From Publishers Weekly
Having attained a sort of unofficial status as the final arbiter in American cooking, the Culinary Institute of America (that other CIA) brings the proper authority to this encyclopedic work. Surely no single chef or restaurant team would be trusted to cover such a ra?ge of subjects, from yeast doughs, quick breads, pies and cookies to confections, decorations and wedding cakes. Unfortunately, this comprehensiveness is matched by a sense of style befitting an encyclopedia, or, perhaps more accurately, a textbook. Sections in the introduction on "dressing for safety" and "managing human resources" make it clear that the CIA (and Wiley) intend to sell more than a few copies to students and working chefs. The home cook who skips right to the recipes will sooner or later be frustrated by the professional quantities (the Old-Fashioned Pound Cake recipe produces six two-pound loaves) and measures (when was the last time you doled out your egg yolks by the ounce?). In the more complex recipes, frequent cross references on the ingredient list make it difficult to follow the process as a whole. With these caveats in mind, advanced home cooks will appreciate having this around as a master guidebook that defines the standard methods and fills in the gaps left by others. Libraries will find it useful behind the reference desk to handle tough questions, and bookstores might try marketing the book to local restaurateurs. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Baking is certainly a "hot" profession right now: baking programs have waiting lists and pastry chefs at the best-known restaurants are gaining celebrity status. Based in Hyde Park, NY, the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has developed this outstanding, comprehensive reference for students and professionals. Hundreds of pages are devoted to restaurant kitchen management chemical analysis of ingredients, safe handling and storage of products in a professional setting, and professional-scale equipment. There are tables for standard formulas, volume-to-weight conversion, calculating edible portions, and the like. The volume also contains 350 recipes, many of them classic breads and desserts, presented in a professional format that will be unfamiliar to most home cooks. Of similar excellence, Baking Illustrated, from the editors of Cook Illustrated magazine, is a much more user-friendly book for home bakers. Recommended for large collections or academic libraries that support programs in the culinary arts. —Mary Schlueter; Missouri River Regional Lib., Jefferson City, MO (Library Journal , May 1, 2004)

Having attained a sort of unofficial status as the final arbiter in American cooking, the Culinary Institute of America (that other CIA) brings the proper authority to this encyclopedic work. Surely no single chef or restaurant team would be trusted to cover such a range of subjects, from yeast doughs, quick breads, pies and cookies to confections, decorations and wedding cakes. Unfortunately, this comprehensiveness is matched by a sense of style befitting an encyclopedia, or, perhaps more accurately, a textbook. Sections in the introduction on “dressing for safety” and “managing human resources” make it clear that the CIA (and Wiley) intend to sell more than a few copies to students and working chefs. The home cook who skips right to the recipes will sooner or later be frustrated by the professional quantities (the Old-Fashioned Pound Cake recipe produces six two-pound loaves) and measures (when was the last time you doled out your egg yolks by the ounce?). In the more complex recipes, frequent cross references on the ingredient list make it difficult to follow the process as a whole. With these caveats in mind, advanced home cooks will appreciate having this around as a master guidebook that defines the standard methods and fills in the gaps left by others. Libraries will find it useful behind the reference desk to handle tough questions, and bookstores might try marketing the book to local restaurateurs. (Mar.) (Publishers Weekly, March 29, 2004)

Book Description
This insightful book presents 350 recipes, along with expert reviews of valuable techniques, for creating mouthwatering breads and desserts. The use of volume and metric measurements suit the needs of large operations, small bakeshops, home kitchens, and classrooms. More experienced bakers can find advanced tips about chocolate, confections, and wedding cakes, as well as the CIA's approach to plating and decorating desserts. Hundreds of full-color photographs introduce the baking ingredients, offer step-by-step guidance through important techniques, and feature finished products.

From the Back Cover
"[THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA] is the best culinary school in the world." --PAUL BOCUSE "A MUST-HAVE BOOK for everyone’s culinary library. Congratulations and thank you to The Culinary Institute of America for creating the ultimate baking and pastry reference." --EMILY LUCHETTI Executive Pastry Chef, Farallon Restaurant "PASTRY CHEFS FINALLY HAVE the complete resource they need to achieve excellence in pastry and baking. I am inspired by this artistic work and believe every pastry chef and enthusiast will be as well." --EWALD NOTTER Notter School of Pastry Arts "EVERY PASTRY CHEF HAS A REFERENCE BOOK he would save first in a fire. This is mine. All the fundamentals are here, but it is not a generic reprint of the past. There is a chef’s secret twist in every recipe." --BILL YOSSES Pastry Chef, Citarella Restaurant "The serious baker and confectioner will find an almost inexhaustible source of recipes. Well-thought-out explanations make it possible not only to achieve great results, but to learn in the process as well." --ROBERT STEINBERG Cofounder and Chairman Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc. "BAKING AND PASTRY IS A MUST-HAVE REFERENCE and cookbook for professionals and serious home bakers." --CHRIS NORTHMORE, CMPC Executive Pastry Chef, Cherokee Town and Country Club

About the Author
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts.  Courses for culinary professionals are taught at the college's main campus in Hyde Park, New York, and at its additional campus for continuing education, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, California.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"[THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA] is the best culinary school in the world." —PAUL BOCUSE

"A MUST-HAVE BOOK for everyone’s culinary library. Congratulations and thank you to The Culinary Institute of America for creating the ultimate baking and pastry reference." —EMILY LUCHETTI Executive Pastry Chef, Farallon Restaurant

"PASTRY CHEFS FINALLY HAVE the complete resource they need to achieve excellence in pastry and baking. I am inspired by this artistic work and believe every pastry chef and enthusiast will be as well." —EWALD NOTTER Notter School of Pastry Arts

"EVERY PASTRY CHEF HAS A REFERENCE BOOK he would save first in a fire. This is mine. All the fundamentals are here, but it is not a generic reprint of the past. There is a chef’s secret twist in every recipe." —BILL YOSSES Pastry Chef, Citarella Restaurant

"The serious baker and confectioner will find an almost inexhaustible source of recipes. Well-thought-out explanations make it possible not only to achieve great results, but to learn in the process as well." —ROBERT STEINBERG Cofounder and Chairman Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc.

"BAKING AND PASTRY IS A MUST-HAVE REFERENCE and cookbook for professionals and serious home bakers." —CHRIS NORTHMORE, CMPC Executive Pastry Chef, Cherokee Town and Country Club

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Having attained a sort of unofficial status as the final arbiter in American cooking, the Culinary Institute of America (that other CIA) brings the proper authority to this encyclopedic work. Surely no single chef or restaurant team would be trusted to cover such a range of subjects, from yeast doughs, quick breads, pies and cookies to confections, decorations and wedding cakes. Unfortunately, this comprehensiveness is matched by a sense of style befitting an encyclopedia, or, perhaps more accurately, a textbook. Sections in the introduction on "dressing for safety" and "managing human resources" make it clear that the CIA (and Wiley) intend to sell more than a few copies to students and working chefs. The home cook who skips right to the recipes will sooner or later be frustrated by the professional quantities (the Old-Fashioned Pound Cake recipe produces six two-pound loaves) and measures (when was the last time you doled out your egg yolks by the ounce?). In the more complex recipes, frequent cross references on the ingredient list make it difficult to follow the process as a whole. With these caveats in mind, advanced home cooks will appreciate having this around as a master guidebook that defines the standard methods and fills in the gaps left by others. Libraries will find it useful behind the reference desk to handle tough questions, and bookstores might try marketing the book to local restaurateurs. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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