Two books that I placed holds on months ago came into the the library this week. Given that we are heading into the busy holiday season there is no way that I am going to be able to read them cover-to-cover or bake many of the recipes from them. But I thought I'd post about them both so I remember to come back to them and so that other folks who've read them can share their thoughts.

The first is Country Breads of the World [1]. At first I thought this book was going to be a bit too snooty for my taste, but it has grown on me. There are series of profiles of different bakers, main European, who each share some favorite recipes and baking tips. Some of the bakers I don't relate too, but many others I do. The recipes are all over the map, from soda breads to rye breads and from Indian flat breads to Scandinavian breads. Beautiful photos and nice legible text too. Similar in look and feel to Artisan Baking Across America [2] but with a stronger European focus and, IMHO, a better range of recipes.

The other book I got ahold of is The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress Free Strategies for Busy People [3]. I like the way the recipes are organized, with recipes that you can knock out in under an hour in one section and other recipes that you can split into stages in another. The recipes appear to be more along the lines of cakes and muffins than yeasted breads, though there are 8 or 9 yeasted recipes. I'd like to come back and read this more for the technique (how to fit complex baking into a hectic schedule) than for the recipes themselves.

Do other folks have these books? If so, what are your impressions of them?