Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts.
Claire Clark has had one hell of a career. The kind of career that I have wet dreams about. She has worked at some of London’s best restaurants (the Ritz Hotel…), been a pastry teacher at Le Cordon Bleu, and at the time of writing her amazing book Indulge, was the pastry chef at the French Laundry.
The book is a testament to simplicity and flavour above all else. I have never had anything less than a stellar result from any of the recipes I’ve tried and I’ve tried a lot of them. Her shortbread, which Thomas Keller raves about in the introduction have become a standard everywhere I’ve worked. Her techniques are easy to understand and there is even a write up about the history of the recipe before each one. 90% of the recipes in the book have pictures and the recipes range from basics and staples such as cookies, to more elaborate plated desserts while never slipping out of the reach of a moderately talented home baker.
I love it more than any pastry book I have and it is the first thing I turn to when I need a recipe. It is also the only cookbook that I have ever been pleasantly surprised by reading the non-recipe pages of; her insight into both life in the kitchen, what people need to know and expect, and her experiences as a woman in a man`s world over the years are both insightful and a testament to her humility. I don`t know many chefs comfortable enough with themselves and their accomplishments to tell stories about their failures as she is.
Be sure to try:
Marshmallows – p233
Baked Vanilla Cheesecake – p 140
Crème Caramel- p123
And most importantly Shortbread – p12
