Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts Cookbook Review - Collectibility
Great Italian Desserts cookbook by pastry chef Nick Malgieri is extremely sought after and actually somewhat difficult to find, both online and offline. For pastry chefs and pastry lovers, this is THE desserts cookbook to own.
Nick Malgieri, the book's author, was named a top-ten best pastry chef in America by Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazines. Malgieri was also assistant pastry chef at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and Executive Pastry Chef at Windows on the World, a restaurant and bar at the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Malgieri also has taught at a variety of culinary academies.
I've been lucky enough to have owned two copies of this book in the past. There really aren't many counterparts, except of course other cookbooks by Malgieri himself. Maida Heatter is another great pastry/desserts cookbook author and chef but doesn't specialize in Italian desserts as does Malgieri. The book has a broad range of Italian desserts and includes some fantastic gelato and Italian frozen-dessert recipes in exotic flavors.
Cookbook Title: Great Italian Desserts
Author: Nick Malgieri (famous pastry chef)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Copyright: 1990, First Edition
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
Specialization Categories: Famous or Top Chef Cookbooks (baking or dessert cookbooks are also possibilities)
Average Price: $60 (I've sold this book not long ago for $40 but the prices appear to be higher--likely to to less availability at the moment. I also sold a copy for over the $90 but that was extreme--the cap and should be a great condition book for that kind of price.
Noted Recipes: Torts di Noci d'Aosta (walnut-filled pastry), Caramel Almond Gelato, Cannoli alla Sicilians.
COOKBOOK COLLECTIBILITY RATINGS RATINGS EXPLAINED
Availability: 8.5
Popularity: 7.0
Investment Outlook: 9.0
-------------------------------------
Final Collectibility Factor: 8.17
Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts Cookbook Availability Rating - 8.5
Malgieri has written several desserts cookbooks, but this one is hard-to-find which makes it a greater value for collecting. There are usually only a handful of copies available on online at any given time and many at exuberant prices and thus the 8.5 availability rating.
Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts Cookbook Popularity Rating - 7.0
As a cookbook collector vs. chef, I hadn't heard of this book until I came across it and researched it online when first listing it for sale in my eBay store. Suddenly it had dozens of "watchers," the eBay term for bookmarks by interested buyers. It is not unusual to see over a dozen bids on a single copy of this book on eBay and listings on Abe Books and Amazon in excess of $100. The book is very sought after in the niche culinary art of pastries and desserts.
Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts Cookbook Investment Outlook - 9.0
I've ranked this high on the Investment Outlook rating. The price already has risen since a few months ago when I first sold it. Given that it is currently difficult to obtain, it will likely be more difficult as time passes. With shows like Top Chef and the notoriety of top chefs and restaurateurs, the art of dessert making has an increasing focus and popularity. The book will likely go up from its $60 average in just a few years time.
Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts Cookbook Final Collectibility Factor Rating - 8.17
This book gets high marks on its investment value alone. The uniqueness of the recipes and the fact that they aren't included in one cookbook as they are here, adds to the collectiblity factor. In summary, Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts should be on your radar for serious cookbook collectors. I only wish I still had my copy. I have the luck and cookbook collecting gift to come across these books so I expect to find another at some point. I might just decide to keep it if I do.
