The Roux Brothers on Patisserie

The Roux brothers (New Classic Cuisine, master chefs and restaurateurs, elucidate the complex French art of patisserie, making accessible to experienced home bakers a variety of recipes for tarts, mousses, shortbreads, souffles, sherbets, petits fours and canapes. The authors break down daunting, intricate instructions into manageable, lucid components. Other highlights are guides to appropriate kitchen equipment, instructions for making basic breads, pastries and fillings, a glossary, serving and storage tips, and preparation and cooking times. Ambitious readers may be inspired by the decorative methods demonstrated here, such as piping, painting with food coloring, cocoa, gum sugar or almond pastes, or working with sugar in various formsblown, poured, pulled and spun. Step-by-step photographs illustrate many of the procedures, but details are blurred or diminutive when there are six or eight pictures to a page. (December 21)