Book Review: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook
© Jennifer A. Wickes
by Jennifer A.Wickess
copyright 2003
If you need a fantastic baking book on how to bake virtually everything, then this is the book for you!
Most cookbooks out there fail to mention little things that are extremely important in a recipe, such as sifting flour, using eggs that are at room temperature, which type of oil to use etc. Most cookbook authors either know this information and figure you do too, or the author does not know these techniques and those recipes in those books are not all they could be. And most cookbook buyers know how to read a recipe, yet do not understand it.
King Arthur Flour is a company that has been in business for over 200 years. It is their business to know flour, and to understand how to use it. It is also to their benefit to educate their flour buyers in how to bake better, so they will be happier with the end product, and thus buy more flour and even recommend their flour to their friends. In their latest book: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook they explain why you need to sift your flour (it adds air to the mixtures which aids in leavening), why French Toast bread should be stale, why you only fry in certain oils and much more. They also offer recipes for virtually everything; from breakfast foods to quick breads, from doughnuts to yeast breads, from cobblers to cookies and cakes, as well as pies and quiches. This book even offers a section on which kitchen tools are the best for your baking projects: from type of chocolates to pie pans. This is a must-read section for any baker.
This cookbook is designed for 90% of the cookbook buying population. This cookbook is fantastic as now you can understand what you are doing rather than just following directions. When you decide to make modifications to your recipes, now you will know what parameters you must maintain if you want your recipe to turn out. For example, almond oil will not work when frying doughnuts, as it has a very low smoke point.
For the price of this book, you get more than what you are paying for. This is an excellent book and should be a standard in any home that has any baking!
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