Life Is What You Bake It

August 16, 2021
Great American Baking Show winner Lomas debuts with an inspiring collection that combines life lessons, family lore, and behind-the-scenes peeks at the reality show world with more than 100 indulgent recipes. In inviting prose, she recalls how she first learned to bake as a law student facing a tough job market before being cast in the third season of The Great American Baking Show. When the season was pulled off the air after a few episodes because of a #MeToo accusation against a judge, Lomas picked herself up and marched toward her goal of becoming a professional baker. She shares favorite recipes from her stint on the show, as well as bakes inspired by her native Louisiana and time spent in France, California, and New York. A cookie section features rich chocolate mint moon pies, while a chapter devoted to cakes is headlined by Lomas’s grandma’s Million Dollar Cake, featuring rich vanilla layers infused with crushed pineapple. Multiple food cultures receive a nod, sometimes in the same recipe; Zulu Babka adds a New York gloss to the traditional Mardi Gras king cake, and zesty lemon-honey madeleines pay homage to a summer trip to France. Meanwhile, helpful tips offer pointers on everything from making biscuits to “win a reality show.” Aspiring baking champs need look no further.

November 1, 2021

In this charming debut cookbook, Lomas reflects on her career so far and presents a series of family recipes that have seen her through life's ups and downs. Notably, Lomas recalls her time competing on the Great American Baking Show, its sudden cancelation in 2017, and her need to continue on in the face of disappointment. This book collects Lomas's favorite recipes that she premiered on the show, along with tried-and-true desserts influenced by her grandmothers. The wide-ranging recipes reflect the baker's Louisiana Creole upbringing; her time studying in France as a college student; and her years in New York, as an attorney selling her noteworthy macarons on the side. Whether they're making Lomas's family recipes (cornmeal pancakes) or desserts for entertaining (almost-ate-the-plate carrot cake), home bakers will be enlightened by her reassuring words and time-saving tips, some incorporating store-bought pie dough or boxed cake mixes. Lomas is at her best when sharing her beloved cake recipes, including ingredient variations and pairing suggestions. VERDICT With treats for bakers of all levels, this warm-hearted collection will find a welcome place on baker's shelves.--William Varick, New York

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