Perfect for summer is David Lebovitz's new cookbook "The Perfect Scoop: Ice creams, sorbets, granitas and sweet accompaniments" (Ten Speed, $24.95).
Lebovitz spent more than a decade as a pastry chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., where he soaked up the restaurant's preference for simple, elegant, fruit-centric desserts. His first two books, "Room For Dessert" and "Ripe For Dessert" (both Harper Collins,) continued in this vein, but in "The Perfect Scoop," Lebovitz is letting his freak flag wave a bit. It turns out he loves complex flavors and unexpected combinations, to wit: Guinness-milk-chocolate ice cream, oatmeal-raisin ice cream, toasted-almond-candied-cherry ice cream, goat-cheese ice cream, Roquefort-honey ice cream, roasted-banana ice cream, pear-pecorino ice cream and avocado ice cream. Of course all the classics are here too, including a couple each of chocolate and vanilla.
In all there are almost 80 ice-cream recipes, 60 for sorbets, sherbets and granitas, as well as dozens of sauces, toppings, mix-ins and vessels (e.g. cones, meringues, cookies). Lebovitz displays his pastry-chef chops with excellent explanations of the difference between French-style and Philadelphia-style ice cream (the difference is eggs), step-by-step instructions on making custard, and authoritative overviews of ingredients, equipment and techniques. Throughout he manages to convey his enthusiasm for all things ice cream.
North Shore
