The Art of the Chocolatier: From Classic Confections to Sensational Showpieces Hardcover – 14 Jan. 2011

First and foremost, I had never taken much notice of Ewald Notter before I purchased Confectioner then I was hooked like a Bee is to Honey.This book is absolute gorgeous. The cover is elegant and simple. This is perfect for any coffee table. The page quality is amazing and the photography is topnotch.It is obvious that the publishers skimped on nothing when it came down to producing.The book is divided into the following chapters:A. Information regarding the basics of chocolate and ingredients used in the process of chocolate making.B. Essential Equipment needed to start your chocolate making journey.C. Basic techniquesD. Recipes and instructions for producing your own pieces, from simple ganache to chocolate flowers and assembling three-dimensional figures.The Publication is fairly easy to follow. If you happen to jump straight in, you may run into terms that the average reader wouldn't be aware of.The information in the beginning of the book starts from scratch. There are airbrushing techniques, and decorating techniques that are scary for the average house wife to say the least.But the layout of the instructions is so easy to follow. Plus there are numerous photos for almost every recipe that help anyone make these.And last but not least, lets be sure to give credit where credit is due:Joe Brooks and Luc Schaeffer have done fantastic job with the photography in this book.You won't go one single page without another gorgeous photo.It probably helps that Notter's creations are so visually appealing to start with.Notters books are very sufficient as a good chocolate library for the advanced chef and also the adventurous House WifeI found the Recchiutti "Chocolate Obsession" and Pierre Herme books to be far less useful.Enjoy!

Absolutely top notch for any aspiring chocolatier. It goes very well into fine details and nuisances when it comes to chocolate work, that other books don't capture. The illustration is superb and the book is well written. Extensive information on chocolate decoration process, and great moulded praline recipes that might be worth the price tag alone.

I am a self-taught cook and bake pretty sophisticated birthday cakes, using various techniques, but would like to learn modelling with chocolate. The book has really detailed explanations and the photos are very nice. After reading a few paragraphs, I think that the price is justified.

The book arrived promptly. It was exactly as described. I am very happy with it and would purchase from the buyer again. The book describes in detail much of the basic information required for making chocolate and chocolate products. On the down side it also instructs on how to create some elaborate decorative chocolate pieces of which you are probably never going to create yet alone have the equipment to do so.

I bought this for my daughter for Christmas and I know it is quite expensive but it was worth it.It is a quality book with lots of detailed instructions etc - and she says even if she never uses the recipes, she adores flicking through the book - it's gorgeous.Pricey but worth it for a longterm purchase.

Great ideas for chocolate confectionery. A little advanced for a beginner chocolatier, but it does give a good step by step guide.

I am new to chocolate. Not new to tasting, new to creating.I wanted a book so I can read everything about creating pralines, designs, molds etc. A book about the technics, recipes and explaining the why. So I can learn, I can understand.That book gave me all that. Its complete. The best part is that it a value for money. It worth every cent.

One of the best cookery books I've ever bought.