Chocolate Deserts by Pierre Hermé pt1

Rating: Borrow It.

What is it?

Pierre Hermé is one of the all time pastry greats.  He is hailed as "inventive", "bold", and even "daring" by reviewers and journalists the world over.  I don't doubt that he is.  He has a line of what they call Hermé's "Fetish Flavors", flavor combinations he loves so much that they have their own names.  Names like Ispahan (rose, raspberry and lychee), Mogador (passion fruit and milk chocolate) and Sarah (green tea, chestnuts and passion fruit).  It is said that he is one of the only pastry chefs in the last 100 years to create truly new flavor combinations, combinations that have now become classic or even compulsory. This, however, isn't a review of one of his famous mocarons bought in one of his shops.  This is a review of a book of what are supposedly his chocolate deserts written/translated by Dorie Greenspan.  

The Good

It's a pretty book.  The pictures are appetizing and inspirational.  Within a few moments of flipping through the book you will begin to desire chocolate cake, or brownies, or pudding, or just pieces of chocolate. Or better yet, ALL of them, sitting in front of you, with no one around to cause you shame for what will surely be the best 10 minuets of your life.  Its definitely a well photographed book

It is also very inspiring.  The book does what all good cookbooks should do.  It makes you want to make something.  Not only do you want to eat the things it depicts, you want to produce them.  The recipes are laid out simply enough, though for some reason, like so many cookbooks, the base recipes (the things you probably need to have ready to even get started) are at the back. This is forgivable as it seems to be a standard format followed by most of the cookbook publishing world.

Unfortunately, that seems to be where the good stops.  That's it.  Its a nice book at which to look. 

Next time, we will share with you our frustration and down right anger at the books short comings with our recipe tests and hopefully prevent you from buying it for anything other than the photographers (Jean-Louis Bloch-Lainé) wonderful depictions of things you want to eat.