Posted by Gerard on March 03, 1999 at 19:11:04:
Just recieved 3 books.
Charlie Trotters desserts.
Desserts circus.
Philipe Durrands "signature desserts".
Trotters desserts are not pastry,they look idiotic , un-artistic, convoluted and pretentious. Don't even THINK of wasting your money on this.
Dessert Circus by Jacques Torres , geared mostly toward home quantity is a good read, unpretentious and instructive. You WOULD want to actually EAT his desserts.
See Steves review at Pastryarts.com
Designer desserts is a puzzling book, I don't know why a french patissier would bother to try American style plated dessert, theres a lot of technique clearly demonstrated but a lot of the plating is poorly done, a stand alone pastry on one side of the big plate with a splattering of sauce on the other side of the plate. It just doesn't work.
A smaller plate would do wonders.
I spent $100 for the 3 and the only klunker is Trotters.
Has anyone else seen it?