This is not just a book of masterful recipes, tips, techniques, and meticulously detailed, easy-to-follow instructions. It is an extravagant paean to decadent desserts. Filled with luscious creations and lavish artistry-Chocolate Swan Truffles, Enchanted Forest Torte-this definitive guide to working with chocolate is unusual because it is written with beginners in mind. A cooking teacher with decades of experience, Elaine Gonzalez has devised innovative techniques to put the art of working with chocolate within everyone's reach. After mastering a few basics, any cook can create shimmering cakes, seductive truffles, and amazing chocolate sculptures. With The Art of Chocolate, even novices will soon roll, curl, twist, coax, and nudge chocolate to dizzying heights of fantasy.