alanamoana
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Posts posted by alanamoana
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Does anyone have a recipe for Lime Marshmallows? I love lime, and I think they would taste darn good. Anyone have any idea how much juice or zest I would use?
i would just follow the recipe replacing whatever liquid it calls for with lime juice. there's so much sugar, there's no way they would be too tart.
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michel richard did a 'burger and fries' dessert. the fries were apple batons deep fried and served with a raspberry coulis for 'ketchup'. that could definitely be used with your idea. also, instead of ketchup, you could make a dipping sauce that looked like tartar sauce (creme anglaise or pastry cream with chopped pistachios or something) and maybe a spiced simple syrup like Tri2cook mentioned but use it like malt vinegar.
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IMO, this poured buttercream does not substitute for poured fondant. I would say that it is for people who aren't able to make a smooth and perfect buttercream frosting to now effortlessly do so.
And yes, I would not go to the trouble of making a meringue based buttercream if I am going this poured buttercream way, especially when I am already using sugar syrup instead of confectioner's sugar when making the simple buttercream...
Also, my friend said that to go this route, meringue based or egg based buttercream doesn't work as well as just simple buttercream. I have not tried doing it with any egg or meringue based buttercream, so I can't comment from experience.
The poured fondant that is usually used for petit fours isn't something I would use to coat an entire cake. That would be rolled fondant and a completely different product with completely different results.
I don't think that glazing with buttercream is effortless. You still need to be able to make perfect cake layers and understand how to do a crumb coat. Then the actual glazing has to be perfect down the sides. Not very easy at all. As a matter of fact, it is easier to ice a cake with a spatula because you can go back and fix things. Once you've glazed the cake, if it is imperfect, you have to scrape everything off and start over again. Not necessarily easy or a time saver.
Again, I've only used Italian meringue buttercream with this process and never had a problem. To be honest, I don't know what simple buttercream is (well, I do now, but I've never made it...doesn't it crust if you use powdered sugar?).
I totally understand what chefpeon is talking about when she mentions labor costs, etc. But, you can use pasteurized egg whites to save in separating eggs and if you already have IMBC around for other uses, you can always use it for glazing and reconstitute it when you need it for something else.
I looked for the old thread with the photo of my cake using this technique, and the picture doesn't work anymore (old imagegullet, I guess). I'll try to post another pic if I can.
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If I'm reading correctly, this could then be used for coating petit fours instead of using a poured fondant?
yes, but it is difficult to get the consistency thin enough without overmelting (at least with IMBC) to coat evenly and thinly for a small item like a petit four. i don't know about the recipe that the op mentioned. maybe that is better/less viscous?
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does it stay white when you melt it?
i use all butter. what I notice when I'm re-activating my cold buttercream, I put it in a stand mixer and aim a torch at it to melt it slightly, then re-whip it until it becomes white again.
it is an ivory color...obviously, taking the air out of it will cause it to darken slightly. but even fresh out of the mixer buttercream isn't pure white, so it is a difference of degrees of ivory
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One thing:
If you are just going to melt buttercream to pour it, there is no point in making a meringue buttercream to do that. It's sort of a waste of time and ingredients. If all you want to do is pour,
then make a "simple buttercream" (ie, butter and/or shortening, water, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt).
l
while i know this is perfectly acceptable, i really like the flavor of my IMBC. i know you're losing the air incorporated in the meringue with the melting, but you really aren't melting it completely, so it does retain some of the inherent meringue-ness of the original buttercream (you lose a lot of volume when you add the butter too
).besides, that's the only buttercream i've used for that method (and i like the results) and i don't think it is any harder to make than any other buttercream.
p.s. chefpeon...love the photo of you and your obscene cuisine mug!!!
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I'm pretty sure there's a thread on Italian meringue buttercream somewhere on eG, but we discussed this on that thread. I've 'glazed' cakes with IMBC, which gives the result you're discussing here. Just make a good IMBC and partially melt it over a bain marie (water bath) and pour over your cake. I made my friend's wedding cake this way and another eG member makes a lot of her cakes this way. Looks beautiful, tastes good, cuts clean...all better than fondant in my opinion (not that I hate fondant, just don't like eating it).
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This is all quite interesting. The recipe we use requires kneading the dough for far longer than I am patient with, you need to get a really nice window. After a good rest it rolls out fine though.
Currently, we do four single turns (folding in three). Is there any good reason not to do three double turns (fold in four) instead? Wouldn't you get the same number of layers with less time and effort? I don't mind doing it the hard way if there's a reason, but I also want it to not take all day.
different books have different rolling techniques (number of turns, single, double, etc...), but here's my take on it:
when making double turns (book fold), you need to roll the dough out a bit thinner in order to execute the turn well. after folding, the dough shouldn't be too thick that you have a hard time rolling it out the next time after the rest. also, because it is a yeasted dough, it can't be too thick or it won't cool down during the rest and you risk over proofing or exhausting your yeast before you're done with the turns. because it is a laminated dough, rolling very thin can be an issue because you can get tearing, etc. within the layers and you end up without the great flakiness that defines a good croissant.
that's just my two cents, but i'm sure you could do two single turns and one double turn which would save you time and probably not ruin your dough.
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gorgeous rob, just beautiful!
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In New York City where everywhere delivers (including McDonalds), we usually tipped a few bucks. Definitely not 20% but depending on the cost of the delivery it could certainly be 10% or more. There isn't any sort of favoritism being played with regard to tipping and service or delivery times. For the most part, the delivery guy doesn't speak English and the service sucks...but the delivery is fast and hot about 98% of the time. Gosh, I miss living in NYC!
edited to add: I guess my point was that depending on how many places deliver and how far away you are from the restaurant might make a difference. In NY, most restaurants have a delivery radius that they won't deliver beyond (remember the Seinfeld episode referencing this?), so they're never too far away from the customer.
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see my post above regarding comments on the recipe i followed
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reading Alice Medrich's book on cookies, she says to use anything in the kitchen you can get your hands on to make interesting impressions in your pb cookies. Now looking at it, I think Kerry Beal (correct me if I'm wrong) used drawer pulls for chocolate decor...you could probably use something like that for personalized pb cookies as well.
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I just made a batch, I'll try to upload a photo tomorrow, loosely based on Carole Walter's "Peanut Jumbles".
I like peanut butter cookies sandy and with peanut pieces in them. I'm not sure if I like chocolate in them or not. I think I'm going to be experimenting a bit. Some of the better recipes I've tried in the past use shortening...
Tonight's batch used browned butter, whole roasted and salted peanuts and smooth peanut butter. While I think they were tasty, I did end up burning the first batch by not paying attention to the time in the oven. Even so, they were nice and crunchy while not too sweet.
I think the brown butter was overkill as I don't think it was noticeable after baking, I just happened to have some on hand and thought it would be a good addition. I also think the whole peanuts sort of took something from the cookies and that I prefer chopped.
Time to start playing
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Chris, I saw earlier when you said you had problems with the heating pad. I was meaning to ask you how you kept the chocolate liquid throughout the enrobing process. Thanks! That makes sense.
Yeah, the real trick is to not be skimpy with the amount you temper: the more mass you have in the bowl, the slower it cools down. I just spread the leftovers out on parchment until it hardens, then break it up into little bits and add it back to the box. Then, be very gentle with the microwaving.
something i just figured out...a real 'doh' moment...after pouring the excess tempered chocolate out and spreading it rather thin, when it is about halfway set up i use a paring knife to score it into little squares. that way, when it is completely set up, i have even sized pieces of chocolate to use the next time and i don't have to break it up by hand.
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for chocolates in a hurry, i prefer things like bark or rochers. i usually keep feuilletine on hand for just that purpose. i can use the feuilletine, toss in some toasted almonds or toasted coconut and use milk, white or dark chocolate and make very nice rochers in a short amount of time. people love them and when made with white chocolate they are sort of like high-end rice crispy treats.
i don't really like making molded chocolates when i'm in a hurry. of course, you could always make hand rolled truffles and if you're not worried about a tempered exterior you can roll them in all kinds of things where the exterior chocolate doesn't have to be tempered (i.e. cocoa, 10x, toasted chopped nuts, etc).
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i wouldn't leave them on the counter, but you can refrigerate the batter for a bit. baking powder batters are much more forgiving (due to reasons Chris states above) than baking soda batters (which only have the single reaction of acid and soda).
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reminds me of b&h photo in nyc. they've got a crazy system of rails, bins and elevators as well. i really like the idea, but it is definitely more suited to cafeteria-like settings than fine dining.
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KevinS, what you're doing now is fine. Better than fine, actually.
Another thing I'd like to point out...and this is regardless of school/no school...is to have some dedication. What I mean by that is, get a job and stick with it (as long as it is a decent job) for as long as you can. At least a year if possible. Nothing like seeing a resume with 2months here, 3 months there, etc. Do what you can to learn everything you can from each place you work, even if it means learning what NOT to do. This will serve you better than a diploma in the long run. I've seen too many resumes where people have tried to work in every big name place they can think of...but they've only worked at each place for a very short period of time, always looking for the next place. They never give themselves a chance to advance and end up being a crappy line cook with a crappy attitude.
Of course, you can always stage at a bunch of places. When you're not working for any money, it doesn't matter how long you work!
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It makes all the difference of where you go to school - I have had doors open to me as a CIA grad ONLY because of the calibur of the program - Yes some people get out of there not very "good" cooks - but the foundation is better than anyone - Yes an education IS what you make of it anywhere you go - business school, law school etc - but as a career changer myself coming from medical line - Harvard Med school grads got much more attention than other schools- so these people that slam the CIA and JW or some art intitute or FCI they are all f---ed in the head. Grads from the better schools will get in the door to places. Ask any law firm if they interview people from HArvard law school or a night class grad and see what they say - I learned from 6 CMCs - does the community college have that kind of pull - hell no.
As far as the CIA - they have lots of endowed scholarships. Call them and ask. I was lucky enough that I made good money in my other job before I left that field that I did not have to take any loans. Also - ACF local chapters. Country clubs may have some help for you - don't give up - I am 38 yrs old - do not qualify for many things because I already have a bachelors degree - but they found a few things to help - they all do = call the places you want to go and ask...
i know this topic has been covered an infinite number of times. it really brings out the emotion in everyone...especially if you've spent the money to go to one of the 'big name' schools. but i have to respectfully disagree. there's absolutely nothing wrong with a community college program. however, even the community colleges have better and worse culinary programs. out here in the west, orange coast college in southern california produces some stellar grads and the program is pretty well known. also, in hawaii, kapiolani community college is spending some serious money to upgrade its already great program.
unfortunately, i think that the popularization of culinary school due to television 'star' chefs and reality shows has made any culinary school grad a little questionable. the only way to prove that you're truly passionate about what you're doing and what you've learned (regardless of where it happened) is to show it on the job. trust me when i say that top notch chefs look more at how you work in a kitchen than where you went to school. and yes, top notch chefs do sometimes make a judgment about you based on your resume with the big name school on it...and the judgment is usually negative. that is just how it is.
put your nose to the grindstone and don't walk into a place with a sense of entitlement regardless of where you decide to spend your money (or even better, if you don't spend any money) and you'll learn tons and probably be better off for it. especially considering how much (or how LITTLE) money you'll be making in the industry.
edited to add: regarding chefpeon and Tiny's posts above...having worked in nyc and having many contacts in the city...it is no different than anywhere else. the name doesn't get you in the door. it is how you work. if there was a way to really find out how these people got hired, i'd be willing to bet that the reason so many cia grads are represented is due to the sheer number of grads they're spitting out relative to other people who find their way into cooking via different avenues. it really doesn't have much to do with sifting through resumes and saying "wow, here's another cia grad, let's call them and ignore everyone else".
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i was trying to figure out what that was (the cake cutter thing). great idea chris!
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chris, what a wonderful blog...and am i the only one who noticed the sausage casing shot in the midst of the blt montage? i thought to myself..."i know he's going to smoke his own bacon, but do you stuff it in casings first?"
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Rob,
How were you hoping for more? Are the definitions clear? Relevant? I'm going to help a few of my better staff buy some cookbooks, one was asking about a pastry dictionary. I've already plagiarized the relevant entries from The Food Lovers Companion (but haven't printed it all out yet). Do you think it would be useful as a dictionary for people with decent but not perfect English and a pretty basic understanding of Western food, or is it more esoteric, i.e. pentosam gum?
McDuff & Alanamoana,
Is the Figoni book pretty technical or could someone with a high school education understand it? Are there recipes or is it all theory?
Thanks,
Andrea
The Figoni book is very accessible. There aren't recipes, just theory. It (the 2nd edition) is set up like a text book with experiments and questions at the end of each chapter. Overall, very good to understand the basics of baking.
Both Figoni and Rob's book "The Pastry Chef's Companion" are published by Wiley.
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What do you think the curvy spaghetti type garnish is on the dessert right next to it?
looks like standard tuile batter (hippenmasse...sp?) with cocoa powder dusted on top. spread the batter on silpat and comb, shape while hot.
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Tammy, do you want it to taste very fresh? I've used strawberry preserves/jam before. You can make your own version with strawberries in season and that way, you can season them to make it have a different flavor profile, but still be very strongly strawberry. I also like it when there are some chunks of fruit still inside. Not sure how that would affect shelf-life, but jams and jellies, when made properly are very stable.
edited to add: I'm assuming you don't want to use a flavor compound to punch up the puree? Like the Amoretti products? There are also Monin flavored syrups...the advantage of the compounds is you're not messing too much with your ganache formula. The disadvantages of syrups would be more sugar and messing with ganache formula because you're adding bulk.
Classic French Croissants: Tips & Techniques
in France: Cooking & Baking
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i'm sure they're fine! from what i understand, croissant and danish dough is pretty forgiving and different books will describe different methods. the trick is to read the dough and see how many turns it can take without destroying the layers. that's really the only limitation.