Queezle_Sister's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
Savory Baking
By Mary Cech
Chronicle Books - 2009
This lovely cookbook features largely non-sweet baked products using a variety of different techniques.
Although I have prepared only one recipe, this is cookbook is a delight to read, and there are many recipes I'd love to try. Among them are pot pies with curried vegetables and dried fruit, and the onion, fennel, and orange upside down cake.
I review this cookbook while we are deep in the Pie and Pastry Bible challenge. This baking book is not the detailed instruction for making the very highest quality flaky pastry. Instead, it emphasizes the additions to the pastry to make a wider range of baked goods. In fact, I think this cookbook would be especially useful for someone who has developed his skills with pastry, but wants something a little different.
The physical cookbook is very nice. Soft cover, but with a solid binding, lovely color pictures, and an easy to read layout.
The cookbook is organized into chapters on quick breads, flaky pastry, rustic (e.g. cobblers and bread puddings), puff pastry, cookies, and then a final chapter with sauces, spreads, salads, etc.
This is a cookbook I'd be happy to have in my collection. And its worth it for the pear-goat cheese scones alone.