Caitlin Freeman

Being more than a casual coffee drinker, I’ve read a lot on the subject over the years and while I know that what I know is more than the average person, it is still quite limited. This book confirmed that “quite” part of my limits! Let’s call this extreme coffee. Don’t misunderstand, it’s clearly a passion for Freeman and it shows in his writing...and he has a wealth of knowledge that he skillfully condensed for the reader. An appetite whetter.

Having cut his proverbial teeth on roasting, and made his living since 2002 doing, Freeman talks a lot about it - even offering a home method. He discusses varietals, more as a overview than a treatise. His examples of his descriptions of some of his company’s roasts are quite the imagery. He discusses many different brewing methods (the details might be a bit much for the casual drinker), concentrating on the ins and outs of espresso. I had to laugh at the chapter/section title for the single cup travesty: “A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL: POD COFFEE”.

So other than the nuances and incredibly specific details, I learned that

Japan’s coffee culture is one of the most refined in the world, and it has had a huge influence on what we do a lot Blu Bottle [his company].

I also learned that the Starbucks, et al, really don’t know how to make a macchiato (okay, I already did know, but not to the gram level..). And I learned that melting chocolate with water is richer than milk. That’s from the second half, which is all about thinks to eat with coffee. Lots of recipes.

Recommended for the coffee drinker who wants more in the toolbox and for anyone with a thirst...for knowledge.… (mais)

Well, it’s been a couple decades since I’ve bothered to read any but 100% vegan cookbooks (given that there are many hundreds and probably over 1,000 of them) but the cover of this book just called to me.

I figured that almost all desserts are now easily veganized, and I love art. This book is on my San Francisco bookshelf because it’s very San Francisco, particularly as regards our modern art museum, local bakeries/eateries, etc. etc.

Well, as the recipes are presented, much to my surprise they’re not easily made vegan, though it would be very, very easy to make vegan recipes that look exactly like these. Even with those (for me necessary) changes, these take too much work, and many hours/even days. Re the recipes: some require TONS of heavy cream and just egg yolks or just egg whites. Experienced vegan bakers would know what to do, but I wouldn’t.

I enjoyed the book as an art book. There is some good information and photos about the artists, their lives and work.

The highlight of the book for me turned out to be the cake on the cover, and it is fun.

The rest are hit & miss, though all were creative. These desserts mimicking art remind me of the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco annual Bouquet to Arts festival, where floral artists create floral arrangements that mimic/reflect art pieces in the museum(s). As with that exhibit, the desserts I enjoyed most here were those that most closely showed the art, with the possible exception of Thiebaud's cakes, which simply copied them, and so didn't strike me as that creative, but paired up with the art are rather striking. Some good ones of Diebenkorn's work.

There are many fun extras such as San Francisco photos, and instructions for making your own sea salt, etc. etc.

Anyway, as a cookbook, I can’t recommend it. As a book to give bakers/cooks/artists ideas of how to make artistic foods and to use art to make other creative things, it’s an enjoyable resource. As a fun novelty, well, it was fun.

For artists and particularly bakers/cooks, it might give them some ideas, and vegan bakers and cooks, including some who’ve written many of my favorite cookbooks, I’d love to see some of what they might glean from this. I’d love to see (and eat) what they might create from ideas they’d get from this book.

5 stars for the cover and the premise. 3 ½ stars for some of the included information about the original art & artists, 2 ½ stars for the background information about this book, 1 star for the actual recipes, and not just because I’m vegan and wouldn’t eat any of them, though if I wasn’t vegan, honestly, I might give them 2 stars or even 3.… (mais)