Hailed as the "Pythagoras of pastry" by Food Arts magazine, the author introduces readers to the sweet, fluffy world of pastry with 400 recipes. The delectable treats turned out by Richard Leach--executive pastry chef of the Park Avenue Café and a James Beard Foundation Pastry Chef of the Year--are inspired, distinctive, and daring. In Sweet Seasons , he aims to bring his masterful recipes to home kitchens everywhere. Known for his striking presentations, Leach states in the book's introduction that he would never be able to make his phenomenal desserts without the help of his staff, yet here he claims to make it possible for home cooks to re-create these masterpieces in their own kitchens. Truth be told, one would be hard pressed to find many home cooks who have the time, the patience, or the chutzpah to attempt dishes like Leach's Citrus Panna Cotta with Warm Poppyseed Cake and Citrus Sorbet. The dish, in its entirety, includes: Poppyseed Cake, Lemon Curd, Citrus Panna Cotta, Sour Lemon Meringues, Citrus Sorbet, Honey Tuiles, Orange Sections, Grapefruit Sections, Citrus Sauce, Cotton Candy, and Sugar Garnish, all of which are prepared from scratch. The good news is that many of the desserts are quite lovely--not to mention impressive--with most of the garnishes left off. For instance, in the above example, the Citrus Panna Cotta--delicately flavored with chamomile tea and lemongrass--is lovely served with a simple garnish of fresh fruit and a drizzle of the warm citrus sauce. If you're in the mood for extra flourish, you could add either the Honey Tuiles or the Sour Lemon Meringues for a little crunch. A chapter on "Basic Recipes" offers sauces and syrups, cookies, and other garnishes that are delicious enough to turn any cake, pastry, or scoop of ice cream into a dessert worthy of serving to even the most honored guests. Mix and match these with Leach's sophisticated cakes, tarts, ice creams, and fritters, and you'll be sure to impress your guests. Boyd Hagen's lovely photographs are both inspiring and appetizing. If they move you to attempt Leach's presentations in full, more power to you. --Robin Donovan Today's star-studded acclaim for Richard Leach, Executive Pastry Chef of the Park Avenue Cafe, is every bit as rich as one of his storied parfaits, tarts, or cakes. Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar and Grill calls him a "phenomenal talent" whose delectable innovations singularly "inspired an entire generation of pastry chefs." Chocolatier magazine's Janice Wald Henderson still can't decide "which is more awesome-the flavor of Leach's desserts, or their presentation." And renowned food journalist Ruth Reichl has credited Leach with completely "reinventing the final course." Now Richard Leach brings his acclaimed talent to the bookshelf in this gorgeously photographed masterpiece of delicious, original desserts. True to the traditions of the finest restaurants, the recipes in Sweet Seasons use the freshest ingredients every season has to offer. These ingredients are the foundation of dazzling desserts that can be adapted to suit the needs, skills, and ambitions of all readers-from the home baker to the baking-school graduate to the seasoned pastry professional. Here are the prized trade secrets and methods behind 400 building-block recipes that can be combined to create 100 luscious desserts, all of which have graced the menus of such A-list eateries as Aureole, Lespinasse, and Symphony Cafe. Fall. Winter. Spring. Summer. Organized by season, this book is the first to encompass a full range of desserts using in-season ingredients as they reach their peak: deliciously ripe fruits, fresh nuts, fragrant spices, and more. Leach uses clear, step-by-step guidance to explain the essential techniques for making such delights as Warm Chocolate Cake with Spiced Poached Pears and Cr?me Caramel in Fall, Caramelized Banana and Milk Chocolate Custard with Frozen Banana Praline Mousse and Banana Fritters in Winter, Thin Strawberry Tart with Warm Shortbread and Vanilla Mascarpone in Spring, and Warm Peach Strudel with Sweet Corn Panna Cotta in Summer. Best of all, the recipes are broken down into components that allow readers to attempt as much or as little of each dessert preparation as they like. Throughout, Leach notes specific possibilities for shortcuts-whether by simplifying the final presentation or substituting ingredients-that let cooks "grow into" the recipes as their skills evolve. A separate "Basics" section brings together all of the elemental recipes crucial to putting the finishing touches on the desserts, including caramel sauce, sabayon sauce, sugar garnishes, chocolate sauce, honey tuile, and many more. An unprecedented and richly inspired fusion of restaurant-style sophistication and home-kitchen accessibility, Sweet Seasons is a mouthwatering celebration of nature's best ingredients that will inspire a lifetime of creative dessert making. "Richard Leach has translated his unmistakable style and