Michael Heller reflects on his past, his origins, and the entanglements of thought and religion that have shaped his life and writing.

"The tastes of childhood have always been a touchstone for Thomas Keller, and in this amalgam of American and French baked goods, you'll find recipes for the beloved TKOs and Oh Ohs (Keller's takes on Oreos and Hostess's Ho Hos) and all the French classics he fell in love with as a young chef apprenticing in Paris: the baguettes, the macarons, the mille-feuilles, the tartes aux fruits. Co-author Sebastien Rouxel, executive pastry chef for the Thomas...