An ode to baking books

Ever since I was a young girl, baking has been an important part of my life – I inherited the baking gene from my mother, who abhors cooking but will gladly whip up a batch of cookies, cream puffs, or bars at the drop of a hat. So it’s no surprise that in my modest (compared to many of our Members) cookbook collection, a disproportionate amount are baking books. The only reason I can withstand the harsh winters here in the upper Midwest is because it gives me free rein to bake up a storm – and read baking books as I’m snuggled under my down comforter. I’m not alone in this, as I found in a recent article in The Atlantic. Author Kate Cray also has love for both baking and books and even better, she tells us about some of her favorite volumes.

Cray’s take on books resonated with me: “In addition to offering recipes, cookbooks can also be literary feats. The best ones offer context about what you’re preparing by delving into a dessert’s history or a region’s food culture.” Exploring the desserts and baking traditions of areas far beyond my own is both educational and entertaining.

The article provides links to an excerpt from Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes by Alekandra Crapanzano, an ode to Carol Field, author of The Italian Baker: The Classic Tastes of the Italian Countryside–Its Breads, Pizza, Focacce, Cakes, Pastries & Cookies, and a discussion of a recipe found in Rudy Lombard and Nathaniel Burton’s Creole Feast: 15 Master Chefs of New Orleans, plus a few more articles. You might want to click on them all, but unless you have a subscription to The Atlantic you’ll be limited to just a few before you hit a paywall.