Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery

This is a delightful book that operates on a number of levels. First the exquisite photographs capture the beauty of the mundane doings of the Rose Bakery. From the simplicity of a zested lemon to the ruddy faces of the apple suppliers to the delivery truck to the ooh so chic clientèle, the pictures transport the reader to this Paris cafe.Then there is the author's story, a tale of a woman who loves food and people. With no formal training and a belief in natural, fresh and unpretentious dishes, Rose Carranini built the wildly successful business. Her sense of purpose and commitment to quality and sustainability is impressive and her affection for her patrons is palpable.Finally, the recipes themselves are superb. Basically, there are two types of people: those who follow recipes to a tee and those who view recipes as a guide or starting point for their own creativity. The author advocates the flexible approach. She encourages the cooks to use their favorite ingredients and substitutions, cautioning that it is the method as opposed to the ingredients that is crucial to the ultimate success of the recipe. She correctly points out that cookie cutter results are impossible when using natural ingredients...the juiciness of a piece of fruit, the humidity,the weather, the rainfall or lack thereof, the temperature of the room all impact the final result. The amateur cook should not be deterred. While some of the recipes are a bit labor intensive, they all are fairly easy. Additionally there are plenty for vegans and vegetarians.The author embodies the joy of cooking. Food should be fun not fake. Her secrets are all revealed...always buy fresh, seasonal and local; use organic and sustainable when possible and remember the most important ingredient is love.

Really, it's 4.5 stars.You have your cozy English pastries like scones and quickbreads; you have French lunch staples like savory tarts and soup and salad; you have a few Italian-influenced recipes like ricotta cheesecake and personal pizzettes -- logical, as the bakery is based in Paris and the owners are British and Italian.But that's not all: you also get recipes for a variety of cookies and effortless celebration desserts (no layer cakes though), as well as some creative modern and global ingredients for a twist on traditional favorites (red beans bars, broccoli loaf, breakfast quinoa).The pictures from the bakery and its suppliers (friendly farmers and -- my personal favorite -- a solipsistic baker) really capture the vibe of the place, which is trendy yet understated, with a sophisticated multicultural clientele and barebones decor. Thankfully, the personal stories that are so "in" right now in the cookbook world are told briefly in the beginning and mostly photographically later. We dive into the recipes without having to hear every childhood memory the author has associated with the fare.My only gripe: I wish the collection was more complete, so that it could be my only resource for brunch basics, my favorite meal to host. So I wish there were more varieties of eggs. But for that I might have to get the author's other book, How to Boil an Egg.

I purchased the book as research for a farmer's market booth I run selling individual desserts and baked goods. I had heard good things about the book but was not really prepared for the awesome 'take' the book has on their preparations and display and general commentary. Wow! great ideas for me and a terrific show-me type book for anyone who wants to elevate their usual standard breakfast, lunch and tea fair with simple but elegant ideas and recipes.First the recipes are laid out with both weight measures and (let's just call it American....) cup and tablespoon measures so it's simple to use and follow. The directions for each recipe are concisely written, questions anticipated and answered and some of the most mouth-watering recipes are accompanied by a gorgeous photo. Caveat here is this is a cafe in Paris/London/Tokyo that is quite successful due to its style and food; it's not mid-west America, bacon and eggs, chips and beer, backyard bbq or church social food. It's European food, European style, small plates that you savor, no plate decorations, no wow factors to detract from honest simple elegant food. Just one read through of their lunch tarts should dispel any ideas you formed that these are tired and sad little renditions of quiche! Furthermore their idea of a salad or actually the salad display they put out each day for lunch is creative and imaginative and everything I want to dig into for lunch. Yum! No little over-worked spring mix salads here, no micro-lettuce things or arugula stuffed anythings but simple presentations of market fruits and vegetables that are available in season. And every ingredient is something you are familiar with and have on hand or easily picked up at the market/store.Breakfast, lunch and tea are three daily times that food makes all the difference in the world. It should be straight forward, no frills, delicious, easy to put together, enough to satisfy hunger and sweet tooth. I think these recipes do this perfectly. The baked goods are good solid examples of simple ingredients coming together with great impact and flavor. The tea breads, cakes and tarts are all something I would slow down my afternoon to enjoy. I'm especially hooked on the cheesecake!! This will certainly figure prominently in my next farmer's market offerings.I took away many things from this book: their food preparation, their display style, their recipe simplicity, their focus on natural ingredients and the fact that they have paired down the over-use of some ingredients like sugar. My interests are different from yours or everyone else's but I really think that there is a lot in this book to capture your interest and imagination and creativity should you want simple and elegant recipes for those meals that we need but don't place too much emphasis or time on. It's worth the price just for the granola and tart recipes alone.....oh! and the cheesecake!

I love everything thing about this book; the design and color of the book, the photos, layout, the love and then there is the food beautiful, read it cover to cover. I love this style of food - rustic, seasonal, right balance of savory and sweet just good wholesome food. Made the Braised Artichoke, lemon and lamb chops, really delicious and easy.I love to cook and typically never bake but this book has inspired me to bake Rose makes it so easy and simple.I think this book is great for the seasoned cook and for the beginner or for inspiration. This would make a great holiday gift.

I use these recipes all the time and each one has exceeded my expectations wildly.

me gusta su encuadernacion, su fotografia, sus recetas. lo recomiendo a todo aquello que le guste el buen vivir. me hubiera gustado que se edite en español y el precio es bueno

Ricette classiche e "sicure", ma niente di particolarmente interessante. Stile antiquato nelle foto che a me personalmente non fa impazzire. Troppo caro per quello che offre anche se le ricette sono ben curate e di sicura riuscita.

パリ本店の味が忘れられず購入しました。今のところもっぱらスイーツばかり、スコーン、キャロットケーキ、バナナケーキ、チョコレートムースを作りました。どれもシンプルで作りやすく、味も文句なしです。装丁も美しく、たまに本棚から引っ張り出しては眺めています。

La présentation des produits choisis est très bien faite, et on y retrouve toutes les recettes de salés/sucrés, dont celui du Carrot Cake. Je regrette juste le manque de photos pour détailler les étapes de chaque recette car certaines ne sont pas évidentes, bien que les indications soient données.