Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate

As Americans have become fascinated by chocolate, and especially high-quality chocolate, one name has risen above the rest: Scharffen Berger. Founded in 1996 by Robert Steinberg, a physician and amateur chef, and John Scharffenberger, an award-winning vintner, the company’s confections have won a following among food professionals and home cooks alike. Now, in their first cookbook, the duo shares their passion with the world.

The Essence of Chocolate features more than one hundred spectacular -- and often simple -- recipes drawn from the Scharffen Berger files and from two dozen top pastry chefs. It is divided into three sections: "Intensely Chocolate," which includes such decadent treats as That Chocolate Cake, in which the sumptuous flavor of chocolate is the star; "Essentially Chocolate," with lighter chocolate desserts like White Velvet Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache or Brown Butter Blondies; and "A Hint of Chocolate," with recipes that use chocolate’s spicier qualities to their best effect, like Vegetarian Chili and John’s Cocoa Rub. And all will work magnificently with any high-quality chocolate. Filled with helpful tips, sumptuous photographs, and the story of how chocolate is really made, here is a book that is every bit as seductive as its subject.
 

Customer Reviews:

One for the Collection

If you're buying books on chocolate, this one should be in your collection.
Lovely

2008-04-06

Memoirs with a bitter ending, nice recipes...

I would like to rate the book separating the story from the recipes and the artwork. The story is just amazing, how John and Robert started Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker from nothing an how they learned about chocolate.It just leaves you with a really bitter aftertaste when you learn they sold their factory to a huge company that never specialized in fine chocolates. Sad.
As far as the recipes, there is a mix: some very simple and some very sophisticated. The good thing is that, because of the way they are presented, you don't need to be a pastry chef to be able to make them. It's one of those books that make you want to cook, it doesn't scare you.The photos are impressive.

Memoir: minus two stars. Reason: too disappointing they sold it, it just doesn't fit the story, such hard work, why selling it? To Hersheys!!! Unforgivable.

Recipes: 4 stars. Reason: some of them are confusing when it comes to ingredients, and the "Dulce de leche" one is SO sad it's even insulting. They could have done a better job at researching how to make good "Dulce de leche", it is not too hard.

2008-02-13

Bravo!

What a beautiful book! I pretty much collect cookbooks and I definitely have my favorites. I had my eye on this one but I stopped myself from making the purchase (well... at least for a while). I am glad I did finally break down and buy it. Besides it being a truly beautiful book, it is filled with the inspiring story of how one can turn a tragedy around and how 2 people could do so much in such a short period of time (in the chocolate world). The recipes and pictures are truly inspiring. A lot of love went into this book!

2007-07-03

Great Book on Chocolate!!!

I have learned a lot about how chocolate is created with this book. I have not tried the recipes yet but I have learnt what going into making chocolate. From selecting the beans to fermentation... I also like how the book give some nice tidbits about the history of chocolate such as how Devil's Food cake got its name and how Hershey started out.

2007-06-20

Book Review

This is an excellent book with great recipes. It is well
worth buying. I loved it. Here are two men who have a
passion that is translated into a well written book that makes
you want to delve into their passion as well and bake.

2007-05-28