Exceptional book for hardcore bakers
Customer Rating: 
First off: If you are a home baker that bakes sometimes and uses general cookbooks (i.e. Betty Crocker), this book is not for you. If you are someone who gets angry and frustrated over detailed instructions and is not patient enough to read a recipe throughly before beginning, this book is not for you. If you are someone who cannot pay attention to detail and is not meticulous and careful while baking, this book is not for you.
This book is without a doubt, for the hardcore, highly experienced baker. As a professional baker, I find this book indispensable in my work. It's extremely detailed and thorough--just how it should be. Rose doesn't write her books for the novice baker--other writers do that.
All this being said, there are some editing errors (not the fault of Rose), and everyone using this book (as well as The Cake Bible and The Bread Bible) needs to download the updated book erratas [...]
With the updated corrections, the book is better than ever.
Not for the southern pie baker
Customer Rating: 
This book was very good in explaining the chemistry behind pie baking. It also had some very good ideas in it, including ice cream pies, and pies with cake layers. However, many of the recipes are horrible, starting with the first basic pie crust recipe.
I got this cookbook for my birthday one year, but stopped using it after I made a pie with the crust from this book. I have since then picked up using it again, but I have to make my own modifications.
The first thing you'll notice about these recipes is that the writer is obsessed with pie crusts being what she calls "crispy." She mentions it constantly throughout the first fifty or so pages. Her type of "crispy" requires you to cook your pie on the bottom of the oven, on a baking stone, or freezing your pie first. I agree that it's bad to have a soggy crust, and I definitely agree with her that the juices of most fruit need to be reduced and thickened with cornstarch before going into the pie. But the majority of people don't tend to cook on the bottom of their oven. Some people can't, because there is nowhere to put the pie pan. And personally, I don't like my pie crust quite that crispy. Also, I noticed here and there reminders to put a baking sheet or something under your pie pan, because filling would leak out. If a recipe has the right amount of ingredients, you shouldn't have to do this. I don't like fires in the bottom of my oven, thanks.
Another thing. This book has you add VINEGAR to your pie crust. I know it's supposed to help with the baking chemistry, but it makes the crust taste horrible. I come from a long line of southern cooks, and I'm used to making sweet pies. I was never taught how to make a sour cherry pie. Nobody in my family ever wanted one. I make sweet cherry pies, involving sweet cherries and sugar. In my opinion, most of the recipes in this book do not have enough sugar. There is even a chocolate tart recipe with NO SUGAR.
In other words, if you like sweet pies, this book is not for you. Read instead Julia Child or the Joy of Cooking, which, by the way, has an excellent apple pie recipe.
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