Of course, the French do love baked goods, but tradition has dictated that we leave their creation to the masters. Even the tiniest village in the French countryside will have an assortment of boulangeries (bakeries) and patisseries (pastry shops). And, if you walk through the village early enough in the morning, most of the people you encounter will be coming home with their daily baguette.

When our bakeries and pastry shops close for their own month long summer holiday, we usually just do without.

The New French Baker has literally, for me, at least, brought the joy of authentic French baking to France. In one big, wonderful book, Sheila Linderman has gathered together authentic and delectable recipes for classic French breads, pastries and desserts.

Linderman first details the basics and she also explains exactly how to make the various French pastry doughs, something most French cooks aren't well acquainted with.

All of the favorite classics are included: Tarte Tatin, Tarte au Citron, éclairs, millefeuilles, palmiers, choux à la crème, crepes, crème brulée and more.

Linderman's step-by-step instructions make sure you always create the perfect brioche and the most impeccable raspberry tarte. There is even a special section on the proper handling of fresh ingredients such as butter, flour, eggs and chocolate.

The chocoholics in your life will love Linderman's truffles as well as her Four-Tiered Chocolate Mousse.

Although the recipes in this book are certainly delicious, they are all quite difficult to make. This is not a book for the beginning baker; it is more suited to one with some experience who wants to expand his or her horizons in the areas of breads and pastries.

The only problem I have with the book is a small one: the inclusion of more photos of these wonderful (and gorgeous!) pastries would have been a definite plus and would have added to the value of the book.

But thanks to Sheila Linderman and The New French Baker, my family and I are now enjoying delicious classic French pastries right from our own kitchen for the very first time! C'est magnifique!

13 of 14 found the following review helpful:

I agree, good but not great ....  Jun 15, 2001

THis says French baker but it doesn't really show you how to make the heavy duty stuff. However it accomplishes its intended purpose very well -introducing novices to the subject. I still found many techniques from piping chocolated designs, to rolling crossaints. Illustrations very, very good. Pictures, thumbs down. There are about 5 or 6 for 200 recipes. That is definitely an area the publisher should improve on. If you are not familiar with french pastry you have no idea what the result is going to look like. I also was not too excited about her sorbet and ice cream recipes, I felt she could have done better in that department. You dont' really need a French style cookbook to learn how to do a Raspberry sorbet. I also felt she should give us more authentic, and traditional recipes instead of phyllo-doughing everything in sight. Overall though, I will recommend this book, it is a fine edition to your library if only for the spectacular plum tart, one of the few recipes pictured in the book.

For those who are interested in real French pastry making, please check out Healy-Bugat, The art of the cake. It is a masterpiece.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Good, not great  Jun 19, 2000
By Robert F. Weir "robfweir"
I have a large collection of cookbooks. I ordered this book to complete a set of references that I have on baking and it makes a great addition. While not well illustrated or visually pleasing, it does contain all the basics of French baking and would make a good reference work for the home baker. All the base recipes are there plus some good variations on new items. There are lots of recipes to try and you won't be dissappointed by the variety.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

A Terrific Resource for Bakers  Feb 20, 2000
By kd
I've been searching for a great croissant recipe and found it and more in this wonderful book. Sheila Linderman writes clear and detailed instructions in her recipes, but she also provides valuable tips and techniques that give you a foundation for greating your own recipes. So if you're an improvisational cook like me, you can use this book as a guide and reference as you experiment with new ideas. (The croissants, btw, took two days of mixing, rising, rolling, and layering--but they were definitely worth all the effort. When I took them out of the oven and sampled that first, freshly baked, golden brown crescent, I felt like I'd been transported to Paris!)

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Easy to follow recipes with authentic french results!  May 19, 1999

The recipes contained in this book resulted in the best pastries, croissants and breads I have ever made. The recipes were easy to follow and can turn even the most beginner's kitchen into a french bakery. The croissants were to die for!

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