The books arrived today and they are great. The Art of the Cake looks hugely detailed and comprehensive, but I'm probably going to wait on it until I get through at least a bit of Dede Wilson's book. I've already started reading it (page 10! plus some skimming) and the writing style is just... so freakin' helpful. I love it. She's not just showing off what she can make, she really wants to make sure you get good results, too. Besides including a good diversity of cake types, she also has advice for customizing the cakes for different sizes and flavors, and tips on problems to watch out for. I'm excited to read through it and see what people like. Fortunately, I finished pastry chef book a couple days ago.

Another interesting thing that happened... I ran into my old boss today and he recommended that I talk to Karen Krasne of local pastry shop Extraordinary Desserts about helping out over there. Now that would be an educational opportunity. We'll see what happens.