Mes Tartes: The Sweet and Savory Tarts of Christine Ferber

by Christine Ferber

Overview

"In this book I explain the alchemy of the pastry, discuss the preparation of bonne crème à flan, crème anglais, crème aux œufs, and above all, I offer to lovers of fine food, ways to create new aromas and flavors." —Christine Ferber
     After the publication of the original French edition of Mes Confitures in 1998, Christine Ferber was chosen as France’s finest patisserie. Now, in Mes Tartes, she brings together a new collection of her unique recipes.
    Christine Ferber unravels a seasonal thread of ingredients to create an encyclopedia of truly wonderful tastes, invaluable advice, slights of hand, culinary tricks, and inventive and successful methods for insuring magnificent tart fillings and perfect crusts. In all, the book contains more than 130 previously unpublished recipes for sweet and savory tarts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780870136887
Publisher:	Michigan State University Press
Publication date:	12/31/2003
Pages:	318
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Christine Ferber lives in Alsace, where she continues to make jams, pastry, and confections by hand, with only the freshest local ingredients. She is the author of several books on French cookery.

Editorial Reviews

This cookbook by famed French pastry artiste Ferber contains recipes for dozens of appealing quiches and tarts, like a sweet Fig Tart with Caramel and a rich old-fashioned Quiche Lorraine. However, as tempting as the recipes are, they will prove frustrating for the American home cook who is instructed to find ingredients like "pear quinces," "Gariguette strawberries" and "Beaufort cheese," a creamy cheese that is admittedly "not readily available here." Suitable substitutions are infrequently provided, and although the local ingredients may pique the interest of expert pastry chefs, the culinary novice may be intimidated by the apparent need for several different kinds of sugar, flour and butter (it's not a matter of salted or unsalted for the latter-the question is Plugra, Charentes or Normandy butter) and other specialty ingredients. The prose can be awkward, which may have something to do with the translation: e.g., creams coat tarts "with their creamy softness and are melting and sweet in the mouth" and "the finish coat makes the tart even more glistening." Complicated directions make several of these tarts difficult for the American chef to create at home. In short, there's wonderful stuff in here, but it's only for the dedicated tart-maker. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

In her first book, Mes Confitures, one of France's top pastry chefs presented recipes for her delicious jams and preserves, which have an international following. Here Ferber provides more than 130 recipes for imaginative and unusual tarts, from Flamb ed Apple Squares to Rhubarb Tart with Spiced Meringue to Asparagus and Fennel Tart. The recipes include many useful chef's tips and asides, but they do assume some baking experience on the part of the reader. The tarts are grouped by season and then organized alphabetically, regardless of type, and it seems a bit disconcerting to have the sweet and savory recipes side by side. Nevertheless, this will certainly appeal to fans of the first book and other serious home bakers. Recommended for most baking collections. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal