Baking Illustrated book giveaway
I think beginners are always intimidated by baking because of the warnings attached to this genre of kitchen-ness regarding precision.
I’m going to come out and admit that I’m an imprecise baker. I scoop in my measuring cups and often don’t finger sweep. I pour and pinch to my inaccurate-heart’s desire. I’ve only started writing down modifications and deviations since things started going so well gastronomically and people asked for the recipe. Granted I’ve taken much from Harold McGee’s brilliant oeuvre and made a point to understand why things will work or not work.
My kitchen journal is my go-to resource for remembering the trials, errors and mostly delicious successes that have happened in my oven. While I don’t make particularly finicky things that are likely the reason for all the precision-mongering, I think even you naysayers can learn to bake a slew of things without fears of failure harassing you along the way. Breads, muffins, pies and cookies have been forgiving to my speculative ventures.
The awesome folks over at America’s Test Kitchen have offered up a few books from their well-stocked library for me to give to you, my dear readers! I’m starting with one of my personal, all-time fave kitchen resource books.
What I love most about this book are the great illustrations and photos of wrong vs. right. I know ‘Illustrated’ is the title of the book and all, but seriously, what beginners need the most are visuals, if not a hands-on tutorial. This book is full of great input for whatever projects you dare undertake, plus fab tips and tricks to ensure success.
Enter to win a free copy for your kitchen bookshelf by leaving a comment on this post by midnight EST Thursday, April 7 answering the following question: What baking project(s) intimidates you the most?
Per shipping restrictions at ATK, we must extend this giveaway opportunity to US residents only (sorry my fine foreign friends)! One winner will be selected via Random.org on Friday April 8. If you don’t leave your email address in the little box that asks for it on the comment form, I’ll skip you and grant it to the next randomly-generated winner.
Kate
Thanks everyone for entering! Congrats to lucky number 98, Jen of Georgetown, TN.
Reader Comments (163)
I'm with the puff-people: puff pastry, souffles, croissants...these things are daunting, but I'm ready for the challenge!
would love this book, I can cook,but to bake I couldn't to save my life!
Bread. I'm so intimidated that I've never once tried it!
For some reason, strudels, or anything made with phyllo dough, intimidates me. I think it's because it's so delicate, and I'm not patient enough to be careful with it
Macaroons...yikes!
I am intimidated, no, terrified by the souffle. It seems so delicate and so dangerous at the same time. Molten-hot-lava-sugar that could collapse and die with the slightest mistake!
To tell you the truth, baking in general intimidates me and always has. I make the gallant effort around holiday times but I sure could use some hand holding otherwise.
I am SO thrilled to hear that there are other imprecise bakers out there. The thing that makes baking so not scary is that the end product is in pieces. I can't taste as I go as easily as I can when cooking, but I can try a cookie before putting the plate out. If something went awry, I'll know right away. Whenever I make something that is less easily tasted - cakes, pies, bread - I get a little nervous. I usually snag a little mouse-crumb to sample before I unleash a treat on my friends and family. So far, so good. I made two cakes this weekend to great acclaim. Still, I was nervous until I got the happy cakefaces from my tasters.
I just can't seem to make a caramel cake
I just tackled croissants not too long ago and they were a hurdle! Now to work on sourdough bread!
Crusts - for quiche, pies, tarts ... they never quite turn out as tender/flaky as they are supposed to be. I haven't tried Cooks Illustrated No Fail Piecrust yet, but have the recipe waiting for the next time I get the courage for a crust baking adventure.
Ooooh. Can't say I often feel intimidated by baking projects. They excite me! I will say that I have been defeated by natural yeast sour dough starters more than half a dozen times.
Merangues and all that include them.
Most intimidating for me is bread or rolls with yeast. I avoid these things if i can.
Pastries, I dream of them, but they do scare me.
Oh, definitely a souffle or meringues. Anything that's supposed to be light and airy that I could screw up and it could fall or I could overbeat intimidates me!
I just discovered your adorable blog - I'm in love!
The one thing I dread making is bread. I've only ever made bread in a bread machine (super easy) but bread seems very intimidating to me. Give me fudge any day! LOL
green.eco.chick at gmail dot com
My US resident cousin can't make bread and she would love this beautiful book as a gift from me, via you!
Cheesecake intimidates me! Especially since I'm always opening the oven door!
no gluten baking in general...trying to find my way through this new venture!
Apple pie--I tried to make an apple pie once---killed my garbage disposal with the apple peels and then ended up with apple soup--it was a huge disaster!
I think I would have to say the most intimidating baking project for me would be creating the dough for making exquisite flaky gluten-free croissants. There are other baking projects that come to mind like French macaroons and creating bakery style cheese pastries, but I think croissants seem the most intimidating to initiate.
Assembling and frosting layer cakes are my least favorite parts of baking. But a souffle scares the daylights out of me.
Whoopie pies are awesome yet so intimidating..probably because I've never tried making them before.
After several failed attempts, the ultimate baking intimidation for me is the small dorm kitchen I have to cope with for the rest of this year. It is my last year living the dorm life, and though the petite space has the proper implements, my oh my the ventilation throws the humidity to the heavens and makes every recipe out of whack.