Saying Italian pastry, today, also means saying Iginio Massari... master, entrepreneur and above all great pastry chef that Italian Gourmet wanted as author, with a capital A! Part of his knowledge is contained in this book, which could not be called anything but "Great Italian Pastry", because that's what Massari represents for everyone!
Almost 500 pages, 250 recipes, 11 chapters.
A journey into the world of sweets that Massari begins with biscuits, that world made of shortbread and softness, products that belong to various regional traditions. It continues with breakfast cakes, a moment definitely under the spotlight for that renewed desire of consumers to treat themselves to a more relaxing and nutritious start to the day, with one eye on the price and the other on the quality of the products.
With the pastry mignon and monoportions we get to the heart of the book and represent the true added value of Massari's thinking: tradition firmly rooted in the present, with shortcrust pastry, sponge cake, creams and chocolate, but looking to the future ... in the forms, in the decoration, in the elegance of a tartlet with mango and lime, in a revisited montebianco, in a slice of gianduia, or in small cubes (tiramisu, custard, hazelnut and chocolate).
And then the cakes... the masterpieces of a great master who has never stopped improving and improving himself: the Caprese, the Piedmont cake, the strudel, the caramelized millefeuille, the chocolate Saint-Honoré, the meringue cake. Sweets that have always been the Italian culture in terms of pastry.
The great leavened products are a chapter apart, almost a special in the book, given the fame that in recent years the products of the master, such as panettone and pandoro, have become must-haves during the holidays and beyond.
Still... one of Massari's passions is chocolate: classic truffles, waves of white chocolate, Piemontesini, gianduia squares and anise and coffee chocolates.
The desserts on the plate, on the other hand, testify to Massari's desire to welcome the customer, in a pastry shop that is increasingly a place to spend time, for tea, coffee, an aperitif.
Nougat and croccante follow a tradition of festive sweets but for this reason they should not be relegated to being produced only a few months a year: they are excellent products, of high quality and very appetizing.
Lastly, fried foods, which unite north and south with Sicilian cannoli, zeppole and krapfen, and savory pastries which perfectly complete the offer in pastry and offer excellent savory ideas for homemade preparations.
It wasn't easy to collect knowledge, traditions and classics of the Italian confectionery tradition, only Iginio Massari could have succeeded: this volume is really the summa of pastry, something that can't be missed in the library of professionals and enthusiasts!
TECHNICAL DATA
Author: Iginio Massari
Publication date: 2019
Language: Italian
Pages: 496
