My baking bible

I imagine that every cook/baker/foodie has a book they go to again and again for recipe ideas, inspiration and advice. Mine is undoubtedly In the Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Guide to the Baker's Pantry by Toronto food writer and former chef Regan Daley.

What makes this book so special is that it is essentially a reference book, but one that is not only endlessly helpful, but really, really fun to read. (For mad bakers, anyway!) In the Sweet Kitchen didn't win IACP Cookbook of the Year 2001 for nothing.

In this interview with Powells, Daley says she considers herself a writer first and foremost - and she really does write about everything from basic baking tools to judging the freshness of an egg with a writer's touch. I mean, who knew a discussion about the role of fat in baked goods could be so absorbing?

About two thirds of the 600+ page book is given over to reference - the chemistry of baking, ingredients, tools of the trade, techniques. And it's all written with the beginner in mind, but to appeal to the expert as well. But for me it's the amazing charts which are the highlight. There are pages and pages of charts for cake troubleshooting, flavour pairing and - my favourite - ingredient substitution! (Especially good for the times you get halfway through a recipe and discover you left the grocery store minus an ingredient - happens a lot in my kitchen!)

Daley is the reason I knew I'd have no problem substituting sour cream for buttermilk in my oatmeal muffins the other day. She has taught me that both those ingredients will produce the same chemical reaction in my baking, and the ingredient chart backed it up! Alternatively, I could have used a bit of vinegar or cream of tartar and some milk... or some yogurt... or even some soy milk with lemon juice if I were truly desperate...

Although this is primarily a reference work, the recipes are not to be overlooked. Although they tend toward the elegant, my favourite is the super quick, down and dirty, one-pan chocolate cake (because, contrary to the image I am trying to cultivate through this blog, I am a lazy baker of unsophisticated tastes.)

See how often I make this?