Once Upon a Tart . . .: Soups, Salads, Muffins, and More

What makes the book especially worthy is its instructive approach. The recipes themselves contain useful technical guideposts (the authors zero-in on desirable unbaked dough texture--"just past crumbly, but still holding together"), and there are many illuminative asides, both personal and to-the-point ("'Each variation on an ingredient changes the taste and texture of the cookie,' says Frank--this kind of thing excites him," is one). With its attention to the personal, the book is also something of an autobiography à deux, and readers will enjoy getting to know the authors, one very French, one solidly American. Illustrated with color photos, and with useful notes on equipment and fundamental processes, such as How to Deal with Eggplant, the book should please bakers at all skill levels. --Arthur Boehm

Product Description
A cookbook in the tradition of The Silver Palate and The Barefoot Contessa . . .

In New York City, famous for its food and restaurants, locals are reverential about the bakeshop and café Once Upon a Tart. For more than a decade, they have been lining up at the store mornings and afternoons, waiting patiently for their signature scones, muffins, soups, salads, sandwiches, cookies, and—of course—tarts. And pretty much since the day the café opened, patrons have been asking—sometimes begging—the proprietors for their sweet and savory recipes. Good news: the wait is over.

In Once Upon a Tart, the café’s founders and co-owners, Jerome Audureau (a New Yorker via France) and Frank Mentesana (a New Yorker via New Jersey), go public with their culinary secrets (“We don’t have any,” says Frank. “That’s our biggest secret of all”) and recipes. They also tell their inspiring success story, from selling tarts wholesale out of a warehouse in Long Island City to opening their now-famous outpost in Soho.

In nine delicious chapters ranging from savory tarts to cookies, the authors instruct and advise home cooks on everything from how to make the flakiest tart crust (“keep the dough cold”) to making sandwiches (“condiments are key”) to how to diet (“you want half the calories, eat half the scone”). Once Upon a Tart is packed with more than 225 easy-to-prepare recipes, including all the store classics that have earned Frank and Jerome the devotion of their customers: Caramelized-Leek-and-Celery Tart, Creamy Carrot Soup with Fresh Dill, Pork Loin Sandwich with Frisée and Rosemary-Garlic Aioli, Buttermilk Scones with Dried Currants, Banana–Poppy Seed Muffins, and Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart with Crisp Topping.

Says Frank, “We believe that deep down, everyone is a cook.” Adds Jerome, “And that a little butter in your life is a good thing.”

Here are their tried and true recipes, for which they've made them over and over again. The results are yours for the baking. To do this there are great sections on equipment, technique.

Not only for tarts, but salds, soups and muffins, brownies, cookies, etc.

I'm particularly impressed with "Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Tart with Basil" "Chocolate-Banana Tart" "Black Plum and Honey Tart".

The Summer Berry Scones are knock outs and The Crunchy Dried Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Cookies are killers also.

This will be a fun book for the home gourmet to mess around with and discover new cook with your hands baked goods to eat with the fingers food!

Well done with great reading thorughout, especially with the fun side bars scattered throughout.


Baking my way through Once Upon a Tart   June 7, 2003
melissa (new york, new york USA)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

I received this book as a gift a few weeks ago and I cannot stop baking!! It is filled with wonderful receipes, photos and information. The receipes are very easy to follow, even for a novice baker like myself, and the results are just outstanding. My friends, family and colleagues are now clamoring for "my tarts" and "my scones". The orange scones with chocolate chips, on page 254 are my favorite. But I am sure I will find others. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves food, even if they do not bake, as the book is fun to read.


These guys are real sweet tarts!!!!   June 7, 2003
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

For someone who has minimal baking/cooking skills, I found the book user friendly, with beautiful, lush photographs. As well, Mr. Audureau's humor is very charming and disarming allowing you to feel confident in executing these yummy treats. By the end of the book, you too will feel you can open you own little tart shop in the south of France. Enjoyable read!


A Keeper!   August 22, 2003
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I am an an obsessive cookbook collector, yet I won't purchase any cookbook that doesn't have recipes that I wouldn't prepare and serve to my friends.I acquired ONCE UPON A TART several weeks ago and have been exceedingly happy with the recipes and the results.

Specifically, I have tried the "Provencal Tart with Gruyere and Herbes de Provence", a recipe for which I have searched for years. It is quite delicious. Another recipe that I have made is the "Tomato Chutney with Golden Raisins" which is absolutely wonderful!

I have about 10 other recipes marked to try, and I am certain that they will all be as delicious and as well received as the first two!


Don't miss it!   November 13, 2004
S. Katz (Houston, TX United States)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This is, hands-down, one of my favorite cookbooks. And it is so very much more than tarts. I recommend it to people often.

When I bought this book, it was quite by accident, because I recieved it through a book club and forgot to send my reply card back. It sat unused on my shelf for a few months, until the day I started flipping through it. Wow!

This cookbook is wonderful. The instructions are excellent and detailed, and tell you exactly what things should look like. Their recipe (and instructions) for making a tart crust garnered praise when I did it... and it was only the second time I'd ever made a crust. (The first time, years before, was a flop.) It came out perfectly. Plus, when you read the recipes, you can tell they're good. There's an emphasis on quality ingredients, and it shows through in how the food tastes.

I haven't had a single miss yet, and everything is quite easy. Try especially the orange and chocolate chip scones, and the fresh fruit tart with vanilla cream. When I made that one it received rave reviews.

Definitely try it, for the tarts, the scones, the sandwiches, the cookies, the breads and all the rest. You won't regret it.