cover image Nouvelle Patisserie, La

Nouvelle Patisserie, La

Jean-Yves Duperret. Viking Books, $22.95 (288pp) ISBN 978-0-670-81550-0

The daunting art of patisserie is achievable with this volume by San Francisco's illustrious pastry chef and Mallorca, a freelance food writer. Serving the home cook, Duperret sets out to simplify complex techniques and ``demystify'' pastry making. To this end, he recommends the finest, freshest ingredients and a strategy of creative improvisation, rather than costly equipment, and supplies the new cook with explanations of pastry species, sundry professional tips and line drawings. His directions are exact and accessible. Even the chef's manner builds confidence (``. . . a first try at the Ecossaise should produce an agreeably flaky pastry''). Recipeskeyed to easy, medium and advanced levelsrange from the rustic tarte tatin to Opera cake (``one of life's great indulgences''). But the stars of this dazzling collection are Duperret's own inventions, such as his Sun Valley cake, ``filled with a lemon mousse as light as snow.'' (Nov.)