Description

By (author) Michelle Polzine

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One of San Francisco’s most talented pastry chefs, and owner of the popular 20th Century Cafe, shares 75 recipes and her secrets for modern spins on the decadent baked goods of Middle Europe—tortes, Kipferl, linzer cookies, strudel, babka, and more—in her debut cookbook.

Transporting readers straight to the grand cafes of Europe, Baking at the 20th Century Cafe brings renewed attention to the legendary sweet and savory baking recipes of Central and Eastern Europe. Polzine, one of San Francisco”s best pastry chefs, pays homage to the foundational desserts of so many cultures, while lightening and modernizing the recipes through her California lens. Her fruit desserts, nut-based desserts, and chocolate treats–many of them gluten-free–are smart, interesting, and foolproof, and deliver big flavor. Polzine”s coveted honey cake recipe is included, too, along with recipes for plum kuchen, walnut hamantaschen, Sacher torte, linzer torte, poppy-filled rugelach, vanilla cheesecake–even pierogi and potato knishes, all full of twists and innovations. All the recipes are written with Polzine”s quirky, relatable “you can do this” enthusiasm to assure readers that they can achieve excellent results. Following in the footsteps of such esteemed bakers as Nancy Silverton and Dorie Greenspan, with Baking at the 20th Century Cafe, Polzine offers a new entry into the essential baking cookbook canon.

Biographical note
Michelle Polzine is the chef/owner of 20th Century Cafe, and one of San Francisco”s best pastry chefs. She began cooking in North Carolina in 1992 and got her big break in 1995 at Chapel Hill”s Pyewacket restaurant. Polzine made the restaurant”s famous dinner rolls, and a pastry career was born. She has since worked at some of San Francisco”s best restaurants, from Delfina and Chez Panisse to the Range. She has been covered in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and the New York Times, among other publications, and has been nominated as Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and cats. Follow her on Instagram @20thcenturycafesf.