Great Pies & Tarts

Rating:
Summary: Kudos to Carole Walter: A Wonderful Chef, Teacher, Author
Review: "Great Pies & Tarts" proves its worth, as your taste will attest, when you sample the results from the instructions and recipies presented. Please note, Arthur Schwartz, a wonderful culinary professional, is not a co-author as advertised. Examining the book will confirm this.

Rating:
Summary: Kudos to Carole Walter: A Wonderful Chef, Teacher, Author
Review: "Great Pies & Tarts" proves its worth, as your taste will attest, when you sample the results from the instructions and recipies presented. Please note, Arthur Schwartz, a wonderful culinary professional, is not a co-author as advertised. Examining the book will confirm this.

Rating:
Summary: Good recipes, poor organization
Review: Although there are some good recipes in this book (blueberry tart with walnut topping is one) I spent a lot of time flipping pages, trying to find information. I feel like the book could have been organized more effectively, which is unfortunate considering how much useful information it contains. Overall a good addition to the recipe library, but I often find myself using other references to supplement this book. Also, in a few cases I question the techniques or ingredients, for instance the use of baking powder in the food processor version of the "flaky pie crust."

Rating:
Summary: Good recipes, poor organization
Review: I affectionately refer to this book as "The Pie Bible." It's almost as big and contains all the information that you could ever want to know about making pies. Walter has done a fantastic job of compiling all this information in one easy to read and follow source.

Even if you're too intimidated by handmade pie crust, this book will put you at ease and you'll probably never use frozen pie crusts again. Walter's Flaky Pie Pastry I (pg. 98) is my most used pie crust and has never failed. Step-by-step instructions with photographs help you through the dough making process. If regular pie dough isn't enough, there are many other pie dough recipes, such as Cheddar Pastry, Sweet Cream Biscuit Dough, Krispie Meringue Crust and Goof Proof Pastry.

The recipes in this book range from the traditional to the original, sweet to savory. The book also provides an indispensible guide to fruits and berries and how to choose the best ones for pies. If you're not quite sure what recipe to try based on your experience level with baking pies, not to worry. There are handy difficulty ratings for each recipe to guide you before you start.

Rating:
Summary: Instructions and pictures GREAT! Taste - not mine
Review: The pictures are great. The instructions are clear and well-written. I desperately wanted this book to work. I tried two pies, cranberry-apple and peach-blueberry, using Flaky Pie Crust II for a food processor. I tasted the filling prior to putting it into the crust. It tasted good both times. We tossed out the pie each time after having a slice. The bitter aftertaste just lingered, even 4 hours later.

The filling descriptions sound so good that I'm willing to give it one more try . . .

Rating:
Summary: Goes way beyond the beginner level
Review: The title "Great Pies & Tarts, with a primer for the beginner" understates the value of this excellent cookbook for the more experienced baker. Certainly, the book does give detailed instructions for every step of pastry-making, in case the reader has never baked a single pie. However, I think the true value of the book lies in two areas: creative, luscious ideas for unusual combinations of flavors and textures, and precise trouble-shooting guidelines for perfecting the included recipes, as well as all your old pie and tart recipes. I borrowed this book from the local library, but ended up reading it cover-to-cover over several nights. I'll have to buy it now, as well as her "Great Cakes", since she probably has volumes of advice on this topic, too. The only recipe I've made so far is "Roy's Apricot-Cherry Pie with Almond Streusel", and it tastes fabulous. I learned several valuable hints on eliminating soggy, overly-juicy pies made with perfectly ripe summer fruits. This is a must-read for any serious baker.