Excerpts

Introduction   Each year, hundreds of cookbooks are released, which means that inevitably, many must go to make room for the new. But I was always surprised, and delighted, to hear from so many people that mine were the ones in their collection that they used the most.   When I began writing cookbooks over a decade ago, someone told me, "If a book has one great recipe in it, then it's a good book." So while I considered calling this book David's Greatest Hits, that idea was (wisely) nixed by the powers that be. But, from all the positive feedback my cookbooks have received, I don't know if that title would've been all that far off. Over the years, I've heard again and again from enthusiastic home bakers that many of the recipes from my first two books were their all-time favorites.   Room for Dessert was released in 1999. I hadn't written a book before, but was thrilled when the New York Times singled it out for praise in a very crowded field of cookbooks. It was also lauded by colleagues such as food writer Arthur Schwartz, who complimented the book as "deceptively slim," meaning it packed an expansive variety of desserts in a very approachable, and not at all daunting, format.   My second book, Ripe for Dessert, continued that philosophy with an emphasis on baking with fruit. I'm very keen on incorporating fruits and berries into my desserts and know that many people share my affection for fruit desserts. The book came out in 2003 just as Americans were rediscovering the rewards of using regional ingredients. At the same time, there was a rising national awareness about healthy eating. Although it was certainly not a diet book, fruits played a central role in all of the desserts, rather than just an ornamental one, and the recipes let home bakers put to delicious use the new abundance of fruit available in farmers' markets and at their local grocers. Shopping baskets overflowed with long-forgotten varieties of heirloom apples, unusual and exotic tropical fruits, deep-red cherries, and soft, tangy raspberries, all of which simply begged to be used during their all-too-brief seasons. I also included recipes starring some of the more elusive fruits--such as quince, figs, and persimmons--which were slowly becoming more familiar as they made their way from upscale farmers' markets into mainstream grocery stores.   And it wasn't just home bakers who were using my books. I got a great thrill out of spying a flour-dusted copy of one of my books on a shelf in a restaurant or bakery kitchen. It was tremendously gratifying to know that the recipes met the demanding standards of professionals.   _________   After a long run, both Room for Dessert and Ripe for Dessert went out of print. In the meantime, through my website and blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, I was able to introduce my recipes to a whole new audience and to those who were disappointed that my books were no longer available. Needless to say, when I was offered the chance to update the recipes and present them in this all-new edition, I jumped at the opportunity to do so.   Like so many other things, techniques, tastes, and even the availability of ingredients change over time. At first, I thought I'd just revisit a few recipes and make some minor changes. But as I flipped through the pages, invariably I'd land on a recipe and say, "Hmm, I wonder what that would be like if I reduced the sugar, and melted the butter instead of creamed it?" Or, "What about sharing those cookies I made last Christmas that everyone loved?" Off to the kitchen I would go to try out these new ideas.   So just about every recipe has been revised in some way--ingredients were added or swapped out with another or techniques have been changed. Plus, I couldn't resist in Excerpted from Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes by David Lebovitz All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.