Pastry Baking Basics with Chef Tom Small

Baking pastries is for many of us who don't make our living in the kitchen, a little intimidating. However the satisfaction that comes with a great loaf of bread, sweet rolls, a cobbler or scones is terrific! Pastry Baking Basics provides step-by-step instruction using over a dozen different recipes to illustrate how easy it is for you to bake pastries, learning the principles behind them, to build a firm foundation based on understanding rather than memorizing formulas. This program is filled with all the information and ideas you need for creating delicious baked goods and tantalizing desserts... today and for years to come. You can develop skills or refine techniques, to gain or simply broaden your repertoire in the kitchen. Learn Pastry Baking Basics while making: Buttermilk Biscuits, Everyday Bread, Sweet Dinner Rolls, Raspberry Scones, Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Shortbread Crust and Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate S'more Tart, Rugelach, Strawberry Rhubarb Crostada, Banana Cake, Coconut Macaroons, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Blackberry Cobbler Bar. Executive Chef Tom Small's culinary expertise has been acquired at some of the finest restaurants in California and Washington including Smitty's Grill, TAPS Fish House, San Antonio Winery and Armondos. He also spent several years cooking on private vintage rail cars traveling all over the country. Tom and his family moved to Washington State drawn by the warm community, beautiful landscape and amazing selection of local food products. Tom Small grew up in Southern California, where he received his inspiration for cooking from his mom. Originally, he pursued a piano performance degree and though he continues to play the piano and sing regularly, he was drawn into the restaurant business thru his love of food and a passion for entertaining. Tom has a diverse culinary background including education, development and journalism in addition to his management in the kitchen. He teaches a number of cooking classes and writes frequent culinary articles. He has a passion for local and seasonal products as well as a firm foundation in technique and classical cuisine. Printed recipes included. 112 minutes. REVIEW: Video Librarian Dare to Cook: Pastry Baking Basics with Chef Tom Small (2011) 112 min. DVD or Blu-ray: $24.95. Bennett-Watt HD Productions. PPR. ISBN: 978-1-60490-061-3 (dvd).Executive chef Tom Small instructs viewers in the preparation of 12 different forms of pastry here, with recipes ranging from simple to advanced, including an "everyday" yeast bread and a s'more tart topped with homemade marshmallows. Small breaks each recipe down into manageable tasks and points out ways to work with uncooperative ingredients, such as an insufficiently chilled pie crust. Pastry can be intimidating to novice cooks, but Small is a reassuring, low-key teacher whose recipes lend themselves to variation and improvisation (raspberry scones can easily be made with blueberries, for example), and most require only a stand mixer or food processor, range top, and oven. Anyone who can turn out a "salted caramel cheesecake with shortbread crust and chocolate ganache topping" can fairly be called fluent in the art of baking; thanks to Chef Small, viewers can join that select group. Also featuring printed recipes, this straightforward and informative program is highly recommended. Aud: P. (H. Seggel) 3.5 of 4 star rating REVIEW: Booklist Dare to Cook: Pastry Baking Basics with Chef Tom Small. In this sampled title in the Dare to Cook series, chef Tom Small whips up a dozen tasty treats. While forming a batch of buttermilk biscuits, Small discusses the merits of butter versus lard, and when making a salted caramel cheesecake, he demonstrates the water-bath technique. Everyday bread becomes a lesson in kneading, and preparation of rugelach is accompanied by food processor instructions. Not everything goes smoothly in the preparation of banana cake, homemade marshmallows, raspberry scones and blackberry cobbler until Small adds extra flour, kneads, and performs other culinary tricks to save the day. He talks about ingredients (comparing salted to unsalted butter and baking powder to baking soda) and the chemistry of baking as he deftly puts together the dishes. Captioned recipes, a variety of camera angles, and the chef's unhurried, step-by-step directions make this a great choice for both novice and seasoned bakers. - Candace Smith. This title has been recommended for young adult readers. YA/General Interest: Give this to teen bakers who want to try their hand at homemade goodies! - Candace Smith