Huckleberry Stories, secrets, and recipes from our kitchen

Los Angeles Huckleberry bakery-cafe owner Nathan collaborates with chef-restaurateur husband Loeb (owner of Rustic Canyon, Sweet Rose Creamery, and Milo and Olive) and baker Almerinda in her first cookbook. Straight from the Best-Breakfast-in-LA award-winning kitchen, Nathan shares 115 breakfast and brunch recipes, both sweet and savory, along with inspiring behind-the-counter stories of the zany and joyful "slightly organized chaos" of Huck's kitchen. Chapter are organized by the cafe's baking schedule, which begins at 3:30 a.m. Muffins, biscuits, scones, and rustic cakes like lemon pistachio are followed by breads and raised dough confections, such as a fresh blueberry brioche, and multiple bagel recipes. Flakey dough galettes include onion, potato and leek, and fruited varieties. Baked-in-a-dish stratas and crumbles as well as fritters, beignets and plenty of pancakes and porridges abound. Frittatas, fried eggs plated atop oven-roasted vegetables and egg-centric sandwiches are also featured. Nathan shares Huckleberry's gluten-free flour recipe along with uses for various whole grain flours. There are also tips, trade secrets, serving suggestions, and sumptuous photographs. With her infectious approach to baking from scratch, Nathan loses herself in her art, and inspires home cooks to do the same. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

At Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe in Santa Monica, CA, chef Nathan serves breakfasts and pastries that surprise and delight. In this eye-catching cookbook, cowritten with her husband, Josh Loeb, and pastry sous chef Laurel Almerinda, Nathan captures the daily rhythms of front- and back-of-house life in the bakery and shares one-of-a-kind recipes for muffins, biscuits, rustic cakes, hearty egg dishes, beverages, and more. Serious bakers will spare no effort to prepare lemon kumquat poppy teacake, tomato leek cornmeal crostata, and other treats; however, they may find themselves running to the store for small quantities of rye and almond flour, wheat germ, chia seeds, and other specialty ingredients. VERDICT Filled with entertaining behind-the-scenes stories and technical tips relayed in plain English, this cookbook will thrill meticulous bakers and Huckleberry's devotees. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.