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| Once Upon a Tart . . .: Soups, Salads, Muffins, and More | 
 enlarge | Authors: Frank Mentesana, Jerome Audureau, Carolynn Carreno
Publisher: Knopf
Category: Book
List Price: $22.50
Buy New: $13.84
You Save: $8.66 (38%)
New (28) Used (8) from $13.15
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 214540
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 7.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0375709738
Dewey Decimal Number: 641
EAN: 9780375709739
ASIN: 0375709738
Publication Date: May 2, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 29 | | NEXT » |
 None of the recipes have worked for me so far (and I'm a good baker, I promise!) September 24, 2008
I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I have to be honest when I preface my criticism with the admission that baking is something I tend to do reasonably well. I have tried 3 recipes from this book so far and none of them are what I would consider "keepers". The orange chocolate-chip scones were enjoyed by scone-amateurs, but they were more like large chocolate chip cookies than scones in my opinion. And the recipe was unnecessarily complicated! Scones don't take that much work (nor should they be baked for that long)! (Incidentally, if you want to try a great scone recipe, try "Grandma Johnson's Scones" from allrecipes.com).
I made the curry chicken wraps today and could barely choke it down! So disappointing after all that time, energy, and money spent! There was another recipe I tried that turned out "blah" as well, but the name of the dish escapes me right now (it's been some time).
This cookbook is well-written and the sidebars, quotes, and tips are very entertaining and helpful. I love the photographs as well. The two co-owners of "Once Upon A Tart" seem like really nice guys. I'm saying this to prove to the cookbook-lovers out there that I am not mean-spirited; I'm just being honest (according to my own experience).
Ironically, I haven't tried making any tarts yet (though I bought all the equipment they recommend). I'll find out if I'm keeping this book once I have given tarts the old college try. Here's hoping! (My husband suggests that I stick with internet recipes where I can read the reviews and then tweak the recipes accordingly...maybe...it's definitely a safer --- and cheaper --- route to take!)
 Recipes need tweaking. August 10, 2008
I just purchased this book and tried three recipes today. The Banana Poppyseed muffins were just okay. The Zucchini Curry Tart was delicious but the recipe, as written, calls for too much zucchini to fit in a mere 9 inch tart and too little custard (2 eggs and 1/4 cup light cream hardly filled half of the tart). I also tried the Roasted Potato Tart with Gruyere and Mushrooms. Again, it was delicious, but the recipe called for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound of mushrooms which, even after they were sauteed, were much too numerous to fit on top of the tart as directed. Oddly, for the same size tart and vegetables that take up the same capacity in the shell, this recipe called for 4 eggs and 1/2 cup of light cream.
I suspect that the authors, owners of a SoHo bake shop, are used to making their goods on a much larger scale. They may have simply pared down the recipes for the book without actually testing the accuracy of the measurements.
My comments are not meant to discourage anyone from buying the book. The book itself is very attractive and well-organized and would make a welcome addition on anyone's cookbook shelf. I simply offer caution to those who wish to follow the recipes exactly as written.
As a footnote, the banana muffins did improve with age. The banana flavor was more pronounced the day after baking as opposed to right out of the oven.
 Great cookbook! August 3, 2008
I have lots of cookbooks, but this is one I use over and over - for scones, muffins, and cookies as well as savory tarts and main dishes. I've given many copies of this book as gifts. The molasses cookies are fabulous!
A Show Stopper December 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is actually the second time I have purchased this! I loaned it out (my biggest mistake) and it never came back, so I had to replace it. Definitely a "go to" book for many occasions and cravings. Every salad, cookie, and scone that I have made from this book over the years has gotten rave reviews. At our annual school fair I make the cranberry scones because they are requested and sell out immediately. There are also wonderful tips (e.g., what to do if you don't have buttermilk in the house but feel the need for a scone) and interesting little stories. This is one of my favorite cookbooks, and I look forward to visiting the real bakery in NYC soon. A purchase to savor!
A wonderful cookbook. November 20, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I purchaSED this book one for myself and one for my daughter-in-law. Liked it so well, I bought a third one for my son who is headed to culinary school.
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