The Big Book of Baking

My boyfriend picked this cookbook up for me at a discount bookstore and I love it! I cook often and enjoy having a wide array of cookbooks and recipes on hand; I've made several wonderful dishes using this book. Each recipe includes how many servings the recipe will make, preparation time, cooking time, and level of difficulty (scale of 1 to 3). It also gives temperatures in Fahrenheit, Celsius, and gas oven settings. There is no caloric information provided. About half of the recipes have a beautiful full page photograph of the prepared item. Also interesting to note is that this was published in Italy, so there are some spelling mistakes throughout the book. I haven't let it bother me, its actually a little amusing. The units of measure are provided in both metric and standard, so you don't have to worry about conversions. Here are the chapters/contents: Introduction The Secrets of Successful Baking Basic Ingredients Dried Fruit, Nut, and Spices Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Baking Equipment Basic Recipes Tea and Coffee Cakes Quick Mix Cakes Fresh Fruit Cakes Vegetable Cakes Dried Fruit and Nut Cakes Chocolate Cakes Sponge Cakes Grateaux and Party Cakes Meringue Cakes Cheesecakes Tarts and Pies Strudels Charlottes and Frozen Cakes Pastries Small Cakes Muffins Bars and Brownies Cookies Savory Cookies and Snacks Quick Breads Quiches Pizza and Focaccia Bread and Rolls Index This would make a perfect gift for anyone who loves baking and collecting great reference cookbooks. You won't find a better book for this price anywhere! Highly recommended!