The American Baker: Exquisite Desserts from the Pastry Chef of the Stanford Court

by Jim Dodge

Presents the recipes for a variety of desserts including cheese tarts, pumpkin pie, almond cake, apple turnovers, chocolate ice cream, and butter cookies

350 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

Jim Dodge is an American novelist and poet whose works combine themes of folklore and fantasy, set in a timeless present. He has published three novels, Fup, Not Fade Away and Stone Junction and a collection of poetry and prose, Rain on the River. Dodge was born in 1945 and grew up as an Air Force brat. As an adult he spent many years living on an almost self-sufficient commune in West Sonoma County, California. He has had many jobs including apple picker, a carpet layer, a teacher, a professional gambler, a shepherd, a woodcutter and an environmental restorer. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing/Poetry from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop in 1969. He has been the director of the Creative Writing program in the English Department at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California since 1995. He lives in Manila, California with his wife and son. (from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Dodge's book is by far the most useful and practical one i have yet read on how to make good desserts....All in all...my respectful admiration for this book is sincere and complete. I think The American Baker will be read as long as there is a sweet tooth left in America
MFK Fisher

Jim Dodge's thorough, classical background and his love of baking shine through this book...his striving for perfection and search for super-fresh ingredients and perfect fruit are reflected in the quality of these recipes and are complete in like with the standards of The Stanford Court.
Jacques Pepin

Jim Dodge's book, The American Baker, does in three hundred pages wha has taken me almost two decades to know about what the wonderful world of desserts, especially pastries....This book should be in every cook's library. It's in mine.
Bernard Clayton Jr.

[Lee Riggs]

Browsed, looks like some good recipes, including tarts and ice cream that would not be too tricky.