Beyond the Bread Basket: Recipes for Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts

Master baker Éric Kayser reveals the secret of his marvelous creations, and provides innovative and delicious ways of incorporating bread into a variety of main courses, accompaniments, and desserts.With much flair and the hand of a practiced baker, he presents his collection of sixty surprising and easy-to-follow recipes, transforming bread into a condiment in recipes such as Stuffed Mussels, Breadcrumbs with Curry, or Sausage Crumble, or the main ingredient of a dish as in Chicken with Raisin Bread Stuffing. Kayser uses bread as a plate or bowl for his bruschetta, tapas, soup, and Roasted Vegetable Salad. He reinvents the humble sandwich and offers new versions of open-faced tartine sandwiches, whether classic Foccacio with Sesame Seeds or exotic Tandoori Chicken. Rounding off this collection are irresistible desserts that are pure treasures of sweetness, such as French Toast with Caramelized Apples, Chocolate Soup, and Toasted Brioche.

Éric Kayser is a food consultant and third-generation Parisian baker. His inherited taste for traditional French bread and pastries has resulted in twenty-eight bakeries worldwide. His croissants at his Tokyo bakery were named the best in Tokyo in 2001, and Kayser himself was named Best Baker in Tokyo in 2003. His two Bread Bar locations in Los Angeles are widely acclaimed. He also published Éric Kayser’s Sweet and Savory Tarts (Flammarion, 2007). Clay McLachlan’s photographs have been featured in leading food magazines including Wine Spectator and in Sports Illustrated.