title: Ovenly
author: Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin

publication date: September 30, 2014
publisher: Harlequin

…we believe that cooking (and eating!) should be an adventure – and that is the guiding spirit of this book and, frankly, of everything we do.
— Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin (Ovenly)

Previous to getting my hands on this cookbook, I had never heard of Ovenly, an award-winning bakery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (USA) since I haven’t been to New York since I was a kid. But flipping through their cookbook, I know that it would be a place that I would love to visit, and visit often.

Self-taught cooks Agatha and Erin first met through their food-focused book club in April 2009. They obviously connected on more than just a shared love of books and were soon swapping ideas, testing recipes and realizing that they had common goals and dreams. Hence, Ovenly was born.

This book isn’t really written for the absolute beginner, it actually states that it was written “with the assumption that the home baker has a general knowledge of basic tools and ingredients.”

Flourless Chocolate Cake

the first nibble:

The first pass through the book is both inviting and encouraging, although some ‘serious bakers’ might be put off by the fact that they don’t regularly include weighed ingredients in their recipes. “Why? Our baking tends to be simple, and for many of our recipes, all you will need is a whisk, a spatula, mixing bowls and measuring cups.” Although I love my kitchen scale and weighed ingredients give me more confidence in the kitchen, Agatha and Erin’s declaration that their recipes aren’t finicky are encouraging enough.

At the beginning of the book, there’s a tools list and essential ingredients, plus tips on choosing baking pans (very useful), baking conversion charts and info about sugar.

Each chapter section is introduced with a long story and lots of explanations on the included recipes. Their personal stories are charming and funny and make me wish I knew them in real life (hello?! These two met at a food-based book club! That’s right up my alley!)

On my first pass through the book, five recipes that jumped out as ‘must try’:

• Banana Nutella Coffee Cake, pg. 44
• Caramel Bacon Hot Tarts, pg. 113
• Salty Super Dark Chocolate Brownies, pg. 127
• Eggnog Sandwich Cookies, pg. 158
• Spicy Bacon Caramel Corn, pg. 198

 
the nitty-gritty:

number of recipes (as stated by book): none stated

recipe list? Yes, at the start of each chapter, there’s a list of recipes contained in that chapter

table of contents: The Table of Contents is broken out into standard categories that you would expect to see at a bakery.

photography:  I absolutely LOVE the step-by-step photographs that accompany some of the recipes – it’s such a great, visual way to learn from a cookbook.

Every component of the photography, from the colours to the styling, convey a muted, earthy, home-baking feel. Plus, there are lots of interior shots of (I’m assuming) the Ovenly bakery, which is a nice touch for their regular customers and those of us who hope to visit one day.

photo to recipe ratio*:  out of 84 total recipes**, 46 recipes had at least one accompanying ‘finished dish’ photo or step-by-step photo (photo : recipe ratio = 1 : 1.8)
notes:
* this is a manual count, so numbers may be slightly off due to human error (mine)
** only ‘main’ recipes are counted – recipes that appear as part of another dish are not counted

Lattice Process

recipes:
– separate ingredient list? yes
– serving info given? yes
– prep/cook time given? no
– recipe format: numbered steps

Many of the recipes have tips and a “Get Creative” section that offers variations to the recipe, encouraging creativity and experimentation with the different sweets and treats offered.

All the recipes are written in a simple, clear and concise way, making it easy to follow along. Most of the ingredients are things I already have in my pantry (standard baking staples) and the non-standard baking ingredients are things that are easily purchased at any grocer for a reasonable cost. This is not a cookbook with recipes that will break the bank, but they will probably impress your friends and family nonetheless.

the last bite:

I love this book and can’t wait to get baking in the kitchen with it (I’m sure Paul is excited too – he loves it when I forego cooking meals for more baking *sarcasm*).

The helpful step-by-step photos for the more common baking techniques make it easy to learn and I appreciate the many variations Agatha and Erin include in their recipes – it illustrates how creative anyone can be when baking and encourages bakers to incorporate their own tastes and preferences.

The sweets that come out of this cookbook are fancy-looking but the recipes themselves are not complicated or expensive, making this a very un-intimidating baking book.

The full title of the book is Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York’s Most Creative Bakery”. Although I have no idea if they really ARE New York’s most creative bakery, I can definitely say that their cookbook is incredibly fun and exudes creativity and baking adventures.

Click here to purchase Ovenly from The Book Depository (free worldwide shipping) or Amazon.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. However, I am part of The Book Depository and Amazon affiliate programs and the product links shared in this post are affiliate links – if you click them and purchase something, I will receive a tiny commission fee (at no extra cost to you) which helps me keep this site running. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.