Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like a homemade gift.

While cookies are classic holiday offerings, the possibilities of distinctive gifts from the kitchen - individual-size cakes, mini cheesecakes and a sampler of homemade nibbles - abound.

"The holidays are an ideal time to bake," says Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of "The Cake Bible" (William Morrow, 1988). "Life slows down and people want to celebrate. There isn't a gift that is more appreciated than a home-baked one."

From the kitchen of Rose on 12.01.06 at 2:33 PM in Press Mentions
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Just got a wonderful holiday present in the mail--the advance copy of the Decemeber Woman's Day Magazine, soon to be on the stands. On page 136 is a terrific review, by associate food editor Ellen Greene, of my now SEVENTEEN year old book.

It was my wind-down, treat-to-myself book after the exhaustive process of producing "The Cake Bible."

Because of its seasonal name, it is rarely available in book stores but Jessica's Biscuit (800/878-4264) catalogue #D612 and Sweet Celebrations (800/328-6722) are both wise enough to know that these cookies know no season and always have copies in stock! (Though with this lovely mention their supply may run out quickly.)

Of course they are also available on amazon.com (there's a link from this blog under my books)

From the kitchen of Rose on 11.14.06 at 8:22 AM in Press Mentions
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really fun article in yesterday's washington post. click on the link:

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR2006090500256.html

reprinted here with the kind permission of the author food editor Bonnie Benwick! Be sure to scroll down to Jacques Pepin's contribution--i can just picture his expression when what he reported happening happened!

(just got the paper and saw that my esteemed friend Mitchell Davis is featured in an interview right next to the above mentioned article, re his new book "kitchen sense: more than 600 recipes to make you a great home cook"! bravo mitchel!!!)

TALES FROM THE PROS
Starched Thighs And Charred Chilis
Wednesday, September 6, 2006; Page F01
Kitchen dramas? We've all had them, even the pros. The dramas turn out to be learning experiences -- at least that's what we tell ourselves.
As proof, we asked some of our favorite culinary luminaries to share their own cooking class tales. Let these be a lesson to us all.
-- Bonnie S. Benwick

ROSE LEVY BERANBAUM, baker and cookbook author:
I was teaching at Rich's Cooking School in Atlanta in August several years ago, and the demo kitchen was so hot my legs stuck together. In a moment of desperation/inspiration, I reached for what turned out to be the perfect solution -- and not just for my baking: cornstarch.
DUFF GOLDMAN, owner of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore and star of Food Network's "Ace of Cakes":
When I was a student at the [Culinary Institute of America] at Greystone [Napa Valley, Calif.] I was known as the bread guy because I worked at a bread factory after school. One of my teachers, an amazing bread baker, asked me to make 200 baguettes for a big American Culinary Federation conference. I was really paying attention, baked 'em all . . . they had a nice jump on them. They were beautiful. I was so proud of myself.
The next day my teacher came in and tore one in half to taste it. "Did you try one?" he asked. I'd forgotten the salt. I had to make another 200.

Continue reading "Starched Thighs and Charred Chilis" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 09.07.06 at 11:36 AM in Press Mentions
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The following is an interview I did with Marguerite Thomas for IACP Food Forum, the publication of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. It was published in the early part of 2006. You can download the 500k PDF here.

Let's start with the beginning, The Cake Bible, the book that made your name when it came out in 1988. The Pastry Bible and The Bread Bible followed. Did you first come up with the concept of a book, or a series, and the "Bible" title, or did you write the first book and then you and your editors worked out that brilliant title?
I had it in back of my mind to do a "bible" sort of definitive book, and though the word "bible" did occur to me, I would never have had the temerity to call it that if, not for [the late food writer] Bert Greene, who was my best friend. He came up with the title entirely on his own. He insisted that I call it a bible because, he said, I was his muse and he knew that's what the book would be because of my approach to baking. I resisted at first, but when everyone at the publishing company starting calling it by this name -- and giving it more respect -- I started to reconsider.

It's hard to imagine not liking that title.
I asked the bicoastal restaurant consultant Clark Wolf, whose opinion I greatly valued, what he thought of it, and he said it would be like sticking my chin out and saying, "Here! Punch me!" This clever assessment helped me to realize that I believed 100 percent in what I was doing and that I was willing and ready to take it on the chin!

Was The Cake Bible your first book?
My first book was Romantic and Classic Cakes (Irena Chalmers Great American Cooking Schools Series, 1981). It was written on an IBM Selectric typewriter, and it was a great dress rehearsal for a larger book. I could never have written The Cake Bible, with all its depth and continuity, without a computer.

(More after the jump)

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From the kitchen of Rose on 03.02.06 at 9:09 AM in Press Mentions
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i'll update this blog entry with press mentions when they happen.

PUBLICATIONS

July 7, 2006, Associated Press (ASAP) Idiot in the Kitchen: Baking Brownies by Howie Rumberg

March 19, 2006, New York Times. The Way We Eat: As Easy as... by Jennifer Steinhauer

January 15, 2006 NY Daily News NOW Section, page 32, "Perfectly Simple"

October 23, 2005, Quoted in Time Magazine, Ain't That Sweet! A slew of specialty sugars are taking chefs beyond brown and white, By Stacie Stukin

Time Magazine, October 4, 2004: Article on home bread baking: "Heavenly Loaves."

The Gourmet Retailer, September 2004, The Cake Bible listed as one of the top 25 most influencial books of the past 25 years.

Bon Appetit, January 2004, page 17: "A must for bread baking novices and seasoned kneaders alike."

Fine Cooking, January 2004, page 23: New books for every food lover on your holiday list

New York Times Book Review December 7, 2003: Cooking Round up by Corby Kummer

USA Today December 5, 2003: "for lovers of bread, here's a slice of heaven"

USA Today December 4, 2003 "Just what you knead: 9 delicious reads "

Santa's Favorite Cookies Magazine: My Chocolate Swirl Velvet Cake December 2003

Food & Wine, December 2003: 10 Best Cookbooks of the Year

New York Magazine, December 1, 2003, page 104 "Flour Power"

Newsweek November 17, 2003 page 80: Top Baking Books

Publisher's Weekly, November, 2003: Top 10 Cookbooks of the Year

From the kitchen of Rose on 02.28.06 at 4:21 AM in Press Mentions
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PAGE 32 IN THE NOW SECTION

This is a link to the article where I give tips (and give a recipe for) buttercream icing (PDF, 1 MB)

From the kitchen of Rose on 01.16.06 at 10:26 AM in Press Mentions
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SUNDAY JANUARY 15 NY DAILY NEWS
www.NYDailyNews.com

watch for a great article by Isabelle (Liz) Forgang that's been scheduled for appearance in the NOW SECTION. it features simple tricks that chefs do to basic dishes that make a difference in the finished dish. home cooks can emmulate these tricks easily so that they too can cook like a four star chef.

The article features Daniel Boulud of Restaurant Daniel and his famous short ribs; Eric Ripert of Le Bernadin with a great fish dish, and Moi with a lilting buttercream. i know what my special "tricks" are but i can't wait to see theirs and plan to try them asap!

From the kitchen of Rose on 01.12.06 at 10:47 AM in Announcements
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Rose has been called the “Diva of Desserts" and “the most meticulous cook who ever lived." And add this recent accolade — “If ever there was a cookbook author who could place her hands on top of yours, putting you through the proper motions, helping you arrive at just the right touch, Beranbaum is the one."

Rose’s first book, The Cake Bible, was the 1988 winner of the IACP/Seagram Book of the Year and the NASFT Showcase Award for the cookbook that has contributed most to educating the consumer about specialty foods. A culinary best-seller, The Cake Bible is currently in its 42nd printing.

Rose’s Christmas Cookies, was the 1990 winner of the James Beard Best Book in the Dessert and Baking Category. The Pie and Pastry Bible, published in 1998, received many kudos including: Food & Wine Books “Best of the Best: The Best Recipes from the Best Cookbooks of the Year" and Coffee & Cuisine “Best Cookbook" award.

Rose's newest and most comprehensive book, The Bread Bible, was the 2003 winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the Best Bread Book Category. It was listed by Publisher's Weekly and Food & Wine as one of the top ten books of 2003, and by Fine Cooking as one of the top 12. From quick breads, such as muffins, biscuits, and scones, to yeast breads, such as seeded wheat breads, Jewish rye, baguette, and brioche, this is a collection of her favorites, with innovative techniques that will guarantee making a successful bread baker of anyone who so desires.

Rose is currently writing a comprehensive four color book on cakes for Pam Chirls, Senior Editor at Wiley, to be called Rose's Heavenly Cakes. She has also recently launched a new product line, Rose Levy Bakeware, and has produced Rose's Heavenly Cake Strip, a silicone halo that produces more even layer cakes, both distributed by Harold Imports.

Continue reading "Rose's Bio" »

From the kitchen of Rose on 10.14.05 at 3:06 PM in Publicity
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