On 5/6/06, LDR > wrote:

> Why in a group of amateur bakers--amateur meaning, to love--is there
> such disdain for authors like Ms. Biranbaum. I just don't understand it;
> when you bump into one of her books does someone hold a gun to your head
> making you read it?



It seems you are saying that while you are entitled to your opinion, and we
are entitled to your opinion, we are not entitled to our own opinions and
that you won't pay attention to them. I think the reasons were very clearly
expressed. At the risk of boring others, I'll repeat them.

I can't speak for others, but I read a lot. When I see a new book that
looks interesting, I buy it. So, no one held a gun to my head, but I did
buy Rose's books.

And, if someone asks, or states, opinions in the newsgroup, they can expect
to have responses expressed. The basis of newsgroups is the exchange of
information. And you are free to agree or disagree.

You ask why do professionals have disdain for Rose's books?

Several writers here have been pretty plainspoken about the matter. She
makes things more complicated than they need to be to achieve results that
can be much more easily obtained. Further, her complicated processes do not
lead to a greater understanding of what she is explaining.

Is that clear enough for you?

Do professionals set a the gold standard? Some do, some don't. Many times
hobbyists produce better products than professionals. The basic reason is
that the professional has to make money on the product in order to stay in
business. When I was a hobbyist, I was amazed at how much better my olive
bread was than that of a local bakery. Until I priced the olives. I paid
more for the olives in my bread than the local baker charged for a loaf of
bread. He had to cut his costs to make money. Instead of Kalamata olives,
he used California black olives. When I started a bakery, I used a blend of
kalamata and California black olives.

A hobbyist can take all day to make a cake, and that's OK. If a
professional baker does that, he'll be out of business in a big hurry. So,
the professional has to learn how to do things more quickly.

That said, there remain levels of professional bakers. Professional only
means you're getting paid to do something. I've seen professionals at
grocery stores and cheap bakeries produce things that aren't as good as what
can be made with a mix. And I've seen good professionals turn out works of
art that taste great on a production basis. Pierre's in Phoenix (or is it
Scottsdale? And is Pierre's still in business?) is an example of the high
end.

At the end of the bake day, most home bakers can learn from professionals,
though they need to be careful which professionals they learn from. But the
point remains, a good professional can do a better job of making a cake with
far less effort than someone using Rose's book. And a good professional
would see using her book and procedures as a step backwards. The good
professionals working for me saw it that way. I felt that way about her
bread book.

If you like her books, great! You're in good company.

If you don't like her books, that's OK too, and you are far from alone.

Mike