Gateaux

The stunning Gateaux: Sweets presents 51 “light, harmonious, balanced, and elegant” recipes by Mori Yoshida, award-winning Japanese pastry chef. Caroline Faccioli’s tantalizing photographs complement detailed instructions that transform French confections with distinctive touches–like a black sesame Paris-Brest requested by the Japanese embassy when they wanted a dessert that would showcase a Japanese ingredient. Yoshida admits his procedures require “skill and experience.” Though not for the faint of hearth, bakers with patience and desire may find “a path of delight.”

Gateaux is organized around six parts of the day, starting with morning. Begin with a “fastidious” short crust, custard-filled Parisian flan. Perhaps then a classic croissant with delicate proofing and water bath control. By 11a.m., apricot or nectarine tartlets may follow. Noon delights include an extravagant hazelnut millefeuille and the evening sublime showstopper is the cover’s elegant Mont Blanc in which “form follows flavor.”

Measurements are metric; step-by-step IKEA-like illustrations are handy. Despite what might seem like daunting exercises there is a certain casualness to Yoshida’s stringent directions. Gateaux is an exquisite gift to be welcomed, savored, and cherished. – Robert Allen Papinchak * Shelf Awareness *
“Award-winning chef Yoshida, who owns celebrated boutique bakeries in Japan and in Paris, does not sugarcoat what cooks can expect with his debut cookbook. These works of pastry are demanding and are for skilled and experienced bakers. Recipes in the book are arranged in chapters by time of day (morning, 4 PM, evening) and cover the patisserie gamut, from croissants and madeleines to a Saint-Tropez tart and hazelnut financiers. The influence of Yoshida’s own culinary heritage shines through in recipes such as Japanese strawberry cream cake and black sesame Paris-Brest. Home bakers may gravitate towards some of the slightly less intimidating bakes, including Breteuil sables and classic brownies. But Yoshida’s attention to detail extends even to the most basic treats, as exemplified by his recipe for lemon cake, which instructs bakers to pipe the finished batter into pans instead of simply spooning it in. Museum-worthy photographs of some of the finished creations enhance this magnificently packaged celebration of the sweet culinary artwork of Yoshida, who brings Japanese finesse and flavors to the marvelous world of French pastry.” – John Charles * Library Journal, STARRED Review *
“Pastry chef Yoshida presents a refined recipe collection inspired by French patisserie… While croissants, chocolate eclairs, Mont Blanc, and other French classics make an appearance, many recipes take inspiration from other parts of the world: the black sesame seed Paris–Brest, for instance, pays homage to Yoshida’s native Japan, and “Sicilia,” a pistachio Joconde sponge with Morello cherry compote, is inspired by Italian pastry. Yoshida admits these desserts “require skill and experience” and even seasoned home bakers will encounter unfamiliar techniques and equipment. Thankfully, Yoshida provides helpful, step-by-step illustrations for assembling fig macarons, piping the lemon tart, and laminating inverse puff pastry… Veteran bakers will be rewarded.” * Publishers Weekly *

Morihide Yoshida is a celebrated Japanese pastry chef and a graduate of Nippon Kashi Senmon Gakko. After establishing his first boutique, Pâtisserie Naturelle Nature & Co, in Shizuoka, Japan in 2005, he opened Mori Yoshida in Paris in 2013. Yoshida, who won the TV show “Meilleur Pâtissier: Les Professionnels” in 2018, draws inspiration from the artistic diversity of Paris and the rich ingredients of French cuisine, aiming to create the most delightful pastries.

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