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Title: The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook: Recipes and History from America's Premier Chocolate Maker
ISBN: 1580088716
Author:
Publicate Date: 2007-11-01
Publish: 2007-11-01
List Price: $18.95
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $9.40
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $8.49
Amazon Merchant Price: $12.89
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Death by Ghiradelli Chocolate...
Ghiradelli (pronounced: gear-a-deli) chocolate was originally founded by an Italian immigrant, Domingo Ghiradelli, in San Francisco in 1849. Since then, it's been bought and sold several times, having survived the Gold Rush, Great Fire of 1851, and two world wars. The cookbook features an informative introduction into the company's early years, including reproductions of vintage posters. A handy chocolate primer tells how to effectively store chocolate (think: cool, dry place, low humidity), how to garnish pastries with chocolate, candy making, and chocolate substitutions (using only Ghiradelli products, naturally). There's even a snobby little guide on how to appreciate a good chocolate (much like wine tasting, minus the swishing). Looking to host a choc-tail party? That's in here too.
Once you hit the cookbook section, recipes are arranged straightforwardly by type, beginning with cookies (chocolate chip, lemon, sugar, shortbread, peanut butter, macaroons, biscotti), chocolate brownies and bars (the peppermint brownies are worth the price of the book; I've made them four times, and they just keep getting better!), chocolate cakes, cupcakes, tortes, pies, tarts, candies and bonbons, and chocolate breads and breakfast.
The recipes are easy to follow, although the font is a little small, and the photos are beautiful. One of the problems I ran into was the fact that some recipes called for Ghiradelli products that were not readily available at the first few stores I tried (such as the ground chocolate and cocoa powder, although a substitution is listed in front).
I decided on the Ghiradelli cookbook after looking at several chocolate cookbooks from Scharffen Berger (Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate) and Marcel Desaulniers (Death by Chocolate: The Last Word on a Consuming Passion). The Ghiradelli Chocoalte Cookbook had the highest ratio of recipes that a) appealed to me and b) actually looked doable by an intermediate baker. I was right on both counts, and everything I bake is a smash hit.
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2: Too many to choose
For the chocolate lover, this is THE best cookbook. There are so many wonderful recipes and you will find it hard to pick the first one that you will try. This cookbook is a must for anyone who can cook and even for those you are just getting started. You will love it!
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3: Mmmmmm... chocolate...
The Ghirardelli cookbook is presented beautifully. Many of the recipes come with lovely photographs, and the recipe layout is extremely clean and easy to read. It's a very attractive book that would make a lovely gift.
The true star of this cookbook, however, is the results. The recipes perform flawlessly. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are simply to-die-for. The double-chocolate banana bread is perhaps the first banana quick bread I've had that used enough banana for a noticeable banana flavor---and it's also one of the first double-chocolate recipes I've had that wasn't overwhelmingly chocolaty.
As awesome as those recipes were, however---and believe, me they're amazing---they're nothing compared to the chocolate bread pudding. Pardon me; I must swoon for a moment at the memory.
These recipes are hardly what I'd call good for you, but they don't tend to gratuitously use large amounts of, for example, butter, when they can get by with less; they use enough to ensure a delicious recipe without overdoing it.
In short, if you love chocolate, buy this cookbook! It has recipes for chocolate-lovers of all kinds, including some wonderful white chocolate delicacies (cupcakes, mousse, and more!).
[Advance review copy courtesy of 10 Speed Press]
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