My love for Food52's website was the catalyst for discovering another baking guru, by the name of Yossy Arefi, the author of Sweeter Off The Vine. Touting a collection of "fruit desserts for every season", now we have an excuse to indulge, no matter the time of year.
The Spring section features rhubarb, strawberries, cherries, as well as a number of herbs -- most notably, lemon verbena. The Summer mix brings apricots, mixed berries (think blueberries & blackberries, to name a few), melons, stone fruits (nectarines & plums make their entrance), raspberries and most epic of all -- figs. To have enough figs on hand in summer after snacking is the goal for next summer, in order to attempt the beautiful "soft chocolate and fig cake" featured on page 123.
As the temperatures drop like the leaves, we welcome the grapes, persimmons, pomegranates, apples, pears and squash. Quince is also featured -- and sadly, I have yet to find it here in NYC, only in membrillo form -- a sweet but slightly astringent dense jelly which is made by cooking down quince for a long time, mixed with sugar. The wintry fare features classics such as cranberries, citrus fruits and dates.
The stunning photography is inspiring for the intermediate baker ready to up their desserts to the next level. Arefi also includes her "year-round essentials" -- her pie crust is tried and true. The recipes here are creative and serve as an amazing springboard for spinning off new favorites.
This book was received from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for review.
