Gateau: the Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes by Aleksandra Crapanzano

Join us for an afternoon of one of our signature baking events. Byrd's Books hosts author Aleksandra Crapanzano for an afternoon of book discussion, signing and tasting baked goods- made by you!!! Registration is required due to space.

Here is how we run the event:

1) You purchase the book from us (released Sept. 27)

2) You bake from the book and bring it to the event- you will then be given a $10 gift certificate to spend in the store. A small plate will be put out to sample small pieces of your baked goodie by the author and those in attendance.

3) The author not only discusses her book and signs them for you, but gets to taste her recipes made by us! You will have the chance to ask questions on technique, etc.

4) At the end, you will be offered the chance to buy a box for $10 (a donation to DAWS, Bethel's no-kill animal shelter) so we can swap our baked goods to bring home.  Cakes will be sliced and cookies or small pieces will be bagged-up. Priority for the baked goods swap will be given to those who baked.

About the book: 

When we think of French desserts, we tend to imagine ornate creations and confections. Perhaps we envision a tarte Tatin, but rarely a homemade cake, whipped up on a weeknight with little fuss. But that is exactly what Parisians make and eat. Gâteaux are simple, delicious cakes, both sweet and savory, served to family and friends.

You might expect elaborate home baking to rival the extraordinary patisseries in town. Who hasn’t wondered if the French are born knowing how to make the exquisitely fine layers of puff pastry for a mille-feuille, or how to poach a soft meringue for an ile flottante? As food-columnist Aleksandra Crapanzano spent time with Parisian friends who were cooking at home, navigating children and careers and gathering friends around their table at night, often impromptu, always delicious, she realized that the real magic is a certain savoir-faire, that distinctly French know-how that blends style and functionality in every aspect of life. More......
 

About the author:

Aleksandra Crapanzano is a James Beard–winning writer and dessert columnist for The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of The London Cookbook and Eat. Cook. LA., and her work has been widely anthologized, most notably in Best American Food Writing. She has been a frequent contributor to Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Food52, Saveur, Town & Country, Elle, The Daily Beast, Departures, Travel + Leisure, and The New York Times Magazine.  She has years of experience in the film world, consults in the food space, and serves on several boards with a focus on sustainability.  Aleksandra grew up in New York and Paris, received her BA from Harvard and her MFA from NYU, where she has also taught writing. She is married to the writer John Burnham Schwartz, and they live in New York with their son, Garrick, and Bouvier des Flandres, Griffin.