With so many cook books, websites, magazines, and blogs, one does not want for recipes and inspirations. Through trial and error, I've discovered a few trusted sources and some that I wouldn't recommend to my worst enemy. That said, I want my knowledge base to be diverse, so I will continue to seek out great recipes. Please be assured that I am not stingy! I will share the websites that have great recipes and review books that I have picked up from the library. Have a book or site that you want me to visit or review? Please let me know.
What makes a source good to me? Simply put, the recipe should be accessible. This means that the ingredients must be obtained easily and are reasonably priced. This also means that the reader does not need a plethora of professional materials, such as a standing mixer or a food processor. While I understand that equipment such as these are common in many home cooks and chefs alike, I want to be mindful that some cooks do not have the means to possess them and use blenders and a hand mixer instead. I want the result to be the same, if not supremely similar. Further, the instructions should be clear and photos are always helpful, but not required.
With those factors firmly in place, I offer my first review.
First up, Cake Love: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch
Cake Love is a bakery in the DMV area, known for it's fantastic cupcakes. Since I was a fan of these confections, I excited to see the cook book at the library.
While, I was impressed with the photos, recipe ingenuity and general thoroughness with instructions, these recipes failed to meet my accessibility rule. Many of the recipes required equipment and ingredients such as a food scale, crunch feet, vanilla powder and potato starch.
That said, I do like the instructional nature of this cook book; it almost reminds me of a text book.
Final verdict: I can't say that I would recommend purchasing this book to add to your forever book collection. I would suggest, however, to seek this book out at your local library and review it. I'm sure that you'll find something that tickles your fancy. And if you are in the area, please be sure to visit Cake Love!
Recipe to try: Chocolate Butter Cake
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