Sweet Serendipity: Delightful Desserts & Devilish Dish

Serendipity 3, Manhattan's beloved ice cream parlor, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and to mark the event, one of its co-founders has collected mouth-watering recipes for the restaurant's best desserts, as well as tidbits of gossip from his years serving stars. The book's color photographs and lighthearted design capture the eclectic splendor of the Upper East Side destination, which serves up such favorites as Mississippi Mud Cake, Aunt Buba's Sand Tarts and Ftatateeta's Toast. A whole chapter is devoted to the most lavishly praised dessert, Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, along with its many variations. For those not counting calories, an explosion of sundaes in the last chapter, such as the Cheesecake Vesuvius Sundae, will hit the spot. The only thing missing is an explanation for the origin of each dessert. As for the gossip, Bruce provides glimpses of Marilyn Monroe, wearing only a trench coat and eating Fudge Pie, and reveals that Sylvester Stallone was turned down for a waiter position because his astrological sign didn't meet the owners' approval. Best of all is the introduction that remembers three""roommates in a humble cold-water flat"" who took $500, some family recipes and their own unique style to create the restaurant. Readers will want to take a break from creating the sugary delights to ponder Bruce's advice to""let life take you where it may."" Sugar-lovers everywhere will be glad it took Bruce and his cohorts to Serendipity 3.