[.ca] Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of ... (ISBN 0609604538)

From Amazon.com:
Reading Rick Rodgers's Kaffeehaus is like strolling through the streets of three of the world's most romantic cities--Vienna, Budapest, and Prague--where the coffeehouse is the center of the universe and that little something sweet to go with your afternoon cup is considered high art. Eleven chapters on subjects ranging from "Sweet Yeast Breads" to "Strudels" and "Sweet Dumplings and Noodles" cover the gamut of sweets you're likely to find in the classic kaffeehauser. Rodgers provides recipes for such legendary treats as chocolaty Sachertorte, flaky Sour Cherry Strudel, sugar-dusted Banana Gugelhupf, jam-filled Linzertorte, and rustic but soul-satisfying squares of Plum Cake. A renowned cooking instructor and cookbook author, Rodgers has developed the patient voice and attentiveness the job requires, and these qualities shine through in his inviting recipes. Though the book focuses exclusively on the impressive desserts found in coffeehouses, rather than those that are home-baked, Rodgers has developed recipes accessible enough for recreating such scrumptious treats in any home kitchen. Filled with culinary lore--from the scandalous story of Rigo Jansci, the handsome gypsy violinist who lured an American millionairess to leave her husband for a passionate affair and inspired the sinful chocolate dessert that now bears his name, to the great Sachertorte controversy that gripped Vienna in the 1830s--Kaffeehaus is a treat for armchair travelers and adventurous bakers alike. --Robin Donovan

THE best book in most cook libraries:
I bought this book three weeks ago and was duly impressed. Even after all the laudatory reviews of the majority of other readers, I still did not expect for the efforts to be that reasonable and for the results to be that delicious. I have tried three strudels, walnut crepes with chocolate sause (oh, boy! If I had not known an expression "culinary orgasm," I would have invented it now), plum squares, apple and poppy seeds pieces, blueberry-meringue pieces, and chocolate mousse cake with sour cherries. Already two friends asked for a copy as a birthday present and one neighbor ordered her own. My husband, who is from Europe, enjoyed everything, and neither him nor I mind extra working out or walking to sweat it off. BTW, none of the recipes produced anything heavy or too rich, just in California we are excessively health and slenderness conscious :). And, of course, if you are used to food and baked goodies like those from this book, you cannot go back to our artificial mass market cakes. With regard to the font or how this book is edited and published - I could not have wished for a better one. It is beautiful, practical, is priced very reasonably, and what are those complaints about the font size? You cannot please someone who is 70+ and a cook with a normal or corrected vision at the same time.

Sweet Memories of Austria:
Rick Rodger's new book is the genuine article. It presents a wide variety of exquisitely authentic recipes from the justly famous coffee houses and pastry bakeries of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. All basic techniques are genuinely Mitteleuropean and not French or American adaptations of these techniques. As such, the book is a valuable contribution to popular culinary history, as important to the foodie interented in such things as the dozens of books on regional Italian and French cuisine. The chapters cover: Basic batters, doughs, and glazes 14 recipes such as puff pastry Simple Cakes 19 recipes such as gugelhupf and roulades Fancy Cakes 14 recipes such as Sachertorte and Linzertorte Strudels 7 recipes such as apple strudel Sweet Yeast Breads 11 recipes such as brioche Sliced desserts 14 recipes such as berry meringue squares Cookies and doughnuts 10 recipes such as vanilla cresents Pancakes and sweet omlets 8 recipes such as crepes Sweet dumplings and noodles 4 recipes such as prune pockets Puddings 7 recipes such as chocolate pudding Hot and Cold beverages 6 recipes such as coffees, wine, and tea Glossary of ingredients, equipment, and techniques Coffeehouse guide to Vienna, Prague, and Budapest Mail Order Sources Bibliography Coming from paternal grandparents who were born 40 miles east of Vienna, this book made my eyes misty in rememberance of my grandmother's baking. The book does not rely on store-bought puff pastry and does not hold back on liquer flavorings. The book does give excellent recipe for strudel dough, but it does not go so far as to have you make your own filo dough. I guess that will be in his book on Greek or Turkish baking. A sidebar on properly handling filo sheets is invaluable. The glossary of techniques is excellent. My only wish was that the author would have made some mention of chocolate sold by specific weight of cocoa butter, as Vahlrona and, I believe, high end American producers such as Sharfenberger and Jacques Torres do. This is so much easier than troubling over imprecise terms like semi-sweet and bittersweet. One concession to American home bakers is the exclusive use of measurements by volume rather than by weight. I really feel that if you are about to take the trouble to make strudel and make your own strudel dough, the effort needed to accurately weigh ingredients is of little consequence and may improve the results. The photographs of old Austrian coffee house interiors are gorgeous. I would have really appreciated captions. One has simply no idea whether the room is in Vienna, Prague, Budapest, or Brooklyn. I'm sorry the editors at Clarkson Potter wouldn't have thought of this. This book deserves a place in the serious cookbook library for both it fabulous recipes and it's historical perspective.

Sehr gut!:
I've recently read a number of books that attempted to capture the special appeal of the French café, and merge culture study, attractive photography, and enticing recipes into one volume. None of those attempts succeeded nearly as well as Rick Rodgers has done with his look at the classic Kaffeehäuser of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. An experienced, and expert, cooking teacher and cookbook author, Rick Rodgers also has ancestral connections to bakeries in the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. He gives us a fascinating look at the coffee houses and their place in Central European culture, and explains how the recipes he's selected fir into the cultural and historical context (Rodgers explains that this cultural context is something the Austrians, in particular, especially value). The recipes themselves are enticing and interesting, with a nice combination of the familiar and the more exotic. Beautiful photography -- both of food and of cafés -- and insightful mini-essays on a variety of topics enhance the very attractive *mélange,* which is rounded out by the author's personal guide to Central European coffeehouses, a glossary of Viennese, Czech, and Hungarian coffee terms, and a useful list of resources and links. There's even a full bibliography of historical and culinary sources. I've always been eager to visit Vienna and the other cities of the Empire. Until I get there, this book will keep my culinary, as well as my historical, interests fired up.

Longing for Budapest...:
After spending summer in Budapest, I have been dreaming of its winding streets, rustic charm and great cafes. Stepping inside of them is to feel like a kid again, with your mouth watering, your eyes widening and you making painstaking decision -- which of the luscious desserts to pick! Well, thanks to Rick Rodgers I can bring a whiff of Budapest cafe into my house. So far I made a few things and they have turned out to be wonderful. Berry Roulade is a beautiful to behold and can be made with minimum effort. Indeed, both sponge cake and berry cream (I used frozen raspberries) were so delicious, I was tempted to eat them before rolling the cake! I have to note that I have some experience with baking, therefore I have not had troubles with instructions. I suspect that novice bakers might find some recipes daunting, however if you would like to learn, this book provides excellent instructions as well as methods for storing finished products and ways to organize your time. Even history bits were fascinating, and I read them as I was beating the eggs for the batter. I look forward to curling with a cup of tea and a piece of my Roulade this evening. For all of those who would like to recreate famous pastries and cakes, this book is a find. I could applaud Mr. Rodgers for compiling such a delectable collection of authentic and easy to replicate at home recipes.

A must for a serious cook library:
I find the book of Rick Rodgers exquisite, delightful, and practical. All recipes are easy to follow, with good breakdown of steps and excellent descriptions of techniques. Historical excerpts are highly educational and very entertaining. The design of the book deserves a special comment: each page is beautiful. Photographs are very artistic, but real. And yes, there is a list of which photograph depicts what, be it an interior of a cafe or a pastry. I just wish there were more books published like this one, especially for this price.