Christmas presents

This year I got some new books for Christmas again. One is out of print but my wife found it online.Im still trying to bake my way through Bouchon I got last year. My new years resolution will have to be no more books intill I bake all the recipes from the ones I have now. I have read some of the Flo Braker book. Its the one out of print. I want to try some of her cakes and see the results. My cakes have gotten better but I feel still lack that "WOW" factor. Im pretty sure that my mixing technique is not optimum. The French Baker is nice. Good mix of bread, pastry and food. The pics and stories are wonderful in themselves. Sometimes when I need to check-out of reality I grab it and dream Im baking in a little shop somewhere in the French country side. Baking by hand doesnt give alot of technique for handling stuff. The recipes do look wonderful and simple. I like the savory tarts. I want to make those first. From the wood fired oven has given me some new insights on design improvements from Alan Scotts original oven design. I will have that oven built in five years. First thing to do is sip burbon by the drying fires under the stars.