Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor
by Michael Recchiuti, Fran Gage
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Book Summary Information
Author: Fran Gage, Michael RecchiutiEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-09-01
ISBN: 1584794577
Number of pages: 200
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
Book Reviews of Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor
Book Review: Excellent Selection of Advanced Tastes and Techniques.
Summary: 5 Stars
`Chocolate Obsession' by San Francisco chocolatier, Michael Recchiuti and San Francisco Patisser and writer, Fran Gage is a book of recipes and techniques from the point of view of the very high end chocolate candy maker. It is to chocolate and Thomas Keller's `French Laundry Cookbook' is to the recipes of American `haute cuisine'. If you wish to find an introductory book on chocolate making, get a copy of the excellent book `Bittersweet' by Alice Medrich, whiich the authors cite in their bibliography and which I have reviewed and found an excellent introduction to the subject.
The book centers around the very distinctive chocolate styles of Recchiuti Chocolates, which are distinguished by, among other things, the use of a lot of flavors one does not typically find paired with chocolate such as teas, tarragon, cardamom, and especially caramal.
The one thing which makes this book accessible to the experienced chocolate maker is the fact that it deals primarily with the very simplest forms of chocolate candy such as truffles, dipped and moulded chocolates, `snacks' such as s'mores, chocolate barks, chocolate drinks, and sauces. In all this, caramel is much more than just another ingredient for Recchiuti. It appears over and over in many different forms from caramelized nuts in the `snacks' to flavorings in ice cream.
There are things in this book for the novice who has aspirations to be a skillful chocolatier. While I'm sure I probably have them in at least one of my hundreds of cookbooks, I'm pleased to find recipes for both graham crackers and marshmallow, leading to the ability to create entirely homemade s'mores. There are a few other non-chocolate recipes such as Key Lime pears and candied citrus peel, but all of these are pressed into the service of chocolate in one way or another.
In the early sections in the `All About Chocolate' and in the section `Instructions for Tempering Chocolate' I think the authors falter a bit in their explanations of how this works and why. They cite Harold McGee's `On Food and Cooking' in their bibliography but from my reading of McGee on tempering, it seems these authors didn't consult McGee as carefully as they should when explaining these basics.
Another symptom that this is really a `graduate level' course in chocolate making is the fact that there are no diagrams illuminating the techniques. This is an expecially noisome omission, as chocolate making techniques typically don't appear in the standard cooking texts such as the works of Jacques Pepin. I even got the sense that some of their statements about chocolate composition were simply wrong, although this is largely irrelevant to why you want to read this book.
If you are already an accomplished chocolate candy maker (and not just a baker who happens to use chocolate in baked desserts), this book offers a wealth of new ideas and tastes. All others should seek out a more basic book or take a good course in chocolate working.
Summary of Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor
Known as the "Picasso of chocolatiers," Michael Recchiuti creates confections that are every bit as daring and original as any of his namesake's artworks. But unlike the painter, the chocolate maker has made it possible for even the amateur to achieve his artistry. In Chocolate Obsession Recchiuti, owner of the famed artisanal chocolate company in San Francisco, divulges his professional secrets and techniques, allowing home cooks to reproduce his exquisite confections in their own kitchens.Opening with a complete discussion of chocolate from bean to bar, the book goes on to offer detailed instructions for dipped chocolates, truffles, and molded chocolates, including Recchiuti's signature ganache flavors: Earl Grey tea, burnt caramel, tarragon with grapefruit. Also featured are recipes for such sinfully delicious treats as Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Truffle Cream Filling, Double Dark Chocolate Soufflés, and Rocky Recchiuti Brownies. With more than 60 recipes in all, this book will satisfy even the most obsessive chocolate lovers among us.
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