How Sweet It Is
Dec 06, 2008 | From the kitchen of Rose
A few weeks ago I attended the launch of Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree’s new book, The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread.
For those of you who don’t live in NY, Amy’s Bread is the one most often found at upscale restaurants that don’t bake their own (and few do!). There are also two consumer locations, one in the village on the famed Bleecker Street and the other in the Chelsea Market where the book party was held.
I am a great fan of Amy and Toy’s so I went to support them, not realizing I would get to meet almost the entire publicity department of my new publisher Wiley (who published this book)! And what a delightful part it was with a nice mix of colleagues and customers and many generous samples from the book. An older gentleman, watching me peruse the book, asked me if I was in it. My response was “why would I be?” and then I thought to look in the index and there was honored to find my name in two places!
As almost every bread baker I know, Amy and Toy are the soul of generosity and Amy told me that the recipes in the book are exactly the ones from the bakery—no secrets withheld.
I was thrilled to see that the book has the familiar ingredients charts I so adore and told Amy I was a little jealous that they got to put grams first! She said they insisted on it as that is the way they bake. The ounces and volume are in the second and third columns.
I’m sure you’ll value, as do I, the “Tips and Techniques” that appear throughout the book in a pale lavender rectangle, and a great version of Red Velvet Cake on page 105. But worth the price of the book alone is the moistest, darkest Devil’s Food Cake (page 175) I’ve ever encountered, in fact, I made the cake the very next week so I could have more of it!
on Amazon.
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Rose in reply to comment from Jose
07/11/2010 10:18 AM
jose, it's been almost three years since i wrote this posting at which time i could have been much more specific. all i can say now is that i describe in the headnote what i did to make the flavor of texture of the red velvet, for example, what i wanted it to be and precisely what that was. but here's a fun project for you: make my version and amy and toy's version side by side and see the differences and decide which is YOUR preference! both versions are keepers!
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Jose
07/11/2010 06:56 AM
Rose, how would you compare Amy & Toy's version of Devil's Food cake to your own? And same question about the Red Velvet cake.
Thanks.
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k45ss
01/19/2009 01:32 PM
Gorgeous cupcakes! I agree with the poster about sharing recipes. Every celebrity chef in the UK has a few books on the shelves. Even though we could cook their signature dishes at home it doesn't stop us visiting their restaurants and wanting the whole dining experience. Food is about sharing after all...
Janice
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Keeble Walker
01/18/2009 11:51 AM
Things that are sweet are all ways tasted
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Keeble Walker
01/18/2009 11:49 AM
How sweet it is: Somthing very white setting their smilling at that table
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Maggie
12/12/2008 07:26 PM
My well-worn copy of the first 'Amy's Bread' book sits on the shelf right next to my well-worn Rose books, and I'll bet this new one is a must-have too.
My local supermarket has Rose's GM bread flour (or Rose Flour, as I think of it) on sale for 99 cents this weekend! WooHoo! Two-bag limit, so I'm going to try to lay in a year's supply by getting everyone I know to storm the shelves!
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Barbara
12/12/2008 05:27 PM
Oh no, not another book to add to my wish list! It's getting awfully long!
Bill, I agree that I am always more impressed by generosity with recipes and knowledge in general. Although I can see that a young, up-and-coming professional chef might want to keep a few secrets!
My grandmother had an interesting take on this -- she would share recipes, but she always left out her little "secret touch." Only the family got to hear about those! Like the touch of cinnamon in a chocolate cake, or the trick of cutting the shortening into pie crust in two installments. (Hope she's not spinning in her grave!) She was a member of a group of ladies who would give luncheons to each other and apparently they were EXTREMELY competitive bakers!
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Bill
12/12/2008 05:10 PM
Rose...I thouroughly agree...there is nothing more satisfying than when I give a recipe out and I get the "thank you, it was delicious" a few days later. Almost as satisfying as cooking for someone. ..the only thing is that I have yet to land on a Brisket recipe that everyone that I have at family gatherings seems to like. I think this one would have done it...but alas...it remains a secret tucked away in a suburb of Detroit...locked in the clutched hands of a strange and sorry little man.
I'm about to head home now...still not sure who is coming tomorrow and how many i'm baking for...hope to find out in the next hour or two...so I can get to the store and get started. Thanks again for your blog, recipes and your lovely personal touch. Have a great weekend!
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Rose
12/12/2008 04:41 PM
i had to laugh when i read what you wrote about many issues taht stem much deeper than a need to keep brisket secrets. yes indeedy--not sharing recipes or taste of food is a great barometer of character!
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Bill
12/10/2008 09:13 AM
How lovely that they share their recipies. Their bread is really yummy...and now we can "do it ourselves" I always share my recipies (although I'm not a professional)...and have always been somewhat, shall we say, irritated, by those who keep "secret family recipies". I remember being invited for dinner at the home of a - friend of a friend- who served a really delicious brisket. When I asked if he would part with the recipe he actually got agressively agitated and said "absolutely not". He does, however, have many issues that stem much much deeper than a need to keep brisket secrets. Thanks for the posting...always a joy to read. Life has been somewhat hectic lately and I really haven't been able to spend much time on line. I've got a little afternoon "coffee and cake" party in my apartment on Saturday afternoon. Friends are in from out of town for a cousins recital at the Manhattan School of Music...not sure how many will be coming on Saturday, and not sure what I'm baking, but I'm fairly certain it will be a "through the night - Cake bible- baking Bonanaza" on Friday night.
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Jeannette
12/07/2008 08:59 AM
Just looked at this book on Amazon/UK and am tempted by it! LOL! Trouble is, I am so easily tempted, perhaps I should wait and see what Santa will bring!
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