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Four-Star Desserts
Emily Luchetti draws on years of experience as one of California's preeminent bakers and chefs to create a book of truly innovative and delectable desserts. In her debut book, Stars Desserts, Emily demonstrated that her artful creations are worth every calorie. Now, in this luscious follow-up collection, she presents 150 more great-tasting and easy desserts, along with forty-three mouthwatering four-color photographs, for the satisfaction of every lucky dinner and cook.
The simply stated recipes are organized according to their chief ingredient. Summer berries lift desserts up to a new level of taste and complexity. Fall fruits bring depth and crispness. Chocolate, in its infinite variety of uses and presentations, is supremely satisfying. These recipes are as easy to follow as they are original. Spiced Cheesecake with a Walnut Crust needs no embellishment or decoration. An unpretentious Strawberry Gratin can be conjured with a minimum of fuss or forethought. Mexican Chocolate Cream Cake with a cinnamon mousse is an exotic treat for the ambitious. And Candied Citrus Peels are simple and imaginative after-dinner bites.
The simply stated recipes are organized according to their chief ingredient. Summer berries lift desserts up to a new level of taste and complexity. Fall fruits bring depth and crispness. Chocolate, in its infinite variety of uses and presentations, is supremely satisfying. These recipes are as easy to follow as they are original. Spiced Cheesecake with a Walnut Crust needs no embellishment or decoration. An unpretentious Strawberry Gratin can be conjured with a minimum of fuss or forethought. Mexican Chocolate Cream Cake with a cinnamon mousse is an exotic treat for the ambitious. And Candied Citrus Peels are simple and imaginative after-dinner bites.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1996
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About the author
Emily Luchetti
9 books4 followersEmily Luchetti, executive pastry chef at Farallon and Waterbar Restaurants in San Francisco, is recognized around the world for her award-winning sweet creations. With five cookbooks to her credit and numerous awards, including a 2004 James Beard Award, patrons can always count on a delectable, exotic and innovative end to their meal.
Emily has been executive pastry chef at Farallon since 1997 when the restaurant opened. She has been executive pastry chef of Waterbar since it’s opening in 2008. Her history with Farallon and Waterbar’s co-owner Mark Franz spans more than 20 years when they were both part of the opening team of Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. It was at Stars that Emily began her Bay Area cooking career as a line cook, working her way up to lunch chef and eventually stoking her passion for desserts. She was named executive pastry chef at Stars in 1987, a position she held through July 1995. During that time Emily was also the co-owned StarBake, a retail bakery, with Jeremiah Tower.
Emily has written many cookbooks: Stars Desserts (HarperCollins, 1991), Four Star Desserts (HarperCollins, 1995), A Passion for Desserts (Chronicle Books, 2003), and A Passion for Ice Cream (Chronicle Books, 2006). She created the dessert recipes for The Farallon Cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2000). Her first two books were rereleased as Classic Stars Desserts in 2007. Her latest book is The Fearless Baker (Little, Brown and Company, 2011).
Since the debut of her first book, Emily has passionately taught baking to dessert lovers across the country so that people can obtain the same enjoyment she does from creating something with her hands and providing delectable treats to others to savor. Fundamental to her passion for baking is the belief that desserts increase the social experiences and interactions of friends and family as they linger around the table. Emily Luchetti and her recipes appear regularly in national newspapers and magazines and she has been featured on numerous news programs and The Food Network’s The Ultimate Kitchen, Sweet Dreams, Cookin’ Live with Sara Moulton, Sara’s Secrets and The Martha Stewart Show. She was the co-host of the PBS Series The Holiday Table.
Emily graduated from Denison University in 1979 with a BA in Sociology. Following graduation, she attended the New York Restaurant School and worked in various New York establishments (including David Leiderman’s Manhattan Market and The Silver Palate), building her resume and sharpening her culinary skills prior to moving to the Bay Area. She currently resides in Sausalito.
In addition to the James Beard Award, Emily received honors including the 1998 San Francisco Focus Magazine Pastry Chef of the Year, the 2001 Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Golden Whisk Award and the 2003 Food Arts Magazine Silver Spoon Award. In 2009 The San Francisco Chronicle named her one of 20 Visionary Chefs in the Bay Area. She is currently Vice Chair of The James Beard Foundation.
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Emily has been executive pastry chef at Farallon since 1997 when the restaurant opened. She has been executive pastry chef of Waterbar since it’s opening in 2008. Her history with Farallon and Waterbar’s co-owner Mark Franz spans more than 20 years when they were both part of the opening team of Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. It was at Stars that Emily began her Bay Area cooking career as a line cook, working her way up to lunch chef and eventually stoking her passion for desserts. She was named executive pastry chef at Stars in 1987, a position she held through July 1995. During that time Emily was also the co-owned StarBake, a retail bakery, with Jeremiah Tower.
Emily has written many cookbooks: Stars Desserts (HarperCollins, 1991), Four Star Desserts (HarperCollins, 1995), A Passion for Desserts (Chronicle Books, 2003), and A Passion for Ice Cream (Chronicle Books, 2006). She created the dessert recipes for The Farallon Cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2000). Her first two books were rereleased as Classic Stars Desserts in 2007. Her latest book is The Fearless Baker (Little, Brown and Company, 2011).
Since the debut of her first book, Emily has passionately taught baking to dessert lovers across the country so that people can obtain the same enjoyment she does from creating something with her hands and providing delectable treats to others to savor. Fundamental to her passion for baking is the belief that desserts increase the social experiences and interactions of friends and family as they linger around the table. Emily Luchetti and her recipes appear regularly in national newspapers and magazines and she has been featured on numerous news programs and The Food Network’s The Ultimate Kitchen, Sweet Dreams, Cookin’ Live with Sara Moulton, Sara’s Secrets and The Martha Stewart Show. She was the co-host of the PBS Series The Holiday Table.
Emily graduated from Denison University in 1979 with a BA in Sociology. Following graduation, she attended the New York Restaurant School and worked in various New York establishments (including David Leiderman’s Manhattan Market and The Silver Palate), building her resume and sharpening her culinary skills prior to moving to the Bay Area. She currently resides in Sausalito.
In addition to the James Beard Award, Emily received honors including the 1998 San Francisco Focus Magazine Pastry Chef of the Year, the 2001 Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Golden Whisk Award and the 2003 Food Arts Magazine Silver Spoon Award. In 2009 The San Francisco Chronicle named her one of 20 Visionary Chefs in the Bay Area. She is currently Vice Chair of The James Beard Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 13, 2008
very useful and every recipe thus far ROCKSSSSSS!!
February 11, 2019
Four star desserts
Luchetti has been making desserts for forty years, and while this is one of the early cookbooks of her career, it highlights a variety of fancy desserts. Recipes are a mix of complicated and basic, with multiple pieces that have to be put together or four simple ingredients that are mixed together or baked. However, the multi-step recipes predominate. There is something for any occasion. And generally the ingredients are not difficult to access though some of the equipment might challenge the home cook including springform pans, baba molds, ice cream machine, parchment paper and pastry bags for example. Directions, however, can be a challenge. They often do not provide times (how long are you supposed to whisk the eggs) or even indications that would tell the baker the eggs are whipped enough. Temperatures for mixtures are often not provided (whip eggs until warm but not hot is not very specific).
Recipes include a nice “ahead of time” section so people can prepare for the more elaborate recipes. Pictures are included but not one for each recipe, sadly; rather, about one picture for each five or six. Most of these desserts are not the ones you commonly find. Instead, recipes include a bittersweet chocolate soufflé with caramel sauce, a light apricot custard tart, or a plum vanilla bombe with plum caramel sauce.
Luchetti has been making desserts for forty years, and while this is one of the early cookbooks of her career, it highlights a variety of fancy desserts. Recipes are a mix of complicated and basic, with multiple pieces that have to be put together or four simple ingredients that are mixed together or baked. However, the multi-step recipes predominate. There is something for any occasion. And generally the ingredients are not difficult to access though some of the equipment might challenge the home cook including springform pans, baba molds, ice cream machine, parchment paper and pastry bags for example. Directions, however, can be a challenge. They often do not provide times (how long are you supposed to whisk the eggs) or even indications that would tell the baker the eggs are whipped enough. Temperatures for mixtures are often not provided (whip eggs until warm but not hot is not very specific).
Recipes include a nice “ahead of time” section so people can prepare for the more elaborate recipes. Pictures are included but not one for each recipe, sadly; rather, about one picture for each five or six. Most of these desserts are not the ones you commonly find. Instead, recipes include a bittersweet chocolate soufflé with caramel sauce, a light apricot custard tart, or a plum vanilla bombe with plum caramel sauce.
January 2, 2015
This book of delicious desserts is broken down in to the following chapters: Chocolate; Summer Berries; Summer Fruits; Fall Fruits, Dried Fruits, and Nuts; Citrus and Tropical Fruits; Cookies and Candies; and Key Recipes, Creams, and Sauces. Many of the desserts come with beautiful color photos of the anticipated results. She adds little notes before the recipes to tell you the highlights and also provides "Ahead of Time Notes" for cooks who like to get some prep done earlier.
I love to cook, but I am not a baker. That said, I have never had a failure with one of these recipes. It is my go to dessert book. Also, most call for ingredients and equipment that are easy to find. While some of them are a bit more complex - like the triple-striped chocolate semifreddo - and require some time, there are also simpler recipes you can just whip up - like chocolate filled phyllo triangles. Some of my favorites are the espresso chocolate chip angel food cake, raspberry cream cheese souffles, morning apple cake, and macadamia nut biscotti....oh, and the triple chocolate brownies which are very fudgy in consistency.
I've had this book for years, but when I pulled it out for Christmas baking, I realized that I needed to review it so that others could discover it for themselves.
I love to cook, but I am not a baker. That said, I have never had a failure with one of these recipes. It is my go to dessert book. Also, most call for ingredients and equipment that are easy to find. While some of them are a bit more complex - like the triple-striped chocolate semifreddo - and require some time, there are also simpler recipes you can just whip up - like chocolate filled phyllo triangles. Some of my favorites are the espresso chocolate chip angel food cake, raspberry cream cheese souffles, morning apple cake, and macadamia nut biscotti....oh, and the triple chocolate brownies which are very fudgy in consistency.
I've had this book for years, but when I pulled it out for Christmas baking, I realized that I needed to review it so that others could discover it for themselves.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews