A 2009 Nominee for the prestigious IACP Cookbook Award. If you're inspired to develop your "inner baker," this book is for you! Mr. Malgieri has assembled the new primer for making baked goods at home. The hefty book covers breads, tarts, pies, cakes, and cookies. He's constructed his recipes in a step-by-step fashion that brings the novice along, while retraining the expert baker in new techniques that save time without compromising the ingredients or the results. As Malgieri states, "this whole book is very technique oriented, with explanations about the hows and whys . . . . " It's hard to beat fresh-baked food, and nothing is fresher than those items made in your own kitchen. Mr. Malgieri promotes taking a Zen-like attitude toward baking - something to be enjoyed, the process savored, and the results relished. Expertly photographed by Charles Schiller, the luscious pictures are pure inspiration by themselves. We love a well put-together book, and this one qualifies in content, design, and published quality; it's obvious why this book has risen to the top tier of the cookbook world.