- Author : Claudia Fleming
- Binding : Hardcover
- Dewey Decimal Number : 641.6
- EAN : 9780375504297
- Edition : 1
- ISBN : 037550429X
- Is Eligible For Trade In? : Yes
- Label : Random House
- List Price : $40.00 (USD)
- Manufacturer : Random House
- Number Of Items : 1
- Number Of Pages : 320
- Package Dimensions : 1.10 inches (Height) x 8.90 inches (Length) x 2.45 pounds (Weight) x 8.20 inches (Width)
- Publication Date : 2001-10-16
- Publisher : Random House
- Release Date : 2001-10-16
- Studio : Random House
"First and foremost, everything I make has to taste absolutely delicious," says Claudia Fleming in her introduction to The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern. Words to live by, especially when you're the pastry chef at one of New York City's most popular restaurants. Fleming cleverly describes and explains her creations in intelligent introductions to every recipe. She easily justifies her unusual flavor combinations, such as Roasted Apricots with Chamomile and Lavender-Lemon Pound Cake, and carefully walks us through important steps like gently cooking the strawberries and rose wine for her Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry Rosé Gelée. Recipes are divided by their star ingredient, and read like a farmers' market shopping list: apples, pears, and quinces; figs, melons, and grapes; herbs and flowers; cheese, milk, and cream. "Composed Desserts" make up the last chapter, and each is paired with a dessert wine. While every one of Fleming's recipes produces a delectable dessert on its own, the combinations she proposes in this chapter are truly memorable. A lighthearted composition like Waffles with Maple-Glazed Bananas and Maple Flan brings a favorite breakfast treat into the dining room for dessert. It's creamy and sweet, crispy and warm, cold and tangy--all at the same time. A number of Fleming's signature desserts are here, too: Coconut Tapioca with Coconut Sorbet, Passion Fruit-Pineapple Sorbet, Passion Fruit Caramel, and Cilantro Syrup (a Gramercy favorite). There are also plenty of recipes for the cookie jar, including the wonderfully soft and chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies, elegant enough to serve with coffee for dessert. Treats like Milk Chocolate Malted Ice Cream, Mascarpone Cream Cannoli, and Lime-Gingersnap Parfait will have you singing Fleming's praises as loudly as her fans do at Gramercy Tavern. --Leora Y. Bloom
- Amazon.com Review
Using fresh, seasonal ingredients captured at the peak of their flavor, Claudia Fleming creates highly satisfying desserts without pretention. She smartly matches contrasting textures, flavors, and temperatures to achieve a perfect end result–something brittle and crunchy next to something satiny and smooth, stretching the definition of sweet and savory while retaining an elemental simplicity.The desserts in The Last Course speak to everyone, as to the 175 easy-to-use recipes. The book is broken down seasonally by fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and flowers, spices, sweet essences, dairy, and chocolate. The final chapter is made up of composed deserts. Claudia gives suggestions on how to combine recipes from previous chapters to create the ultimate desserts of the restaurant.Each chapter and each composed dessert is paired with a selection of wines recommended by Gramercy Tavern’s sommelier. Recipes include: Warm Raspberry Verbena Meringue Cake, Blueberry Graham Cracker Tarts, Apple Tarte Tatin, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Sauternes Gelee, Warm Chocolate Ganache Cakes, and more.Beautifully illustrated, with more than eighty-five full-color photos, The Last Course is the last word on dessert.
- Product Description
Customer Reviews:
Customers rated The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern 4.5 stars out of 5.0 based on 21 reviews:Amazing Book, Great price
by L. Hoffman (Florida) - 2010-06-13
I purchased this book in May, 2009 in a little book store in Orlando for $29.00, brand new - I know that it has been out of print for a long time. Each recipe is amazing - Creme Brulee, Brittle, Chocolate....all amazing!!!Best dessert cookbook you could ever purchase!
by A. Mosley - 2010-01-01
Those who know Claudia and have had the pleasure of sampling her desserts know they're in for a treat when they purchase this cookbook. Not only is the book beautiful, it is very user-friendly and magnificently creative. I truly feel like an all-star chef when I make one of her creations. Although I think the book is worth spending the extra money on, $800 is ludicrous. I purchased it directly from Fleming's current restaurant in Southold, NY called The North Fork Table & Inn. It was only $50!!! IF you ever find yourself on Eastern Long Island you would be in culinary heaven dining there.combinations inspirational
by Pi Face - 2007-10-07
Recipes work - including the citrus tuiles. Loved the espresso/orange panna cotta. Also the pernod-orange sorbet. Helps to have some knowledge of baking/cooking. The suggestions at the end of recipes add another dimension - also a plus in this book. So far every combination has the "wow" factor - and the recipes are not very complicated. I rarely buy retail, but this is one cookbook that is worth every penny.my most used tool
by Ashley Foy (kansas city) - 2007-05-13
I am a professional Italian pastry chef; this book is the one I use the most at work. I take recipes here and there and figure out if there is a way to make them Italian. This book is very valuable to me because every recipe works perfectly. In a restaurant, we don't have time to re-make something that doesn't come out correctly. I never have to worry about the recipes being off or having to adjust anything to make them come out right. The greatest thing about the book is that she wrote it in the order of the seasons, which comes in very handy for me. She explains everything in such an eloquent yet simple manner... I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes to make their own desserts. I have read a ton of dessert cookbooks and this one has impressed me the most. The buttermilk panna cotta is fantastic, along with the goat cheese mascarpone cheesecake.intense flavors, innovative desserts
by yeahyeah (america) - 2006-12-04
LOVE this cookbook. Fleming is a genius at marrying flavor and form. I've made the Cherry Cheesecake Tart with a Red Wine Glaze several times, substituting strawberries for cherries and other variations, and I just love it. I made it for my Wine Club when we tried Syrahs and I used one for the glaze. A knock-out. Such an elegant dish -- one of so many that really wow. The tart's texture is just beautiful and it carries the flavor perfectly. I'm dying to make the Tamarind-Glazed Mango Napoleons. This is a really innovative and imaginative cookbook. Delicious, modern combinations and techniques. Highly recommended. GREAT gift, because the recipient will have to make you something delicious!
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