Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts (Brooks Headley)

While other chefs paid dues on restaurant lines and at cooking schools, Brooks Headley was in the back of a tour van as a drummer in much-loved punk bands that never made a dime. Now executive pastry chef at New York's Del Posto restaurant, Headley creates unorthodox recipes that echo his unconventional background: fruit is king, vegetables are championed, acidity is key, and simplicity is the goal.

With 97 recipes and more than 100 photographs, Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts has six chapters: "Fruit," "Vegetables," "Grains and Flours," "Chocolate," "Seeds and Nuts," and "Dairy." Recipes range from verjus melon candy to tofu chocolate creme brulée, fruit sorbet to eggplant and chocolate, showcasing Headley's unique perspective on ingredients and methodology. Guest contributors include essayist Sloane Crosley and award-winning chefs Gabrielle Hamilton and David Kinch. Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts is an essential, inventive addition to the shelf of both home cooks and professional chefs.