Leslie MacKie's Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets & Savories

i love macrina bakery and i love this cookbook. even when i'm not baking from it i love to just read through it (which i've done countless times). The rocket muffins are delicious and the pie dough recipe is the best and easiest i've come across.

I'm a cook who tries to avoid baking whenever possible, but I got this book as a gift and it has really turned me on to baking artisan breads - my favorites are the olive loaf, potato bread, and the pizza dough. It's so worth it when you have the time! Also, the lavender-lemon scones are phenomenal, and fast and easy. We've used the pie dough recipe not only for desert pies but for chicken pot pies. I've tried about a third of the recipes in the book, and everything has been delicious. My husband has cooked from the savory section of the book - the moroccan chicken tagine is one of his favorites - it's a great one-pot meal - as is the fried egg sandwich. Both are a bit of a process and he isn't super experienced in the kitchen, but he has no trouble following the recipes. The result is amazing.

The Macrina Bakery is one of the best places to go for sweet or savory treats. This book shows why: these folks work hard! If you follow this book like a chemistry text, you should be able to whip up some incredible pastries. Even the simplest recipe is described with careful attention to detail. Don't expect shortcuts or quicktips--be prepared for some hard work. The results are worth it. On the other hand, if you live in Seattle, you could always just let the folks at Macrina do the work for you.

Leslie Mackie opened the Macrina Bakery & Cafe in 1993, specializing in hearth-baked artisan loaves and rustic European pastries. An expert baker, Leslie Mackie's recipes have been featured in Bon Appetit, Sunset Magazine, and The New York Times. Now, with the assistance of Andrew Cleary, Leslie Mackie has drawn upon her expertise to compiled the Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook showcasing her favorite breads, pastries, sweets and savories. From Guatemalan Hot Chocolate Bread; Raspberry Cinnamon-Sugar Bread Pudding with Nectarine Compote; Chocolate Cherry Pound Cake; and Lemon Chess Tart; to Sour Cherry Shortbread; Gingerbread Crepes with Citron Ricotta, Cranberry Compote & Vanilla Syrup; Tuscan Tomato & Fennel Soup with White Beans; and Steamed Chocolate Pudding Cake, Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook is a gourmet's delight and very highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

The porcini mushroom loaf is just the bread for a melted fontina sandwich. Recipes were clear, user-friendly and delicious. Not sure I would do the breakfast bread pudding again (with sausage, cranberries and goat cheese), but there are many other wonderful recipes to try. Best of all, visit Macrina in Seattle and eat for yourself! I used to stop in on the way to work or on the way home for bread; it is always a treat.