson Potter: Crown Pub. Group. 2004. 240p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780767916585. $35.
Famed Seattle chocolatier Bigelow shares her secrets for working with the food of the gods as well as a delectable assortment of tempting chocolate-based desserts. (LJ 8/04)
Bloom, Carole. Intensely Chocolate. Wiley. 2010. 224p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780470551011. $27.95.
Author of eight other cookbooks, including The Essential Baker , Bloom is known for her painstakingly detailed instructions, and her latest is a good introduction to baking with chocolate for novice cooks.
Clayton, Bernard. Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads. S. & S. 2006. 784p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780743287098. pap. $22.
With its clear instructions and comprehensive coverage of all things yeasty, Clayton’s update of his classic 1973 bread-baking guide is an essential choice for most public libraries.
Kastel, Eric W. Artisan Breads. Wiley. 2010. 342p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780470182604. $34.95.
A wonderfully easy-to-use guide (part of the Culinary Institute of America’s new “At Home” series) to the art of baking breads that will inspire new bread bakers.
Lahey, Jim & Rick Flaste. My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. Norton. 2009. 224p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780393066302. $29.95.
When it first appeared in a New York Times article by culinary minimalist Mark Bittman, Lahey’s no-knead bread recipe was a foodie sensation. Now, the owner of New York City’s Sullivan Street Bakery shares his method for creating fabulous, no-fuss breads.
Medrich, Alice. Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate. Artisan: Workman. 2003. 384p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781579651602. $35.
Author of the IACP and James Beard Foundation Award–winning (and now, unfortunately, o.p.) Cocolat, Berkley, CA–based Medrich dishes up a few culinary memories and delivers a treasure trove of challenging but worth-the-effort recipes using high-quality, high-percentage chocolates. (LJ 11/15/03)
Reinhart, Peter. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. 2001. 304p. bibliog. ISBN 9781580082686. $35. (LJ 11/15/01)
Reinhart, Peter. Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day. ISBN 9781580089982. $30. (LJ 9/15/09) ea. vol: Ten Speed: Crown Pub. Group. photogs. index.
Author of the IACP Award winner Crust and Crumb, baker–turned–culinary instructor Reinhart is all about providing the detailed recipes and formulas bakers need to get started confidently in The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. In Artisan Breads, Reinhart uses the slow fermentation process of bread baking to create artisan-quality breads that can be successfully made at home.
Scherber, Amy & Toy Kim Dupree. Amy’s Breads. rev. & updated. Wiley. 2010. 276p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780470170755. $35.
The owners of the New York City bakery deliver a smorgasbord of yeasty recipes for traditional breads, as well pizza and focaccia, and a few terrific ideas for sandwiches that will use up all the bread you just made.
Almost from Scratch
Byrn, Anne. The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! Workman. 2009. 496p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780761156949. $25.95.
While some bakers might sneer at the idea of using a mix, there is no denying the popularity of Byrn’s books. Every public library needs at least one copy of her latest, which includes 160 recipes (many contributed by Byrn’s legion of fans). (LJ 9/15/09)
Lee, Sandra. Semi-Homemade Desserts: Easy Delicious Desserts and Nothing Is Made from Scratch. rev. ed. Wiley. 2004. 206p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780696226847. pap. $19.95.
Food channel superstar Lee was one of the first to champion the use of smart shortcuts in the kitchen in order to achieve homemade results.
| Author Information |
| An Adult Services Librarian for the Scottsdale Public Library System, AZ, John Charles has been reviewing books for LJ for 15 years and scorching sugar and burning butter in the kitchen for two decades. |
