Review: Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes by Dominique Ansel

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

How do you catch lightning in a measuring cup?
Dominique Ansel is the creator of the Cronut™, the croissant-doughnut hybrid that has taken the world by storm. But he’s no one-hit wonder. Classically trained in Paris, responsible for a four-star kitchen in New York, and now the proprietor of New York’s highest rated bakery, Ansel has become a modern-day Willy Wonka: the creator of wildly creative, extraordinarily delicious, and unbelievably popular desserts.
Now, in his hotly anticipated debut cookbook, Ansel shares the secret to transforming the most humble ingredients into the most extraordinary, tempting, and satisfying pastries imaginable. Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes reveals the stories and recipes behind his most sought-after creations and teaches lovers of dessert everywhere how to make magic in their own kitchens.

MY TAKE:
The copy I received from NetGalley contained only the first 20 pages of the book, but based on what I say, this is one book that is definitely worth adding to your collection.

Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes contains stories from his youth, his thoughts on food as well as a number of recipes, most of which for desserts.

Where do I even begin to express how much I loved the little I read of this book?

Aesthetics-wise, I loved the fonts, graphics and colors used. Everything was very classy. The food photography was superb and the photos looked like they belonged to an ad campaign. Seeing the photos of the mini madeleines and flourless chocolate pecan cookie made me want to head off to the kitchen to find something to eat.

The essays I saw were interesting. When Mr. Ansel waxes poetic about food and the way we perceive and enjoy them, I got shades of Paulo Coelho. He becomes almost philosophical, and while some may think it a little strange, I think it goes really well with the tone and feel of the book.

The recipes I saw for mini madeleines and flourless chocolate pecan cookie are classified as easy. It does look easy enough, especially since the recipes include: time (prep time, overnight [if required], and cooking time), serving size (in number and grams each, if applicable), ingredients (in both grams and cups/teaspoons/etc.) and tools. There are also tips, serving instructions and storage instructions.

Oh, and for those who are curious, I checked the table of contents. This book contains the recipe for the well-known cronut. It's filed under advanced, though, so you may want to go through the other recipes in the book first. Personally, the recipes I'm most excited about are: popcorn choquette, cotton soft cheesecake, perfect little egg sandwich, baked "apple pie" alaska, and, of course, the cronut.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-sample.

THE GOOD:

1. It's an elegant-looking book.
2. The food photography is gorgeous.
3. The recipes look easy enough to do. 

THE BAD:

1. I would have liked to have a few more recipes.

READ IT IF:

1. You love cronuts and want to make your own.
2. You're a fan of Dominique Ansel's creations.
3. You want to see why people are so enamored by the cronut and Dominique Ansel. 

RATING:


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