[.ca] Once Upon a Tart . . .: Soups, Salads, Muffins, and More (ISBN 0375709738)

From Amazon.com:
Once Upon a Tart offers 225 recipes from the eponymous Manhattan shop, which, in addition to sweet and savory tarts, prepares delicious soups, salads, and muffins. Both book and shop are the work of business partners Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau, whose Soho store has flourished for almost a decade, providing notable quality while expanding tart-consciousness. Among the tart recipes, particularly winning are the Zucchini Tart with Curried Custard and Dried Currants; Roasted Ratatouille Tart with Herbes de Provence; Chocolate Pear Tart; and Jerome's Mother's Famous Almond Tart, a melt-in-your mouth confection. Equally good are the recipes for sandwiches, such as pork loin with frisée and rosemary-garlic aïoli; soups, including black-bean-and-pumpkin with cinnamon and ginger; scones, like honey caramel; and quick breads and cookies, such as Apple-Cranberry Muffins and Rosie's Peanut Butter Cookies. What makes the book especially worthy is its instructive approach. The recipes themselves contain useful technical guideposts (the authors zero-in on desirable unbaked dough texture--"just past crumbly, but still holding together"), and there are many illuminative asides, both personal and to-the-point ("'Each variation on an ingredient changes the taste and texture of the cookie,' says Frank--this kind of thing excites him," is one). With its attention to the personal, the book is also something of an autobiography à deux, and readers will enjoy getting to know the authors, one very French, one solidly American. Illustrated with color photos, and with useful notes on equipment and fundamental processes, such as How to Deal with Eggplant, the book should please bakers at all skill levels. --Arthur Boehm

The Art of the Tart:
Don't miss out on reading the Intro. Here is an inspirational story of the beginnings of two people who fall in love with what they do--tarts. Here are their tried and true recipes, for which they've made them over and over again. The results are yours for the baking. To do this there are great sections on equipment, technique. Not only for tarts, but salds, soups and muffins, brownies, cookies, etc. I'm particularly impressed with "Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Tart with Basil" "Chocolate-Banana Tart" "Black Plum and Honey Tart". The Summer Berry Scones are knock outs and The Crunchy Dried Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Cookies are killers also. This will be a fun book for the home gourmet to mess around with and discover new cook with your hands baked goods to eat with the fingers food! Well done with great reading thorughout, especially with the fun side bars scattered throughout.

Real food.:
This book is fabulous. Easy to follow instructions and results that taste great! I never liked scones before I tried their recipes. The scones and cookie recipes I tried are out of this world. Not for those on a diet. If you love real flavored pastries, this book is it.

LOVE THIS BOOK:
If you love to read cookbooks, this one is for you. The gentlemen that wrote this book are so honest and upfront and adorable. I love the style of the cookbook. The recipes look easy enough to prepare. I can't wait to try some of the muffin recipes. This is one of the best cookbooks that I own. The book also offers many pictures. ENJOY!

Great Easy Funny Book:
I gave this book to at least 15 of my friends. The book offer some great easy food. I love the way those two guys got into Food and open a shop in Soho NY. All my friends I gave the book to keep telling me how much they like it. Good work. Any chance to get a new volume soon?

Full Fat and Attitude:
First the good: This book ended our quest for the perfect tart dough. The pear/raisin/ginger muffin is fabulous. The cookies are fabulous, no equal - 5 stars. Now the bad and the ugly: I get that it's frustrating that nimcompoops ask for fat-free baked goods; keep it to yourselves. I have no quibble with the philosophy and practice of cream and butter (I'd probably be drummed out of America's Dairyland if I did). I do quibble with the fact that this is stated again and again and again and again. It begins to feel condescending already! For example, most of us do actually know that a muffin is a kind of cake and that there's half the calories of a scone in a half-scone and that a chocolate macaroon is rich. - minus 1 star