On Tuesday, Cronut creator and all-around genius Dominique Ansel of the famed Dominique Ansel Bakery in Soho, NYC, released his first cookbook, entitled: Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes.

In addition to drool-worthy photos (seriously, you may need a bib while paging through this beauty), The Secret Recipes is full of treats as simple as his favorite decadent hot chocolate, to the a seriously impressive chocolate caviar tart, and of course, an at-home version of the Cronut™ that made him famous.

Dominque_Ansel_Cookbook

But what’s most amazing about this cookbook is that it goes far beyond just recipes.

The entire first half of the book is a collection of short stories by Dominique that explain the history of some of his favorite and most iconic dishes, the opening of his own bakery, what classic dessert he “hates” to make, and how he continuously sources inspiration from the world around him. Everything from literal dreams to Snickers bars eaten in taxis (his first “meal” in NYC) to kitchen mishaps have all led to his success as an entrepreneur, culinary boundary breaker, and humble leader of the food-trend world.

In this section, Dominique proves he’s not just an excellent baker, he can also write beautifully. His words are much like his desserts: every component is thoughtful arranged, has purpose, and surprises you in a way that leaves you wanting more (seriously, we were weeping after reading his mini-essay “Memories Within a Cookie”).

This book will touch and inspire any home baker, cook or food lover inside and outside the kitchen, and would make an excellent gift for every foodie in your life this holiday season.

Dominque Ansel Cookbook

Photo by Katherine Baker

We suggest you grab a personal copy as well, read it cover-to-cover like we did, and fill your head with sugary thoughts and with a Dominique-inspired perspective of not only food, but the world around you. We could list a million quotes that will get you teary-eyed about the love of food, but we’ll keep it light and suggest, like Dominique does at the start of his book, “Happy baking, eating and—most of all—creating!”