Last night was an intimate gathering of friends, family and customers for the launch of Denise Roig's new book Butter Cream. Although the book came out in October of 2008, Denise was unable to be here in the Fall as she lives in Abu Dhabi and is here for two months to escape the heat of the UAE!
We asked her about her experience of going to pastry school at the age of 56. She loved it and commented age did not seem to determine who stayed with pastry at the end of the course, as some of the most talented young students have gone on to completely different careers. Yes, she still loves to bake, especially brownies! The physical rigors of the kitchen were considerable. The course itself was demanding - studying, tests, exams all at a hectic pace. Something she did not relish returning to at her age but in the end she did enjoy the whole experience.
As a fiction writer, this was her first foray into non fiction and although Denise has a great appreciation for it she will stick to fiction writing. Her very first cookbook was the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cookbook. Baking became a real passion at about the age of 17, which ironically was the age of her baking partner at the school.
A delightful read and well written, which can be unusual for food memoir books, but not for Denise.
