Dallas Classic Desserts

Okay, I don't have the full collection yet so maybe I shouldn't say I am addicted to the collection...but I have three now (Dallas desserts, Savannah Seafood, and New Orleans Seafood) and I consider them a go-to for gourmet. I chose the ones I did because 1. I spent most of my life in Dallas and can attest to the wicked desserts in restaurants there, 2. Seafood is my meat of choice and 3. see number 2. So...back to this one. Dallas, just like all the cities they chose to do the collection from, is known for some great cooking...and Southerners love their desserts and Dallasites love em fancy. So the author went to some of the most popular restaurants in the area and must be one smooth talker, because the book apparently contains the recipes to their "signature" dishes. What's different about these recipes though is that often in my cookbooks I'll see someone get a signature dish and it just has some crazy ingredients or difficult prepartion steps or something else that just makes the reader certain the restaurant didn't REALLY want you to cook it on your own. Not true here...easy to follow, normal ingredients but gourmet enough that this is a reach-for when planning a dinner party or just a really tasty family night in. A sampling of some good ones: Green Tea Ice Cream cake from Asian Mint Santiago's Ruby Red Grapefruit Cake from Food Company Cuarro Leches Cake from Le Duni Caramelized Apple Fritters from Fearing's White Chocolate Banana Moon Pie from Hector's on Henderson Strawberry Tart with Grand Marnier Bavarian from Rush Patisserie Asian Pear Bread Pudding from Kenichi Chocolate Pots de Creme from Lola Dark Chocolate French Truffles from Chocolate Secrets Bittersweet Chocolate and Texas Pecan Brownies from Pyramid Restaurant Godiva Chocolate Bomb from 2900 White Chocolate Peach Parfait from George Catering and a whole lot more! (That's just a sample. You get the idea). Like photos? Then you are in recipe heaven. Every dish is shot up close like a peace of artwork. No need to use your imagination on how to serve a thing. Sound complicated? That's the beauty of the book. The desserts both sound and look gourmet complicated but they aren't at all. One or two call for a double boiler but everything else is really very simple with the recipe only taking up a few paragraphs on the page, all fresh and natural ingredients, and everything I have made I've found the ingredients for it very easily in the grocery store. That, to me, is the perfect dessert. Looks like it took all day, tastes like it did too...but it was easy to prepare. Which makes me adore this book for dinner parties. Know going in: For those who want nutritional information, it doesn't have that so you should know...but, at least for us, this is a gourmet night cookbook or dinner party cookbook because they really are restaurant quality dishes so I'm good with that. Conclusion: A wide variety of desserts from cookies to souffles to cakes to pies to brownies and everyt

There is one thing for sure about Dallasites - they do love to eat, and they appreciate truly good food. Helen Thompson has gathered dessert recipes from some of the city's finest restaurants and presented them in this tastebud tempting collection. Robert Peacock's photographs are, indeed, good enough to eat, and the brief text that accompanies each recipe offers insights into the restaurant owners or chefs. Dallas Classic Recipes is a feast in more ways than one. What some many not know about Dallas is that its 6.1 million residents reflect an eclectic population. Thus, we find not only the stereotypical Western restaurant but also those specializing in cuisines from many countries including Mexico, Greece, Italy, China, Vietnam, and others. All contribute to the wonderful cultural blend that is Dallas today. Most youngsters have heard of Moon Pies but in all probability few have enjoyed the decadent delight call White Chocolate Banana Moon Pie found at Hector's on Henderson. It's a beauty rich with whipping cream, honey, and white chocolate chips, then crowned with blueberries, strawberries, and a sprig of mint. Want something a little lighter? Try the Chocolate Souffle at Rise No. 1 or the Cuatro Leche Cake at La Duni. Not to worry, Thompson does not overlook what everyone can't get enough of - the Texas Pecan Pie A La Mode at Al Biernat's. As Dallas is a town that "could reasonably be called steak-crazy" there are numerous chop houses, yet Biernat's tops the list. It's where power brokers and celebrities wine and dine and not just for the thick steaks but for the desserts prepared by pastry chef Guadalupe Vega. These are just a few of the restaurants featured by Thompson; you'll be hard pressed to choose a favorite. Enjoy and bon appetit! - Gail Cooke

The Pelican Publishing Company of Gretna, Louisiana, is a premier publisher of regional cookbooks showcasing cuisines of the American South. Their 'city oriented' titles are especially recommended additions to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. "Dallas Classic Desserts" showcases superbly illustrated dishes selected by culinary expert Helen Thompson from some of the truly elegant restaurants of Dallas, Texas. An impressively produced and enthusiastically recommended regional cookbook, 'kitchen cook friendly' with easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes for dishes that would grace any table, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite!