La Maison du Chocolat: Transcendent Desserts by the Legendary Chocolatier
Fans of high-end chocolate delights have long flocked to Robert Linxe's La Maison du Chocolat, a Paris-based confection-boutique "chain."La Maison du Chocolat, blissfully photo-illustrated in color, offers readers an introduction to Linxe's art and craft, plus 65 recipes for a wide range of treats, from candies and cakes to creams, mousses, soufflés, and more. Though not difficult in themselves, the recipes are sometimes flawed (baking sheets, for example, are called for when baking pans are required, and dimensions for these are frequently omitted). Experienced bakers can fill in the blanks, but the rest of us will probably do best to enjoy the book as a record of one man's passion and its mouthwatering realization.Beginning with a paean to Linxe's artisanal skill--he's been called the sorcerer of ganache--the book then provides an investigation of chocolate bean types, each of which has its own role in the chocolate-making process, plus a glimpse at Linxe's exacting candy-making process. The recipes come next, and include such temptations as Chocolate-Almond Cake with Lemon Cream, Extra-Rich Brownies, Chocolate Raspberry Mousse, and Bittersweet Chocolate-Nut Candy. A chapter on frozen desserts and beverages, which includes a definitive hot chocolate recipe, follows, as does a section on basic preparations and techniques, like tempering. Interspersed throughout are introductions to the extraordinary (and wonderfully named) Linxe confections, such as the chocolate-mint Zagora. These further disable readers already wobbly from the chocolate euphoria Linxe's candies--and now his book--provide.--Arthur Boehm