The Making of a Pastry Chef: Recipes and Inspiration from America's Best Pastry Chefs

I'm so glad I bought this book. It gives a vivid picture of what this trade is all about, giving you things to think about, and a variety of perspectives from many of the best pastry chefs. I can see where one reviewer is coming from in terms of saying that the book isn't well written and that the title headers don't always match the content below. The text does sometimes steer away from the topic at hand, and there are a lot of quotes right after the other without great transitions. But that doesn't take away from the benefit of this book - it was all info I was interested in reading, and for something like this it doesn't need to be a great work of prose. It is a fast read, and I highly recommend it for anyone considering a career in pastry.

I am currently a part-time baking and pastry arts student at Johnson & Wales University. I just finished reading this book for a class and found it a wonderful read and resource. The insight that these pastry chefs offer really make you think about why you are entering the culinary world and if it is right for you. Happily, I believe I have made the right decision. The recipes are wonderful as well, and the flavor guide is sure to be a valuable resource for years to come. If you are currently a student, or are thinking about a career change to the pastry arts, I highly recommend this book.

This book is, as far as I know, unique. It is a valuable resource for those who are thinking about to or just beginning to make baking and pastry a career. I found it a very useful collection of advice and stories about the professional and practical aspects of pastry as a job.Everyone who is going to culinary school for baking and pastry or who has recently graduated, as well as those in apprenticeships and other types of training, should read this book. To me, it is an indispensable vocational guide. Even those who are going into food and not pastry per se should read this, since cooperation between the savory and sweet kitchen is essential these days in restaurants.This book is written by the executive pastry chef of the Coyote Cafe, and mostly it contains his opinions and viewpoints. It also has quotes from many famous and successful pastry professionals. Just so you can keep track, the book has brief biographies of the 30 or so professionals who are quoted throughout the text, many of whom you will recognize.It contains the following chapters: History of Sweets (a mostly worthless re-hash of familiar material); Origins of Inspiration (childhood memories and early career experiences); Foundations of Learning (culinary schools, apprenticeships, and training); Inside the World of the Pastry Chef (what it is like under various conditions); Ingredients of Success (ingredients and menus); Traditions, Trends, Future (thumb-sucking chapter containing thoughts about the future of the pastry chef). It also contains 4 dozen or so dessert recipes. Sadly, these are modern, new-fangled variations and recipes. They are more interesting for their creativity than as good recipes that you will want as part of your repertoire. As with all trendy recipes, these will be mostly out of date within a couple of years. A few recipes are very good, such as Apple Apple Apple or Buchteln, and there is a handy index of recipes in the beginning, which good since they are randomly scattered throughout the book. Most, however, are interesting for some of the sub-recipes, like tangerine sorbet or pina colada sauce. My main complaint is about the quotes he uses. The author has a stellar array of great pastry chefs (Emily Luchetti and Nancy Silverton to name just 2), but they are limited to just brief snippets of a few sentences. It would have been more illuminating to have extended quotes from them, so you could get a clear idea of their ideas, attitudes and opinions. As is, the text is mostly the author with a few quotes thrown in here and there, which is not as informative as it could be.The greatest failing, however, is the idealized picture it presents. It does not warn the prospective professional about long hours, hard work, drudgery, routine, smelly clothes and underwear and hair, tempermental bosses, and low pay. The true satisfaction and delight of the job of pastry chef is also mostly absent.

This book is excellent for anybody who is just starting out in the pastry field. It has really inspired me to continue in pursuing my dream to become a famous pastry chef. It tells how pastry chefs started out and helps you to see that we really do have to start at the bottom before we can get to the top. I was really inspired and felt a lot more motivated after reading this great, fantastic book!

As a student in culinary school, this gave me a clear understanding of what to expect in the food industry, the differences between a chef & a pastry chef, and what personality profiles fit each position. It was also entertaining to learn the inspirations of today's top pastry chefs. Very similar to "Becoming a Chef", by A. Dournenberg, but from a pastry perspective. I read the entire book in 3 days! Worth every penney.