Sweet Magic is a collection of yes, dessert recipes written by Chef Michel Richard, who owns Citronelle, a restaurant located in Washington, DC. While many cook books can be rather cut and dry - here's the recipe, exact measurements, and away you go, Sweet Magic starts each recipe off with a brief message from Chef Richard: sometimes the history of the recipe, sometimes tips on making the recipe, etc. The book also contains personal stories and anecdotes. Perhaps this means it cuts down on the total amount of recipes that could be included in this book due to space issues (there are just 50), but it makes the book that much more interesting. The recipes are also split into French recipes, vs his Made In The USA section.
I appreciate the way his recipes are written because he writes them much like I do - complete sentences into paragraphs, instead of short, numbered, quick lines. You may, or may not, find them easier to follow along with. Fans of the microwave will rejoice, because Chef Richard does use it to save time in many of his recipes.
I was excited to see that Sweet Magic contains the recipe for the Triple Chocolate Flourless Christmas Log, a holiday tradition I grew up with! My mother would make this every Christmas, although I believe her recipe calls for one different ingredient than Chef Richard's (I'll refrain from mentioning it, just in case it's a well guarded family secret. LOL!) If you have never made one before, you simply must try making this recipe! Don't let my choice of favorite recipe fool you though, this is not just a collection of holiday themed recipes. Many can be made for everyday desserts, as well as fabulous desserts for special dinners and parties.
The only thing that bothered me as a cookbook fan, was the decision to use basic illustrations instead of photographs of the desserts. I truly do appreciate it when recipes have the photo of the finished dish, because it gives me something to bounce off of and decide whether my dish looks right, or if I completely messed the dish up. I know there are others that feel the opposite though, and hate seeing the photos!
If you are looking for a good gift this holiday season for the cookbook enthusiast who also has a sweet tooth in your life, Sweet Magic may fit the bill!
Sweet Magic: Easy Recipes For Delectable Desserts by Michel Richard With Peter Kaminsky is a hardcover book published by ECCO, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. It contains 240 pages (including the forward), and it's available at your favorite local bookstore. The cover price is $27.50, but Amazon has it for $18.75 as of this posting.
I received a copy of this book in order to share my opinions of it.
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