Obsession

Balaguer’s first solo book in fifteen years shows that the pastry chef who came to the fore at El Bulli in the late 1990s is still restlessly reinventing things.

There is a more mature confidence on display in this book than in his original Dessert Cuisine; Obsession relies less on technical innovation and more on flavor surprises and visual delights in its range of plated desserts, cakes, confections, and viennoiserie.

New York-style cheesecake is reassembled with a tender raspberry pâte de fruits and a vinegar reduction; a chocolate, apricot, mandarin, and marshmallow cake makes playful reference to the sculptures of Richard Serra; and a puff-pastry brioche spiral would easily be the most dramatic item on any breakfast plate. Brilliant.

In English and Spanish. Cloth. Color photographs throughout.