Delectable

Description

In this “genius” (Claire Saffitz) cookbook, the “legendary pastry chef” (Eater) invites you into her home kitchen with 140+ sweet and savory recipes she perfected for friends and family. 
“A home baker’s fantasia . . . [Fans] have been waiting twenty-one years for a follow-up to her equally legendary first book, The Last Course. The wait was worth it.”—Eater (10 Best Cookbooks of Fall 2022) In Claudia’s first cookbook, a culinary classic, she shared recipes from the menus at Gramercy Tavern that introduced home cooks to her sophisticated, classically inspired seasonal desserts and pastries and established a standard in pastry kitchens across the country. Now Claudia is offering a new collection of recipes all developed and tweaked in her own small kitchen. Baking at home, Claudia brings her characteristic style and skilled approach to every sweet and treat, along with an ease with culinary history, and a growing connection to her own family traditions. A mix of classic favorites and new explorations, including her first foray into savory recipes for savory baking, each delicious dish is the work of a master in her prime.
 
Claudia’s knowledge and facility, refined over a storied career in pastry, mark these more casual, desserts and savory bites. Her thoughtful essays on subject ranging from working with yeast to a professional’s approach to frosting a layer cake, reflect her intention to share all she knows. With more than 140 recipes, the book is organized into chapters including:
 
• Breakfast & Breads: Blueberry Muffins; Rhubarb Scones
• Doughnuts & Cakes: Cider Doughnuts; Devil’s Food with Earl Grey Cream
• Cookies: Grapefruit Rugelach; Pizzelles; Maple Shortbread
• Pies: Nectarine and Fig Tart; Plum Cobbler; Kumquat Tatin
• Savories: Eggplant Caponata Tart; Chickpea Crackers; Tomato Crostata
 
Making simple preparations truly delicious is a challenge Claudia Fleming has always embraced. With Delectable, she continues to set the standard for pastry chefs and home bakers alike. “Wave your whisks in celebration and fire up your mixers in joy, Claudia Fleming, who inspired so many of today’s great bakers, is back! This new book, which feels like a gift, is just as its title declares: ‘Delectable.’ The collection is signature Claudia—beautifully simple, elegant, and deeply satisfying. Delectable is a reason to rejoice!”—Dorie Greenspan, New York Times bestselling author of Baking with Dorie“For nearly twenty years, Claudia Fleming’s legion of fans have been pleading for a follow-up to her debut cookbook The Last Course—now a treasured classic—and Delectable more than rewards us all for the wait. I dare you to thumb through the pages and not get extremely hungry and curious. Not only will you be tempted to eat every single tasteful recipe Claudia lovingly shares and describes, but perhaps more than any other book on baking I’ve seen, this one generously teaches you along the way, and gives you the confidence that you can do it and that all will turn out well.”—Danny Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of Setting the Table“Claudia Fleming’s first book, The Last Course, has been both a touchstone and an unending source of inspiration for me throughout my career. Now, with Delectable, Claudia moves seamlessly from the restaurant kitchen to the home kitchen with this collection of gorgeous, simple desserts and savory bakes that most any home cook could pull off. Underpinning the recipes are genius techniques clearly honed through years of restaurant work, but Claudia’s friendly voice and careful instruction ensure nothing feels intimidating or out of reach. Just as The Last Course inspired a generation of pastry chefs, Delectable will surely inspire legions of home bakers.”—Claire Saffitz, New York Times bestselling author of Dessert Person“Some heroes wear aprons and create magic with butter. Claudia Fleming is one of the greatest inspirations to my baking, and her joy for creating is just as infectious as her desserts. Her pastry soars in the realm of genius and yet Claudia’s recipes are down to earth and accessible. The flavors she creates, from her Rhubarb Scones, Fennel Tea Cake, Pecan Olive Shortbread, Ricotta Tart with Roasted Cherries, to savory Shiitake Sticky Buns, are truly delectable. She may be a rock star pastry chef, but Claudia breaks down all the recipes into easy-to-follow steps and shares her kitchen tricks. This book is a gift to every baker, from the novice to the professional. Claudia Fleming has written another classic!”—Zoë François, author of Zoë Bakes Cakes“Whether in a restaurant or a home, Claudia Fleming has the uncanny ability to make craveable desserts no matter the setting. Following the recipes in Delectable will help you develop your inner pastry chef and create delicious desserts for your family and friends within the comfort of your own kitchen.”—Tom Colicchio, chef and owner, Crafted Hospitality Claudia Fleming is a pastry chef, restaurateur, and author. She has worked in New York restaurants such as Union Square Cafe, Montrachet, TriBeCa Grill, and Gramercy Tavern, and at Fauchon in Paris. Fleming and her husband, chef Gerry Hayden, opened The North Fork Table & Inn in Southold, New York. She is currently executive pastry director at Union Square Hospitality Group. Fleming has been named Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation, and her recipes have appeared in publications such as Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, and Vogue. Fleming has appeared on Barefoot Contessa and Beat Bobby Flay and served as a judge on Chopped and Top Chef: Just Desserts. She lives in New York City and Long Island’s North Fork.
Catherine Young is an author who has collaborated on critically acclaimed and James Beard Foundation Award–winning cookbooks including The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook with Chris Fisher; Salt to Taste with Marco Canora; Anatomy of a Dish with Diane Forley; and Think Like a Chef and The Craft of Cooking, both with Tom Colicchio. Catherine started her culinary career after leaving the practice of law. She cooked at leading New York restaurants beginning at Tribeca Grill (where she first met Claudia Fleming) then at Union Square Café, Lespinasse, and Gramercy Tavern. She began food writing as an editor at Saveur. Catherine lives in New York City. CN