Gâteau The surprising simplicity of French cakes

Review by Booklist Review

Food writer Crapanzano sprinkles this compendium of cakes with anecdotes of Parisian life, speaking to the French savoir faire that continues to enamor Americans. While juggling work and family, the typical upper-class Parisian still finds the time to bake simple yet sophisticated treats like a walnut espresso cake or a rosewater and cardamom gâteau. The 100-plus recipes gathered here are broken into somewhat arbitrary categories (e.g., classics, nut, chocolate, layer, fanciful) that will appeal to both hurried bakers and those who want to spend the day working on their technique. The prose goes down like a cup of Earl Grey alongside a slice of flourless chocolate and red wine cake. Cassandre Montoriol's delectable illustrations imbue the collection with Provençal sprigs of lavender and apricots, but there are far too few of these throughout the pages; representations of each cake would have served to break up a stream of recipes and provide visual cues. In spite of this, Gâteau will undoubtedly find favor with Francophiles and fans of French patisserie looking for new inspiration.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

James Beard Award--winning writer Crapanzano (Eat. Cook. L.A.) demystifies the art of French baking at home in this delightfully illustrated guide. Drawing on the lessons she's learned while living in Paris, she offers recipes that aim to assure readers that "Parisian culinary ease... is a choice, not a genetic superpower." Indeed, her yogurt-based cakes prove to be quick and pantry-friendly, while a simple pound cake recipe is accompanied by dozens of variations for flavor mix-ins. Headnotes offer enticing commentary on the food culture; in a recipe for hazelnut cake, she notes: "The French are rightly loath to eat processed cereal and packaged granola bars, preferring instead to have a taste of something made by hand." Chocolate cakes and genoise merit their own chapters, with creations inspired by notable bakers, Dorie Greenspan among them. A simple syrup that substitutes red wine for water enriches Crapanzano's flourless chocolate cake, while an effortless genoise recipe--consisting of eggs, sugar, and cake flour--comes with surefire "tricks of the trade" that include the right length of time for beating the eggs, and proper storage of the cake. Even Crapanzano's more aspirational cakes, such as the pistachio roulade with morello cherries, seem undaunting, thanks to her thoughtful instructions. Home bakers take heed--even a brief perusal of this excellent book may lead one to acquire large quantities of butter. (Sept.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

French bakery cakes are often awe-inspiring but may be beyond the skill of an average baker and can be pricey to buy. Crapanzano (The London Cookbook; Eat. Cook. LA.) lived in Paris for many years and offers the recipes that French home bakers know well and make in their kitchens. Some she even describes as being learned by small children in school. The scope of the book is broad, from the schoolchild's basic yogurt cake to elaborate Pavlovas, Charlottes, and bûches de Noël. There are recipes for cakes for all occasions and all sizes, introduced with long and informative descriptions that give encouragement and extra instructions. The author claims that anyone can bake these, but however confident she may be in the abilities of her readers, this book is not for rank beginners, as there is an imprecision in the ingredient specifications that might throw novices into a tizzy; however, experienced bakers should be okay. VERDICT Full of charming gouache illustrations and a wonderful friendly tone to the text. Public-library patrons will like this one.--Danise Hoover

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