Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes
by Joanne Chang
One of the joys of living in Boston is that it’s exposed me to the wonderful cooking of Joanne Chang. She’s reached almost superstar status with her flagship Myers + Chang restaurant in the South End: a spot my wife and I cannot seem to get enough of. It’s a must-go especially on Mondays and Tuesdays when they have their date nights and their tasting menus are cheap and plentiful. Every time we go we are both impressed by new items we order and reminded why the tried and true stuff (like those steak Tiger Tears) always make such an impact. But of course, the real Joanne Chang empire we need to talk about is Flour Bakery. It’s simply the must-go location for anyone visiting the city and staple in the diet of any Bostonian. Although the meals are original and tasty, it’s really the dessert that shines, and outshines, at Flour. Whether it’s the cake, pies, pastries, or cookies, Flour makes them at a level unmatched anywhere else. I have had most of the items on their menu and still crave their Chocolate Cream Pie, or their Almond Meringue Clouds, Chocolate Cupcake, and of course, their Sticky Bun. The Sticky Bun has actually made such an impact that it’s considered a stable snack in the city.
Flour Bakery is expanding and you can find one their locations almost anywhere in Boston. I myself visit it several times a week for lunch (they have somehow managed to make a vegan sandwich that’s actually stellar) and whenever I feel like rewarding myself with accomplishing even the most menial task. I have tried most
So, with so much experience under her belt, it would be a shame for Joanne Chang to keep all that knowledge to herself. Enter Pastry Love: a new cookbook which is curated to highlight Chang’s favorite items at Flour Café and so many other things she’s learned in her career.
Being such a Great British Bakeoff fan (which I hear Joanne has never watched), I used Pastry Love as the perfect opportunity to learn more about baking. This book is filled with a wide assortment of cookies, cakes, extravagant desserts, and my favorite pie. There are so many of the tried and true items you can find at Flour that any fan will be delighted to finally try their hands at them. I’m talking here about the Oreos, Meringes, Macaroons, Fruit Tarts, Cupcakes, Apple Spice Cake, and so much more. But of course, there are also a lot of recipes for those more adventurous, like the Pavlova, Passion Fruit Crepe cake, and Korean Cheesecake. And I just love that there are so many photos. After all, presentation is everything.
Pastry Love is essential for any baking aficionados who want to branch out from the classics and try some exciting and new. For Boston residents, there’s no excuse. This is simply a love letter to the city. Who wouldn’t want this book in their home?
