Paru le 17/09/2011 | Relié sous jaquette 415 pages
Tout public
photographs by Clay McLachlan | foreword by Pierre Hermé
With an introduction by internationally renowned French pâtissier Pierre Hermé and the collective experience of eight master chocolatiers from the prestigious École du Grand Chocolat Valrhona, this comprehensive volume is a key reference for working with chocolate in the home kitchen. It includes:
This comprehensive cooking academy in book form opens with 100 fundamental techniques and building-block recipes: chocolate basics (melting, tempering, coating, and molding); bonbon fillings (ganaches, pralines, pastes, and caramel); decorations (including presentation dishes and glazes); pastry, doughs, and sponges; creams (from crème anglaise and crème pâtissière to chocolate panna cotta); chocolate mousses; ice creams, sorbets, and sauces; and pâtissier's secrets (from marbling and the faultless cake to whisking egg whites and achieving the perfect chocolate mousse). Each method is explained in text and step-by-step photographs, with fourteen of them further clarified on the accompanying ninety-minute DVD.
In addition to these techniques, more than 100 recipes, organized into eight sections, are simplified for the home cook: classics (Black Forest cake, Sachertorte, profiteroles, molten chocolate cake, chocolate soufflé); tarts (chocolate-pear, nut-caramel-coffee); desserts to share (choco-ginger churros, chocolate-vanilla marbled waffles, bittersweet chocolate panna cotta, chocolate cream verrines); teatime snacks (chocolate-pecan ladyfingers, brownies, chocolate croissants, macaroons); iced desserts (parfait, granita, sorbet, and ice cream); special occasion creations (bittersweet chocolate fondue, crisp triple chocolate cake, hazelnut praline Christmas log); candies (bonbons, coconut bars, truffles, lollipops); and new trends (Truffled Ivory Macaroons or filet mignon with bittersweet chocolate sauce).
Each recipe is graded with a three-star rating, enabling the home chef to gauge its complexity and gradually expand his abilities through experience. Cross references to techniques, DVD footage, glossary terms, and complementary recipes make navigation easy. The volume includes practical resources: a visual dictionary of kitchen equipment; tips for conserving chocolate; a guide to the history and science of dark, milk, and white chocolate including the importance of cocoa content; and a detailed index to the recipes and techniques.
Frédéric Bau - considered by his peers as one of the world's finest chocolatiers - worked with Pierre Hermé at Fauchon before becoming the founder, creative director, and executive chef of the École du Grand Chocolat Valrhona. He and his wife own Umia, a French-Japanese restaurant in Tain l'Hermitage, France.
The École du Grand Chocolat Valrhona is a world-renowned pastry and chocolate cooking school with locations in Versailles and Tain l'Hermitage, France, and in Tokyo, Japan.
Pierre Hermé, a fourth generation Alsatian baker and pastry-maker, is one of the world's most celebrated pâtissiers. He contributed to Paris Patisseries and has published numerous cookbooks with Dorie Greenspan including Desserts by Pierre Hermé and Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé.
Clay McLachlan is a photographer who has contributed to numerous books published by Flammarion including French Cooking, Éric Kayser's New French Recipes, and Beyond the Bread Basket, as well as magazines including Food and Wine, Gourmet, Condé Nast Traveler, and Wine Spectator.
