Chocolate is always in season and Alice Medrich proves it with great style and taste in her latest cookbook featuring "four seasons of unforgettable desserts." Without a doubt, this is my favorite dessert book of the year and it will make it to our 2001 top ten picks list.

A legendary pastry chef, the San Francisco Chronicle crowned Alice Medrich the "Patron Saint of Chocoholics". A flip through these pages and it's easy to understand why. There are so many mouth-watering desserts, it would be impossible to know where to start - if not for the book's clever format. Begin at whatever season you find yourself in and decadently eat your way through the rest of the year.

Each season's recipes take advantage of seasonal favorite ingredients and take into account special holidays and celebrations. There are over 50 spectacular chocolate (and white chocolate) recipes, gorgeously illustrated with forty full-color photographs.

The recipes range from simple (like the chocolate Rice Krispies dinosaur eggs) to sophisticated (chocolate cream puffs with spun sugar) and everything in between. Regardless of the level of complication, the instructions are always clear, precise and detailed, making it within reach for cooks of all experience levels to re-create these dessert masterpieces. The desserts are spectacular, but most aren't overly difficult to make. Medrich's tips and insights make it even easier.

This book would make a wonderful gift for any chocolate or dessert lover (perhaps package it with some chocolate so the recipient can start cooking right away). It's almost as much fun to browse as it is to cook, although it will inspire you to cook. If you're trying to stay on a diet - stay away!

Sample Recipes:
See the Related Recipes box below for sample recipes from this book.