I’m new to this giveaway thing. I think it’s going well, but my style of announcing giveaways has been all over the place.
With my first two giveaways, I reviewed the books. Then I ran into a snag. I knew the author of the third book, so I just interviewed Deborah Madison instead of reviewing her cookbook, because I knew I couldn’t be objective about a friend I met more than 10 years ago.
Now we come to David Lebovitz, another friend I adore, and I have a fourth way to handle this giveaway. I’m going to talk about his video, and a little about the book, and a little about David, one of the nicest, most talented, smartest, funniest and most generous food writers I’ve ever met. (See, I told you I couldn’t be objective.)
One of the dilemmas facing someone with a blog as huge as David’s is that it’s a challenge for his publisher to reach as many potential buyers for Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes. After all, his blog has more annual readers than at least two of the top national food magazines. So Ten Speed Press agreed to do a video with a James Beard award-winning documentary filmmaker David had met earlier in France.
“I wanted to do something snappy that wasn’t just me talking to the camera, or cooking,” explained David. “I wanted to show Paris, too, since that’s part of my life and my story. Mark from Flow Films shot the whole thing in HD on his Canon DSLR and we kind of went and just did it. I put a notice on Twitter that anyone who wanted to come taste cookies should show up! Then we also went into some shops, like the chocolate shop of Jacques Genin and a motorcycle shop to get the opinions.”
Author David Lebovitz
Apparently publishers are doing more of these promo videos. Says Aaron Wehner, publisher of Ten Speed Press, “We are doing videos for most of our lead cooking titles in Fall. The cost can range from $1,000 to $5,000 for something professionally done, depending on length, number of locations etc. We’ve been doing book trailers for a few years (see Alinea and Peter Reinhardt, among others) but David’s came off particularly well.” I agree. Like David, the video is warm, fun, and funny.
Now, on to the book itself. It’s a big, hardcover, classy looking cookbook, full of dramatic photography and doable recipes. I made the huge Apple-Pear Crisp with Grappa-Soaked Raisins and Polenta Topping. It served 6 at dinner easily and made spectacular leftovers, even when cold. I also made Cranzacs, David’s riff on Anzac cookies, a chewy, coconutty oatmeal cookie that my husband assured me will be gone before I get back from IACP’s annual conference this coming Saturday night. I’m hoping to make more recipes before I have to give this book away, including his famous Fresh Ginger Cake.
And speaking of giveaways, if you’d like this book, please write a comment below on your favorite dessert. I’ll chose a winner by midnight April 26. Contest rules: You must live in the US (Sorry, fellow Canadians). One entry per person. If the winner does not respond within a week, I will choose someone else.
Update: Winner is Elizabeth Greene. Congratulations!
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buttery brioche with cinnamon and raisins
I will have to say, hot apple pie with a dollop of ice cream.
hard question…i’m going with apple pie. double crust flaky pastry with fresh apples and cinnamon= a whole lotta yumm!
I absolutely loved the Perfect Scoop. The chocolate ice cream was to die for, and I was able to adapt the vanilla to make my favorite ice cream flavor in the whole world…Hokey Pokey. Yummm….
My favorite desserts are seasonal fruit/berry crisps with milk or vanilla ice cream.
I’m a big fan of cobblers and crisps!
Chocolate chip cookies or chocolate peanut butter ice cream…ps David is a god (not God but more like a minor luminous figure.)
It’s kind of like two questions. My favorite changes with the wind, or the moon, or something astrological depending on too many factors, but if I were asked if it was to be my last day on earth and I could have just one dessert, what would it be? My answer is clear; a warm, dense, homemade brownie with mint chocolate chunk ice cream, topped with hot fudge, the kind that sort of coagulates a bit when it hits the ice cream, whipped cream and nuts. Hold the yuckky maraschino cherry please.
hi – dark chocolate cake. yum.
Cheesecake.
I’m not much on sweet things. I really don’t care for the taste of any form of sugar, so desserts are not that high on my list. However, I do have a wonderful memory of the one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten…
Tony’s Restaurant in St. Louis was the place to eat about 10 years ago. My then husband and I dressed up in our finery and headed to Tony’s. It was our anniversary, so we splurged with the Romantic Dinner for Two, complete with wines by the course, and dessert.
I was also a vegetarian, but managed quite nicely to work around the prix fixe menu which included a beef entree. Our waiter, being aware of my herbivore status, was a little distraught at the accomodation I was making. When he discovered I didn’t eat sugar, however, he was really concerned and went straight to the top: Tony himself appeared table side!
He graciously introduced himself, asking after our meals, commenting on our attire. Looking to my husband, he said, “And have we decided on a dessert choice?” My husband looked to me, and Tony continued: “I understand you do not eat sugar. I respect that, and yet, I feel it would be sad for you to miss our dessert experience. Would you allow me to create something just for you?” His eyes twinkled in the low lights. I lowered my own and said a soft, “Why, thank you!”, secretly pleased to the core.
A short time later, Tony came sailing to our table, with a white cloth draped over his arm, bearing a silver dessert cup on a small plate. I smiled with delight when he set it in front of me, for it contained a generous serving of unsweetened creme fraiche – just whipped up for me, I was assured – with a touch of vanilla bean extract. Crowning this beautiful achievement was an assortment of piquant wild blueberries and sweet yet slighty tart strawberries, with a gorgeous cluster of tiny, flavorful champagne grapes lying enticingly to the side. Absolute nirvana – and perfect!
As I sighed and yummed over each delicious, sensual bite, my husband, with his something-or-other creme brulee, kept glancing longing at the bowl. Finally I relinquished a taste to him. It was my anniversary gift in that moment! He closed his eyes, savoring the blend of melting creme fraiche with the cool crispness of the berries and grapes. He then looked at me and said, “You’re right. This is the perfect dessert!” To date, I haven’t dared tried to recreate it. You cannot mess with perfection, even if it is but a memory.
My mother’s cherry pie!
Sour cherry pie! So hard to get unless you have your own tree.
Definitely brownies — so good right out of the oven, a few days later (if they last!) or as the basis for a sundae!
Key Lime Pie! Not the kind with gelatin. Gross! Real key lime pie! No artificial colors and no thickeners.
As long as there’s cream and eggs I know I will like it … frozen or cooked … homemade ice cream, creme brulee, pudding, custard, tapioca, pot au creme, panna cotta …
My great grandma’s peach cobbler. Yum!
Chocolate flecked angelfood cake with raspberries!
Hmm.. favorite dessert….. make that favorite dessert(s)!!!
My Grandmother’s Florence Cake – thin, flaky pastry with a thin layer of raspberry preserves, sponge cake and a buttercream frosting!!
David Lebovitz’s Lemon Tart – Easy, beautiful and, needless to say, absolutely delicious !!
ohhh…too many to choose: paris brest, tarte tatin, pear-almond tart, buttery lemon pound cake, flourless chocolate cake, italian almond cake, really dense brownies, chocolate marble cheese pie, philadelphia butter cake, vanilla bean anything….and beautiful, fresh, crusty bread! these are just a few of the favorites that i make for us but especially whenever we have someone staying with us – a good excuse to splurge on calories!
Almost any tweaked classic, although ice cream is pretty big with me.
My favorite dessert hasn’t changed since I was a kid: a warm chocolate chip cookie with a glass of milk.
hot fudge pudding cake with vanilla ice cream, warm and gooey and chocolatey and ice cream to cleanse the palette for the next bite. YUM!
Warm rhubarb pie (with a little heavy cream drizzled on it). For that matter, anything with rhubarb. I find it charming that it’s a fr-egetable that reminds me of the pies my grandmother in the Midwest used to make (it was a favorite of hers too) and also is somehow so beloved by the French. (I was so thrilled to go to Paris for the first time to find… rhubarb yogurt.) The bite of the rhubarb, bolstered by a good buttery pie crust, and tempered and enriched by the cream…Oh, just the thought of rhubarb sends me into a state of near ecstasy.
My favorite dessert is ice cream, particularly any salted caramel ice cream, but any ice cream flavor works for me!
Warm rhubarb pie with a little heavy cream drizzled on it. (For that matter, anything with rhubarb.) I find it charming that it’s a fr-egetable that reminds me of the pies my grandmother in the Midwest used to make (it was a favorite of hers too) and also is somehow so beloved by the French. (I was so thrilled to go to Paris for the first time to find… rhubarb yogurt.) The bite of the rhubarb, bolstered by a good buttery pie crust, and tempered and enriched by the cream…Oh, just the thought of rhubarb sends me into a state of near ecstasy.
Well, I’m a Southern girl, so this won’t surprise you: PECAN PIE!
Moist chocolate gâteau with raspberry buttercream frosting between the layers and just enough dark chocolate ganache poured on top to barely drip down the sides. Très magnifique!
Ice cream! Maybe even David’s Chocolate Coconut Sorbet from The Perfect Scoop.
peach custard pie.
I love the blueberry and white chocolate tart. So good…
At the moment… carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting.
It is not fer, but you have not write anything about living in Macedonia, so my favorite desert is chocolate cake.
I will understand if you not choose me.
Any way thank you for asking.
loooove dessert so it’s so hard to pick a favorite…but I’ll never turn away from a chocolate chip cookie.
All notions of health and idealism aside, nothing beats a seven-layer, decadent, slightly fudgy-but-not-too-dense chocolate cake still cold from the refrigerator or only slightly thawed from the freezer – you know, the kind of cake you approach thinking there’s no way you could possible eat the entire slice of, and then you somehow -remarkably and heroically – find a way.
Cheesecake!
My grandmothers Three Layer Chocolate Cake with Seven Minute Frosting. She made this cake for my fathers birthdays and for the past 20 years I’ve been making this cake for him on his birthday and other occasions.
My husband’s tiramisu recipe is the best. Nice and light and creamy. A great way to finish off a lovely romantic dinner.
I love chocolate chip cookies!
When I was 17 I went to a French restaurant that had fried strawberries in vanilla sauce. I’ve never seen then since sadly. This the dessert I have dreams about and have never once come close to finding a recipe that works.
Creme Brule comes to mind but more then that the homemade Indian desserts my mother & grandmother made.
Chocolate cake with raspberry filling covered in chocolate ganache. Mmmmm…
Homemade cheesecake that has some sort of fine dark chocolate component . . . either in the crust, the filling, or the topping. Then again . . . maybe a really good, fresh fruit shortcake with whipped cream . . .
My answer to the “favorite dessert” question will vary depending on the day. Lately I’ve been craving zabaglione with fresh berries… guess I’m eager for summer’s bounty to begin.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Being from Mauritius, it is a napolitaine. Great with a nice cup of English tea. And you can’t find it anywhere else.
My favorite one-time dessert is the apple pie that I had from the little kiosk at the ferry back from the Isle of Skye. I was cold and wet and the pie was warm and perfect with slightly melty ice cream (I don’t know how – it was THAT cold at the time). Eaten out of a styrofoam container with a spork, nothing has ever come close to topping it.
My favorite dessert in general is anything, and I mean anything!, with dulce de leche. Seriously, anything.
at the moment, carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting!
peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream
Hands down, it’s carrot cake.
Shortbread! It melts…
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