After admiring the cover and peeking inside virtually every time I visit Blue Bottle Coffee Co., I finally picked up a copy of Caitlin Freeman’s Modern Art Desserts. I am so glad I did! Freeman’s book is a gem. Formerly of Miette, Freeman clearly knows her way around amazing desserts — backwards, forwards, and sideways, in fact. What made this cookbook stand out for me was the fact that is not only full of stunning recipes, but also it serves as both a personal memoir and a mini-guide to some of the works at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. While Freeman and her beautiful desserts are no longer at SFMOMA, the cookbook that resulted from her tenure there is a pleasure for the pastry enthusiast and art lover alike.
Each dessert is presented with a photograph of the pastry, an image of the artwork it was inspired by, information about the work and the artist, and Freeman’s own experiences creating the dish. Then follows the recipe, with clear, clean instructions. Many of the recipes are quite aspirational — the complex Mondrian cake, for example, takes a whopping two days. However, specialized supplies and ingredients are sourced in the book, out-of-the-ordinary equipment is highlighted and explained, and a section early on gives a great rundown of both the ingredients and cooking tools you’ll likely need throughout. Freeman somehow manages to make incredibly complex recipes seem both aspirational and accessible. Mixed in with culinary feats like the Mondrian cake are slightly lower key options like trifle, sodas, popcicles, and even a savory snack or two, so there are certainly options for those who prefer to measure their recipe timing in minutes or hours rather than days.
Overall I was surprised and delighted by Modern Art Desserts. It is a diverting read above and beyond being a good cookbook. If you’re a modern art fan, give this one a whirl. Freeman has given us candy for the eyes and the taste buds in equal measure.
Pink&GreenMusings 