It's rare that I rave about a cookbook. It's not for a lack of fabulous cookbooks out there; it's just that something has to be truly spectacular for me to venture beyond my easily-accessible stash of mom's specialties or my trusty Internet connection.
This cookbook is worth it.
First of all, I never knew that I could make café-quality espresso drinks in my own kitchen without some $300 contraption I'd need a Ph.D. to operate. But I can! And a cup of homebrewed deliciousness is just the thing to complement the scrumptious coffee cakes that don't require a thing I didn't already have in my cupboards. I've been blissfully eating apple-cranberry ginger loaf for breakfast all week.
If you have a taste for something a little special, there's also a mouthwatering section on European café treats (think chocolate-strawberry sachertorte) and some innovative All-American cakes (daquiri chiffon ... mmmm...) Plus, gorgeous pictures make these recipes as almost as delicious to look at as they are to eat.
Easy, delicious, and beautiful. As far as I'm concerned, that's pretty much cookbook heaven.