Summary
Long before award-winning chef Michel Richardmade his first côte de boeuf or prepared hisfirst foie gras terrine, he was a pastry chef. InLos Angeles, pastry lovers lined up outside his bakeshopon Wilshire Boulevard, waiting to enjoy the breadsand treats they'd heard were the best in town, maybeeven better than anything in Paris. Now, in this outstandingcollection, the superstar chef returns to hisfirst love, the food that made him famous--desserts.
Here are mouthwatering, foolproof recipes forAmerican favorites such as pecan pie and poundcake; Richard's personal inventions, such as FloatingIslands with Melted Chocolate Morsels and the "coffeecloud"; reinvented French classics, such as profiterolesand the Christmas log ( bûche de Noël ); fruitfavorites, including tarts and Pavlovas; and, of course,plenty of cookies.
Going beyond traditional cookbooks, Sweet Magic shares Richard's insights into the thinking and craftbehind every aspect of dessert, with brief essaysthat explore, explain, and entice--highlighted by thechef's own playful illustrations.
Creating exquisite dishes with only a few simpleingredients--butter, eggs, sugar, flour, chocolate--demands the instincts of an artist and the soul of amagician. Sweet Magic will unlock the inner dessertwizard in every home chef, guiding both newcomersand old hands past common missteps, to seduce themost flavor and texture from every ingredient.
Michel Louis-Marie Richard was born in Pabu, Brittany, France on March 7, 1948. At the age of 14, he signed on as an apprentice with a baker in Reims, France. He fulfilled his military obligation by serving as a cook in the Army and then found work at a pastry shop in Paris. In 1974, he was hired by Gaston Lenôtre to open the Château France in New York City. It failed after three years, but Richard decided to stay in the United States.
In 1977 he opened a pastry shop in Los Angeles, where he began experimenting with savory dishes on the side as he expanded the menu. In 1987, he opened Citrus, which offered a French interpretation of the local Californian cuisine in Los Angeles. The restaurant closed in 2001. His other restaurants included Citronelle and Central Michel Richard. In 2007, the James Beard Foundation named him outstanding chef of the year. He wrote several books including Richard's Home Cooking with a French Accent, Happy in the Kitchen, and Sweet Magic: Easy Recipes for Delectable Desserts. He died from complications of a stroke on August 13, 2016 at the age of 68.
(Bowker Author Biography)
