Frozen Desserts Hardcover – August 25, 2008

This book is amazing. I've only just begun to read this book but already I can tell there is a LOT of valuable information inside. I've been making frozen desserts (mostly ice cream) for many years and I was hoping this book would add to what I already know. So far I have not been disappointed.Inside you'll not only find the usual short history of frozen desserts and details about ingredients and ice cream formulas, you'll also find information on how ingredients interact with one another and some sanitation notes to keep your food safe. Included are also specifics on how formulate a proper sorbet and how create still frozen (not churned) frozen treats such as parfaits and bombes. As others have noted, the formula amounts can be quite large for home or small batch use, but scaling should not be an issue.This may not be the best place to start with if you're a home cook and just beginning down the road of frozen desserts but if you want to expand your knowledge or you're a quick learner I highly recommend this book.

I just received this book and realize I am truly out of my depth. Intimidated, but excited about learning from a master. I'm a pretty good home cook, and have recently began making ice cream and other frozen desserts. But this is incredible. Each photo is a work of art in and of itself, and the foods pictured are also each a work of art within each photo. Migoya is not a chef, he is an artist. Food is his medium, and this book demonstrates his expertise. I will delve into this and discover how the recipes can be scaled down to home use. These are not home dinner quantities, they are desserts by the kilo! The recipes look great, and many of the more restaurant-level ingredients can be sourced on the internet easily these days. This is definitely not for the beginner, but will be well worth it for someone like me who wants to increase his skills with an eye towards commercializing his talents one day.

This book is an excellent source of knowledge on the specifics of the types of things desserts are composed of. It’s worth it for the detail they provide on composition alone. While all the recipes are for very large batches they include percentage values by mass which is convenient for whatever you’re thinking of making. Every frozen dessert I’ve ever heard of and more is included in here. Started out being enthused about ice cream and now I’m making frozen bombes next week so try not to have too much fun.

C. Terzis' review is comprehensive, so I'll just add a couple more thoughts. First, you CAN make family-sized quantities of these recipes if you are willing to do the math and scale down some of the recipes. Otherwise, you do need professional equipment to hold the gallons of milk, cream, etc. called for to produce commercial-sized batches.Second, there are quite a number of cake/cookie/mousse recipes included in the book, and for the most part, they produce reasonable amounts for a home cook. Most of the ingredients called for are not hard to find in major cities, but may be harder to find in smaller towns. For example, you can find PVC pipes at a hardware store, and acetate sheets at many office supply stores. The author does provide a small list of internet suppliers at the back of the book which may be of use in finding some items.Finally, the paper quality, photos, and dessert platings in this book are outstanding. The instructions are detailed, although they could have used a bit more editing. For example, sometimes articles and modifiers are left out, so you're not sure what the instructions refer to, unless you read on a bit, and then you can figure it out. For example, if the book says "push into the PVC pipe," and doesn't clarify WHAT you are supposed to push into the pipe (since there are several components to the dessert), it's a bit of a puzzle. This is a minor point, but it does get annoying after a while. The glossary could use a bit of work, too, as it defines some, but not all of the more esoteric commercial ingredients called for in some of the recipes.A wonderful book that is a great source of inspiration, especially if you are looking for one that provides instructions, recipes, and photos of complex desserts made up of multiple components. I agree that it's a bargain for the price!

For the beginner, the learner, or the expert this book is a treasure of 'helps' for the frozen dessert lover, and isn't that all of us? I am not a cook, but I purchased this book for my grandson who loves cooking. From my eating knowledge and from his cooking knowledge, it is a book for every lover (cook, etc.) of frozen desserts. It is easy to follow, as I read, and has the delicious-looking photos of what is being prepared.

They should title this, "The CIA's all you need to know about Ice cream making and fancy frozen desserts." This book is more like a text book for students and professionals, not for hobbiest. The recipes yield in the 10 lbs range, but can be scaled down. But as the book warns you, scaling down can effect your results. I am a cooking/baking nerd, so I love this book.