Wild Sweets: Exotic Dessert and Wine Pairings

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

“All it takes is some imagination,” write co-authors Dominique and
Cindy Duby, two world-class Canadian chocolatiers/pвtissiers. They
obviously have lots of imagination—over the years they have reaped
numerous awards for their exquisite and unusual pastry creations, and
they have represented Canada at the World Pastry Cup.

By “wild sweets,” the Dubys mean two things. First, they encourage
cooks to use wild ingredients whenever possible because they tend to
freeze better and have more taste. Second, they encourage their readers
to step off the traditional culinary path and try new flavour
combinations. The result is a collection of intriguing recipes that
definitely explore new ground. In this book you will find such recipes
as Pan-Fried Bread Pudding with Orange-Braised Chicon and Chicory Ice
Cream, Warm Chocolate Blinis with Yellow Pepper and Mango Compote, Lemon
Crépaze with Red Lentil Confit and Crispy Apple Pasta, Red Curry Squash
Flan with Gnocchi and Coconut Curry Foam, and Grilled Pear Steak with
Polenta Frites and Orange-Tarragon Sauce. The Dubys also include short
chapters on “The Art of Presentation,” “Churning Overrun”
(ice-cream making), “Icewines,” “Wine Pairing,”
“Gelatinization,” “Foaming,” “Grains and Seeds,”
“Caramelization,” “Creaming,” and “Tempering.”

The prose is elegant and easy to understand. Scores of superb photos
accompany the text, and there is a full index for quick reference. This
is a book for intermediate to advanced cooks who have already mastered
the standard mousse, custard, or tart crust. If you already have those
basic skills and are yearning for new horizons, Wild Sweets will take
you up the next rung or two on the culinary ladder.