Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Ice Cream, cake, cookies, chocolate, nuts, fruit -- Charlie Trotter's Desserts is a must-have collection of the best dessert recipes from the iconic Chicago chef, suited for all tastes and occasions.

1999 James Beard Award Winner

Cooks, book buyers, and food lovers have come to expect the lavishly unexpected from master chef Charlie Trotter, and his fourth large-format, gorgeously photographed cookbook, Desserts , delivers the ultimate indulgence. Chapters focus on ingredients ranging from the delightfully familiar (berries, custards, and spices) to the unusual (vegetable- and grain-based desserts), including 100 show-stopping desserts, such as:

* Huckleberry Tuiles with White and Golden Peach Compote and Huckleberry Sherbet

* Cranberry and Walnut Tart with Cranberry Ice Cream, Cranberry Sauce, and Caramel-Lime Sauce

* Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cake with Coconut Froth and Sugar Cane Ice Cream

With over 125,000 copies of the first three books in print, Trotter's series has seduced amateur and professional cooks everywhere, and Desserts is the icing on a most enticing cake.

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Chapter One Soups & Sorbets Lemongrass-Infused Indian Red Peach "Consommé" with Peach Sherbet This peach soup takes on a haunting elegance with the addition of the lemongrass. The various berries and cherries strewn about the bowl not only add further delectable flavors but lend some truly exciting textural notes as well. The Peach Sherbet provides a seductive smoothness that helps to meld all the textures and flavors into one, while the crispy filo adds a playful element. Serves 4 6 Indian red peaches, peeled and chopped 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped 2/3 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 1 Indian red peach, thinly sliced, skin on 1/4 cup green gooseberries, cut in half 1/4 cup golden gooseberries, cut in half 1/4 cup red currants 1/4 cup black currants 1/4 cup Rainier cherries, pitted and quartered 1/4 cup fresh blueberries 1 tablespoon tiny fresh thyme leaves Filo Sticks (recipe follows) Peach Sherbet (recipe follows) METHOD To make the consommé: Purée the peaches, orange juice, lemongrass, and Simple Syrup for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Place in a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl and refrigerate for approximately 3 hours, or until completely drained. It should yield about 3 cups of consommé. ASSEMBLY Distribute the fruit evenly among 4 bowls and pour in some of the consommé. Sprinkle the thyme leaves around the bowls. Place 2 filo sticks across the bowls and top with 2 small scoops of Peach Sherbet. Filo Sticks Yield: about 50 sticks 3 sheets filo dough 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted Confectioners' sugar, for dusting METHOD Lay out a sheet of filo, brush with one-third of the butter, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Top with another sheet of filo, brush with another third of the butter, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Top with a final sheet of filo, brush with the remaining butter, and cut into 1/4 inch-wide strips. (The extras allow for breakage.) Place the strips on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake at 35° degrees for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Peach Sherbet Yield: approzimately 1 quart 5 white peaches, peeled and chopped 3/4 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 cup milk METHOD Purée the peaches, Simple Syrup and lemon juice for 2 minutes or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and add the milk. Chill in the refrigerator and then freeze in an ice cream machine.s Keep frozen until ready to use. Tea Sorbets with Persimmon Chips and Fortune Cookie Tuiles You don't need to stack these sorbets to achieve the full effect of their flavors; it's merely a way to be a little playful with the presentation. The tea sorbets benefit nicely from both the almond flavor in the Fortune Cookie Tuiles and the clean fruitiness of the Persimmon Chips, and they also provide a welcome crunchiness. This dessert is a wonderful, light way to end an Asian-themed meal. Serves 6 2 very ripe persimmons, skin and seeds removed 1 egg white Green Tea Sorbet (recipe follows) Fortune Cookie Tuiles (recipe follows) Darjeeling Tea Sorbet (recipe follows) Chamomile Tea Sorbet (recipe follows) METHOD To make the Persimmon Chips: Cut the persimmons in quarters and purée with the egg white for 1 minute, or until smooth. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter into at least 30 small circles on a Silpat-lined or nonstick sheet pan. Bake at 225 degrees for 45 minutes, or until dry. Remove the chips from the pan while still warm and let cool on the counter or another flat surface. ASSEMBLY Place a quenelle of Green Tea Sorbet in the center of each plate and top with a Fortune Cookie Tuile. Place a quenelle of Darjeeling Tea Sorbet on the tuiles and top with another tuile. Place a quenelle of Chamomile Tea Sorbet on top of the tuiles and press 5 persimmon chips vertically into the top of the quenelles of sorbet. Green Tea Sorbet Yield: 2 cups 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons green tea 2 mangos, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup corn syrup METHOD Bring the orange juice, sugar, and tea to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and steep for 30 minutes. Place in the blender with the remaining ingredients and purée for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, refrigerate to chill, and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Fortune Cookie Tuiles Yield: approximately 20 tuiles 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 3 egg whites 2 tablespoons hot melted unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger METHOD Combine the flour and sugar. Add the egg whites and combine on low speed in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the melted butter in a steady stream and mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla and ginger and mix until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Drop 1 teaspoon of the chilled batter onto a Silpat-lined or nonstick sheet pan and use an offset spatula to spread the batter into a 3-inch circle. Repeat with the remaining batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove the tuiles from the pan while still warm and let cool on the counter or another flat surface. Darjeeling Tea Sorbet Yield: 11/2 cups 11/2 cups peeled, cored and chopped ripe pears 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons Darjeeling tea, in a cheesecloth sachet 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 2 tablespoons corn syrup METHOD Bring the pears, water, and lemon juice to a boil. Add the tea, cover, remove from the heat, and steep for 30 minutes. Remove the sachet, squeezing out any liquid into the pan. Cool the mixture slightly, then purée with the Simple Syrup and corn syrup for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, refrigerate to chill, and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Chamomile Tea Sorbet Yield: 11/2 cups 1/2 cups apple juice 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons chamomile tea 1 tablespoon corn syrup 1/4 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) METHOD Bring the apple and lime juices to a boil. Add the tea, cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and then stir in the corn syrup and Simple Syrup. Refrigerate to chill and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Horned Melon and Persimmon Granités with Shaved Persimmon, Cactus Pear, and Sapote When a granité is made properly, it is a delicate, shaved ice that melts instantly in your mouth and simultaneously explodes with the flavor of the fruit used in it. Granités are very easy to make-- ripe seasonal fruit, simple syrup, and some citrus are all that is required A granité makes a wonderful prelude to something more substantial, like a warm fruit or chocolate dessert, or it can stand alone as a healthful, light choice that is more interesting than just a plate of fruit. I always like to pair a fruit granité with slices or pieces of the respective fruit used in making it for an added textural dimension and to fabulously enhance the flavor of the fruit. Here, the combination of horned melon (or any other type of melon), persimmons, and cactus pear is both luscious and exotic. Serves 6 2 cactus pears 1/4 cup Simple Syrup (See Appendices). 11/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice 3/4 cup very thinly sliced ripe persimmon 3/4 cup very thinly sliced cactus pear 3/4 cup very thinly sliced sapote Persimmon Granité (recipe follows) Horned Melon Granité (recipe follows) METHOD To make the sauce: Cut the cactus pears in half. Hold the pears with a towel to protect your hands from the prickly needles and scoop out the pulp. Purée the cactus pear pulp with the Simple Syrup and lime juice for 1 minute, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. ASSEMBLY Place 2 or 3 slices of the persimmon in the center of each plate. Top with the cactus pear and sapote slices. Repeat the process, creating 2 layers of each fruit. Place a small spoonful of Persimmon Granité on the fruit and top with a small spoonful of Horned Melon Granite. Repeat, creating 2 layers of each granité. Drizzle the cactus pear sauce around the plate. Persimmon Granité Yield: 1 quart 3 small ripe persimmons, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup water METHOD Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and purée for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pour into a shallow pan, and freeze. To form the granité, scrape the mixture with a spoon every 15 to 20 minutes for 2 hours, or until frozen. Horned Melon Granité Yield: 1 quart 3 horned melons, quartered and pulp scraped out 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 to 3/4 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) METHOD Combine the melon, lime juice, and 1/2 cup Simple Syrup in a blender and purée for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the additional Simple Syrup to taste. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pour into a shallow pan, and freeze. To form the granite, scrape the mixture with a spoon every 15 to 20 minutes for 2 hours, or until frozen. Granny Smith Apple Fritters with Apple Cider Soup This is a great way to enjoy the purity of the flavor of Granny Smith apples. The crispy, fried fritter belies the refined, simple beauty of the soup, and a meaty piece of poached apple bridges the two disparate components. Much of this dish can be prepared in advance because only the fritter has to be made at the last minute. A scoop of vanilla ice cream can be placed on top of the fritter to add richness and a wonderful temperature contrast. Serves 6 6 cups apple cider 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon orange zest 2 whole allspice berries 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored 1 cup white wine 1/2 cup honey 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Apple Fritters (recipe follows) METHOD To make the soup: Cook the apple cider, cinnamon stick, sugar, lemon juice, orange zest, and allspice over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until reduced by half. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Warm before serving. To make the apple rings: Cut each apple crosswise into three 1/4-inch-thick slices. Bring the white wine, honey, and nutmeg to a boil. Add the apple slices and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender. Set aside in the poaching liquid and warm before serving. ASSEMBLY Place a warm poached apple slice in the center of each bowl. Pour in some of the warm soup and place an Apple Fritter on top of the apple slices. Apple Fritters Yield: 12 to 15 fritters 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg, separated 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest 1/2 cup sweet white wine Pulp of 1 vanilla bean 2 apples, peeled and cut in 1/8-inch julienne Oil, for deep-frying Confectioners' sugar, for dusting METHOD Sift together the flour and salt. Mix the egg yolk, 11/2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, and the lemon zest in a separate bowl until just combined. Add the wine and vanilla to the egg mixture and stir the mixture into the flour until completely smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Just before serving, whip the egg white until foamy. Slowly add the remaining 11/2 tablespoons granulated sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites and julienned apples into the batter until just combined. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Using a fork, lift some of the batter from the bowl and drop it into the hot oil. Cook the fritter for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain, let cool slightly, and dust with confectioners' sugar. Trio of Sorbets with Pomegranate Seeds and Guava Purée Serving sorbets with a smooth, rich purée makes them taste creamier. Here, four distinct but complementary flavors blend and play off each other brilliantly: almond, passion fruit, vanilla yogurt and guava are woven in seamless, tropical harmony. Citrus segments and pomegranate seeds add further textural complexity, and the Oven-Dried Pineapple Chips provide a delightful cleanliness. This dish could easily be turned into a soup by thinning out the guava purée. Serves 6 3 pineapple guavas 1/4 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 1 tablespoon water 3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice 12 Satsuma orange segments 1/3 cup peeled and diced strawberry papaya 1/3 cup peeled and diced pineapple guava 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds Vanilla Yogurt Sorbet (recipe follows) Passion Fruit Sorbet (recipe follows) Almond Milk Sherbet (recipe follows) Oven-Dried Pineapple Chips (recipe follows) METHOD To make the guava purée: Peel the pineapple guavas and purée with the Simple Syrup and water for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. ASSEMBLY Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the guava purée and 2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice around each bowl. Arrange 2 orange segments and some of the diced papaya, guava, and some of the pomegranate seeds around each bowl. Place a quenelle of each of the 3 sorbets in the center of the bowls and insert a Pineapple Chip upright in the center of each quenelle. Vanilla Yogurt Sorbet Yield: approximately 1 quart 1/2 cup Vanilla Simple Syrup (see Appendices) Pulp of 1 vanilla bean 3 cups plain yogurt METHOD Warm the Vanilla Simple Syrup with the vanilla pulp and refrigerate to chill. Add the yogurt and freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Passion Fruit Sorbet Yield: approximately 1 pint 12 passion fruit 1/3 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons corn syrup METHOD Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop the pulp into a blender. Blend for 15 seconds and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the seeds. Combine the passion fruit with the remaining ingredients, refrigerate to chill, and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Almond Milk Sherbet Yield: approximately 1 quart 4 cups milk 1 pound almonds, lightly toasted and chopped 1/4 cup corn syrup 1/4 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) Pinch of salt METHOD Bring the milk and almonds to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cover and remove from heat to cool. Purée for 2 minutes, or until smooth, and refrigerate overnight. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the corn syrup, Simple Syrup, and salt and freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Oven-Dried Pineapple Chips Yield: 18 chips 18 1/16-inch-thick slices of pineapple 2 teaspoons sugar METHOD Lay the pineapple slices on a Silpat-lined or nonstick sheet pan. Sprinkle lightly with the sugar and bake at 225 degrees for 75 to 90 minutes, or until dry and light golden brown. Remove from the pan while warm, set aside to cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use. Sorbet Terrine with French Melon Soup While it looks quite complex, making a sorbet or ice cream terrine is simple to do once the sorbets are made or bought. You merely smooth one layer of softened sorbet into a terrine mold and when it firms up a bit in the freezer, spread on the next layer. Any flavors that are compatible, such as melon and berry, will work. In this dessert, a multifruit sorbet terrine is served with some of the same fruits that make up the terrine in a smooth, lush soup. As an option, crème fraîche can be drizzled around the soup to provide an element of richness. The terrine can be sliced and laid in the bowl or, for a more enticing presentation, it can be cut into wedges and positioned upright. Serves 6 2 to 3 French melons, peeled seeded, and chopped (about 3 cups) 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) Pinch of salt Bing Cherry Sorbet (recipe follows) Ginger-Buttermilk Sherbet (recipe follows) Strawberry Sorbet (recipe follows) Peach Sorbet (recipe follows) Rhubarb Sorbet (recipe follows) 1/4 cup red fraises des bois, halved 1/4 cup Bing cherries, pitted and quartered 1 peach, scooped into Parisienne balls 1/4 cup Poached Rhubarb Strips (see Appendices) 1/4 cup Preserved Ginger (see Appendices) 2 lemon balm leaves, julienned 2 tablespoons crème fraîche METHOD To make the soup: Purée the French melon, orange juice, and lime juice for 5 minutes, or until smooth. Add the Simple Syrup and salt and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Refrigerate until ready to use. To make the terrine: Line a 11/2 by 21/4 by 8-inch terrine mold with plastic wrap. Spread a 3/8-inch layer of Bing Cherry Sorbet in the bottom of the terrine mold and freeze for 5° minutes. Spread a layer of GingerButtermilk Sherbet in the mold and freeze for 30 minutes. Continue the layering with the Strawberry Sorbet, and the Peach Sorbet, ending with the Rhubarb Sorbet; freeze for 30 minutes after adding each layer. Cut the terrine into 1/2-inch-thick slices and cut each slice in half diagonally. ASSEMBLY Stand 3 triangles of the terrine in each bowl. Ladle some of the soup into each bowl. Strew the fraises des bois, cherries, peaches, Poached Rhubarb Strips, Preserved Ginger, and lemon balm around the bowl and drizzle with the crème fraîche. Bing Cherry Sorbet Yield: approximately 1 pint 30 Bing cherries, pitted 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup corn syrup METHOD Purée the cherries, Simple Syrup, and orange juice for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and add the corn syrup. Place in the refrigerator to chill and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Ginger-Buttermilk Sherbet Yield: approximately 1 pint 3 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger 6 tablespoons Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 11/2 cups buttermilk 2 tablespoons corn syrup METHOD Purée the ginger and Simple Syrup for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and add the buttermilk and corn syrup. Chill and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Strawberry Sorbet Yield: approximately 1 pint 2 cups fresh strawberries 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) METHOD Purée all of the ingredients for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, chill in a refrigerator, and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Peach Sorbet Yield: approximately 1 pint 4 peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into chunk 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 1/4 cup water METHOD Bring all of the ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 3 minutes. Purée for 3 minutes, or until smooth, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Chill in a refrigerator and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Rhubarb Sorbet Yield: 2 cups 4 stalks rhubarb, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Appendices) 1/2 cup water METHOD Bring all of the ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender. Purée for 3 minutes, or until smooth, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Chill in a refrigerator and then freeze in an ice cream machine. Keep frozen until ready to use. Apricot Soup with Lychee Nuts, Lychee Nut Ice Cream, and Caged Fruit Salad The combination of slightly astringent apricots and rich, luscious lychee nuts is terrifically Satisfying. In this preparation the lychee appears in two forms--raw and as an ice cream. As the ice cream melts, it gradually tones the rather direct flavor of the apricot soup. So, if you eat this dessert slowly, you will enjoy a range of gustatory experiences as the flavor combinations literally develop between spoonfuls. The caged fruit salad adds a stunning visual effect as well as more complexity of flavor, but it can easily be omitted and the fruits can simply be strewn around the bowl. Serves 8 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 6 apricots, pitted and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, warmed 1 Friar plum, pitted and thinly sliced 1 apricot, pitted and thinly sliced 1/2 cup Black Corinth grapes 1 small carambola, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon finely julienned lemon verbena 24 lychee nuts, pitted and halved Lychee Nut Ice Cream (recipe follows) Sugar Cages (recipe follows) METHOD To make the soup: Cook the sugar and water in a small, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Add the chopped apricots and stir until coated. Add the orange juice, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve any hardened sugar, then remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool slightly and then purée in a blender for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate until ready to use. Thin with a little water if necessary. To make the fruit salad: Toss together the plum, sliced apricot, grapes, carambola, and lemon verbena. ASSEMBLY Arrange 6 lychee nut halves to form a circle in the center of each bowl and top with a Lychee Nut Ice Cream disc. Place the Sugar Cages on the ice cream discs and gently spoon some of the fruit salad inside the cages. Ladle the soup into the bowls and serve immediately. Lychee Nut Ice Cream Yield: approximately 3 cups 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup sugar 4 egg yolks 1/2 cup pitted lychee nuts METHOD Prepare an ice water bath. Bring the cream to a boil. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks and slowly pour in some of the hot cream to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the cream and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and steam rises from the top. Cool the mixture over the ice water bath, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Purée the lychee nuts and the ice cream base for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and freeze in an ice cream machine. Spread the ice cream in an 8 by 8-inch pan lined with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or until frozen solid. Turn the ice cream out of the pan, remove the plastic wrap, and cut into 11/2-inch discs. Sugar Cages Yield: 8 cages 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons corn syrup METHOD Combine all of the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until amber in color. Remove from the heat. Place a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the outside of a 1-ounce ladle and lightly oil the foil. Using a spoon, drizzle the sugar syrup over the upside-down ladle, starting at 12 o'clock and ending at 6 o'clock, and repeat the movement, creating a web of sugar spokes that forms a cage. Run some sugar syrup crosswise around the spokes to give the cage stability. Let the sugar syrup cool completely and then gently remove the foil from the ladle, releasing the cage. Repeat the process to make the remaining - cages. (You may have to reheat the sugar slightly between uses.)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

Of all Trotter's books, this newest volume in the series produced out of Charlie Trotter's Chicago restaurant is the most attractive and accessible to the home cook. Despite the celebrated chef's continuing call for items such as satsuma oranges and Meyer lemons, unavailable to all but the most determined shopper, plenty of these recipes make smashing ends to meals. Whole-wheat carrot cake can stand on its own without the lovely but nonessential additions of black walnut praline and carrot sorbet. Blackstrap molasses, seldom seen outside health food stores, figures in several of Trotter's desserts, notably as a flavoring in an idiosyncratic pecan pie with a novel curry crust. Cooks burdened with excess primrose petals can toss them into sauce for rosewater creme caramel topped with black pepper cookies. Trotter's reinterpretation of German chocolate cake produces multiple layers formed into upright triangular slices that challenge any pastry chef's skills. --Mark Knoblauch

Author notes provided by Syndetics

CHARLIE TROTTER is the author of 14 cookbooks and three management books and is an eight-time James Beard Award winner. He is the chef and owner of the legendary Charlie Trotter's, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, as well as Trotter's To Go in Chicago. He recently founded C in Los Cabos, Mexico, and Restaurant Charlie in the Palazzo Hotel at the Venetian Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.