Awards
2003 James Beard Award Winner: Baking
Synopses & Reviews
Review
"(R)eading Greg Patent's masterfully researched book with his inspiring recipes is a feast in itself, and baking from it fills you with a sense of pride and participation in the ongoing evolution of American baking." Flo Braker, author of The Baker's Dozen Cookbook, The Simple Art of Perfect Baking, and Sweet Miniatures
Review
"(A) remarkable book containing recipes from the past plus many contemporary recipes. It's also a valuable course. . . that you can take at home without going to baking school." Marion Cunningham, author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
Review
"The qualities that distinguish American baking are the very qualities that distinguish this epic book and American cuisine itself: simplicity, straightforwardness, experimentation." Betty Fussell, author of I hear America Cooking
Review
"Although rooted in the past, all the recipes ring with a note of welcome surprise. Baking in America is certainly destined to last." Deborah Madison, author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Review
"Old-fashioned never seemed so hip. This is the first book I'll go to when I want to bake." Jill Melton, senior editor, Cooking Light
Review
"From time to time, the right writer finds the right subject and after a long time - usually - a book appears that is so solid and true and timeless that it may become a classic. Such is the case with Greg Patent and his new book. . . (Baking in America is) a good read and a clarion call to the kitchen." William Rice, Chicago Tribune
Review
"Provid(es) superb insight to the traditions and influences that have made American baking so varied and rich." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Irresistible to anyone interested in the rich traditions and history of American baking. Highly recommended" Library Journal
Review
"A comprehensive paean to home baking." Food & Wine
Synopsis
This groundbreaking collection encompasses both sweet and savory favorites: yeast breads and quick breads, layer cakes and loaf cakes, doughnuts and fruit desserts, pies and simple pastries. Taking as his starting point 1796, the year the first American cookbook was published, Greg Patent, an accomplished baker, has mined sources from across the country for exemplary baking recipes by and for home cooks. Perusing old cookbooks, journals, and handwritten diaries from libraries and private archives, he has skillfully recreated treasured recipes or used them as inspiration for his own thoroughly up-to-date creations.
Included are historical finds like the original Parker House Rolls; Lindys Cheesecake, from the world-famous New York restaurant; and a sensationally easy butterscotch cake that won a national baking contest in 1954. Here as well are hundreds of contemporary standouts, such as Malted Milk Chocolate Layer Cake, BlueberryLemon Curd Streusel Muffins, Peaches and Cream Cobbler, and Raised Potato Doughnuts.
About the Author
Greg Patent has won a devoted audience of regular readers as a contributing editor for Cooking Light, the country's largest-circulation cooking magazine. He is the author of A Is for Apple and Food Processor Cooking Quick and Easy. He lives in Missoula, Montana.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS Note to the Cook / viii Introduction / 1 About the Ingredients / 11 About the Equipment / 31 1. Savory Yeast Breads / 42 2. Quick Breads, Biscuits, and Muffins / 84 3. Sweet Yeast Breads and Doughnuts / 112 4. Pound Cakes / 158 5. Loaf Cakes and Sheet Cakes / 194 6. Cupcakes and Cream Puffs / 226 7. Layer Cakes / 254 8. Sponge Cakes, Angel Food Cakes, and Chiffon Cakes / 306 9. Cheesecakes and Tortes / 352 10. Cookies / 386 11. Fruit Desserts / 432 12. Pies and Tarts / 468 Sources / 522 Bibliography / 528 Index / 536