On 2009-01-27 Lon F. Binder, New York, NY United States wrote: Back when I was in culinary school, I was told that celebrity chefs put out cookbooks with recipes that weren´t tested, and sometimes not even written by that big name chef. Hearing that really disappointed me but I had never experience a problem first hand, until now.
A couple of weekends ago, I decided to make an Apple Cake recipe from Simply Sensational Desserts by Francois Payard. It was well, just ok. I decided it was a fluke or maybe just personal preference and tried another recipe last night. I spent my whole evening making Chocolate-Raspberry Cake and the result in the end REALLY REALLY pissed me off.
Throughout the entire process, I kept thinking, this is so poorly written. Approximate time for things didn´t even come close. The genoise was supposed to ´bake for 30-45 minutes, until the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan´. The cake never pulled away from the sides and wasn´t done until 45 minutes. Just to be clear, I have an oven thermometer, I measure by weight (more accurate), and I´ve done a whole lot of baking. The whipped ganache portion is made with too much butter. I thought the proportions looked weird but went with it. It ends up being too much butter and looks spotted with bits of butter. Also the picture of the cake is shown with a non-whipped ganache as the outside coating, which is not in the recipe. Lastly, the cake is given 20 minutes to chill and supposed to be served room temperature. At this point, I looked at the cake in disgust and knew I wasn´t going to serve it so I slice a piece for Lon to try to see if he would even eat it. It doesn´t even slice without pushing all the filling out. So it looks bad and it tastes disgustingly sweet (and I didn´t even use all the raspberry syrup)so no I cannot serve this to guests tomorrow.
So, I´m really ticked off now. I have guests coming and no dessert yet. I used up good expensive chocolate on this cake that will go in the garbage.
. And summed up by saying Payard Pisses Me Off. Currently Simply Sensational Desserts: 140 Classics for the Home Baker from New York´s Famous Patisserie and Bistro has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
Simply Sensational Desserts: 140 Classics for the Home Baker from New York´s Famous Patisserie and Bistro can also be found in the following searches:
Broadway claimed He was named Pastry Chef of the Year by both the James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit. Payard Pâtisserie and Bistro in New York has been hailed as a ´culinary Shangri-la´ by New York magazine. His dazzling cookies, cakes, and tarts, with their intricate detail and explosion of flavor, are coveted coast-to-coast. And now, François Payard shares his breathtaking desserts with home cooks. Yes, his innovative recipes are remarkably simple. Here´s what America´s leading chefs are saying about François Payard and this stunning collection of spectacular desserts: ´François Payard is the best pastry chef that France ever exported to tantalize the American palate. From the useful chapters on technique, equipment, and basics, down to the many innovative and contemporary creations with clearly written recipes, this book is a must for the passionate baker. Simply Sensational Desserts will make François´s mouth-watering desserts the hit of your next dinner party.´--Daniel Boulud, chef/owner of Daniel and Café Boulud´It was a great day for New York when François Payard brought his whisks and wizardry to town. Now, all of America can rejoice in his creations. With this wide-ranging collection, François shares his extraordinary talent and surprises us with his knack for simplifying even the most sophisticated sweets. There isn´t a single recipe for one of his astonishing desserts that can´t be made--perfectly--by anyone with an oven, a mixer, and a sweet tooth. Simply Sensational Desserts is simply swell. --Dorie Greenspan, author of Baking with Julia and Desserts by Pierre Hermé´I have always been inspired by the brilliance and passion of François Payard. His depth of knowledge is what we all aspire to. Through his accessible and easy-to-use Simply Sensational Desserts, François can now inspire everyone--pastry chefs and home cooks alike. What a treat!´--Claudia Fleming, pastry chef, Gramercy TavernWith fifty full-color photographs and 140 simple, spectacular recipes, information on ingredients and equipment, innovative techniques and decorating ideas, and an entire chapter on basic pastry recipes, this long-awaited collection guarantees simply sensational desserts every time.
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