Cookbook review: Dessert Cuisine

Chef Oriol Balaguer's Dessert Cuisine is a really great book.  If you've ever felt intimidated by the thought of attempting really high end pastry work, this book should help you get past that.  The dishes are intricate and beautiful, yet chef Balaguer breaks everything down into manageable elements.  I remember being surprised at how many recipes can be broken down to 3 or 4 ingredients, but if you looked at the photo first, you'd think there's no way you could tackle it.  It also makes it easy to pick and choose favorite elements from assorted dishes and create something of your own - take this sponge, top it off with that poached fruit, surround it with another dish's soup and pick one of a myriad of garnishes and your guests will be stunned.  Each element simple enough on its own, but with a bit of effort in the assembly, a winner in the finish.  I like this book so much that when we were in Spain last summer, I made it a personal mission to go to one of chef Balaguer's pastry shops - a tall task in August (vacation season), I went to the Madrid shop (closed), and all three Barcelona shops before I found the one that was holding down the fort  (then had to come back because of siesta) - but it was worth the effort.  This book is worth the effort too - CHECK IT OUT HERE.