alanamoana
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Posts posted by alanamoana
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And this article in the New York Times:
101 Simple Appetizers in 20 Minutes
done by Mark Bittman ('The Minimalist')
They're all simple, but that doesn't mean that they don't have the WOW factor. You just have to choose what will work well for the crowd you're feeding!
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I checked this book out at the library first, just to see if I wanted to get it and I ended up ordering it. It does have great pictures and a lot of fun recipes. To me, half the fun of the book is knowing that some of these recipes may have been made in very famous venues and served to very famous people.
I actually worked at one event that was catered by Wolfgang Puck's catering team and what an amazing thing to be a part of. The restaurant I was working for had their own thing (if I remember correctly, a ton of restaurants did the hors d'oeuvres and then we all chipped in to plate the actual meal which was all Wolfgang Puck). Unfortunately Sherry Yard wasn't present, but we did plate her dessert (for over 1000 people). Then I got Wolfgang to autograph my chef jacket (which I just threw away the other day...)
I'll take a look at the recipes you're referring to and at least give you an opinion regarding substitutions! If you're experienced at all in making desserts, you've probably got some instincts with regard to subbing ingredients. I wouldn't worry too much about fruit and stuff as that's just flavoring components.
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dammit, now i have no reason not to buy these damned things. i have been wanting to recreate that pumpkin tart for years now, but just been too lazy to do so. must make full use of my amazon prime membership!
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Deli containers: these seem to be the standard for professional cooks. They can't shatter, their pliable construction and the little ridge around the top means you can get grip them even with greasy hands, they're cost-free, and their wide flat bottoms make them hard to tip over. For home use, though, they sort of fall below the lowest acceptable aesthetic cutoff line.
I had to respond off topic to this...coming from a man who wears chili pepper chef pants, I'm a little reluctant to accept your judgment of acceptable aesthetic cutoff lines
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I read this post and laughed out loud! What a great post and what a great family tradition. I'm picturing you dipping your hands in the 'molten' hot chocolate, trying not to let the ganache centers melt...
There are so many people on this thread who have inspired me. They call themselves amateurs, but they are really pros. So much fun to watch them improve over time and for all of us to learn from each others' mistakes and experiences.
So thanks Paul Stanley for reminding us to appreciate the forum and its members for all that it offers us.
p.s. you were never a member of KISS were you?!
edited to add: rum balls are still a way to get rid of cake scraps. along with that, what do you think bear claw filling is made of?! makin' money from nothin'
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Is there any reason you would need to use a truffle grid, as opposed to a standard wire-mesh cooling rack? Are the holes on the truffle grid smaller? I was hoping to try out this technique without having to buy any more stuff for my already-overflowing kitchen!
you shouldn't have any problem using your cooling rack. save your money!
edited to add: the grid might be slightly smaller, but there's no reason you can't practice and get your technique down
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^ That sounds delicious! I wonder how it would work to make a regular pumpkin pie and just line the crust with amaretti crumbs first. It would have to help keep the crust from getting soggy, always an issue with pumpkin pie.
sounds like a great idea. also, top the pie with whipped cream flavored with amaretto and sprinkle some more amaretti on top!
now you've got me thinking. there must be a way to make some sort of amaretti candy (toffee/buttercrunch or something, i'm thinking).
every on-line source i've looked at charges about $40 for the large tin (2#?!). seems a little high. i think FatGuy found a good bargain, damn, i miss new york.
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also, rather than holding the grid with one hand, you can just prop the grid up over a tray (with a can or something) so you have your two hands free to work.
i can bet that the person in the photo is Jean-Pierre Wybauw (right David J.?), and he was probably doing a demo for a class. i know there were times in his class that he was rushing the demo to get in answers to questions so didn't show perfect technique. that's what i'm guessing is going on here.
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As Kerry Beal posted on another thread, the book is now being carried by Chocolat-Chocolat (a Canadian company). They are offering the book with a bonus chocolate mold (but they don't describe it). I've ordered from them before and they're pretty reasonable. The shipping adds up though, so it might be better to order some other stuff from them at the same time.
I also can't believe the exchange rate!
it is just getting worse and worse! -
i drink out of plastic quart sized deli containers. ever since i worked in restaurants that used them for food storage, that's been my beverage container of choice. i bought a case of them to use for some reason or another so i have a large supply!
i like a lot of ice in my water and this way, i don't have to refill constantly.
they aren't very attractive though. i too would prefer to find a nice LARGE drinking glass!
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i worked at a restaurant in san francisco that, come fall, would make a great pumpkin tart using amaretti crumbs. we could buy the crumbs (crushed cookies) in a big box. you'd roast the pumpkin and then scrape out the flesh. make a dry caramel in a pot, throw in some butter and then the pumpkin and then toss in the crumbs at the end. wrap everything in a nice pie dough and bake until golden. so simple (like the cookies) but better than any pumpkin pie i've had.
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Is JPW's new book out? I remember that you mentioned he would have one. Is it widely available yet?
it's at C.H.I.P.S. books, pre-order from Amazon (US) and Amazon (CA) from what i can tell. Amazon (US) doesn't have a price yet. There's a thread started in the cookbook forum.
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Thanks Lior. Gingerbread houses are fun, but still a pain in the butt!
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i would hope so! i love meyer lemons and they are great for baking, cooking, dessert making.
you do have to realize that they aren't as acidic as regular lemons, so if you're going for sour or tart, they might not do the trick. they have a wonderful floral fragrance and their zest is great as a flavoring.
with some items, you might just have to decrease the sugar a little to make up for the lack of tartness. but for the most part, you can replace regular lemons with meyer lemons and still have a great product.
meyer lemon curd
candied meyer lemon peel
preserved meyer lemons
meyer lemon meringue pie
etc
etc
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and you can check out:
this thread on cracking truffles
just in case there is more information that you might need
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depending on what kind of dough you're using:
1) quarter turns, as everyone has already mentioned
2) lift the dough when you do the quarter turns to make sure it isn't sticking
3) dust lightly and frequently with flour, enough so that it doesn't stick but not so much that you add too much flour to the dough
4) occasionally, flip the dough over and dust that side as well
the flour acts like mini ball bearings allowing the dough to slide across the surface instead of sticking. with some doughs (anything with water or any gluten development) this is really important because if it is sticking and you don't let it rest and decide to cut it into the shape you want, when you lift it, it will shrink.
another good tip from above is to start with the shape you want to end up with!
also, while i'm moving my dough around on the board (doing the quarter turns, etc) i'm feeling the edges of the dough to find out if there are places that are thicker or thinner so that i'm only really working the dough that needs to be worked rather than rolling over the same places again and again.
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I think I've only made one 'prime rib' and that was last year at Christmas. I bought the meat from Costco and did the refrigerator dry-aging thing for a few days before actually cooking. To be honest, I can't remember which method I used. I do know that I followed the temperature guide that seems to be pretty consistent in both of these threads for removing the roast from the oven (120F+/-), and I let the meat rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. I thought it was pretty darned good. I don't think you can fail using either of these 'proven methods'. As many have also said, as long as you have a nice piece of meat that is well marbled with a nice fat cap, you should be good to go.
I have another Costco 'prime rib' in the fridge right now. It is dry aging for Christmas dinner.
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I melt chocolate in my unlined copper sugar pan, candy makers and bakers have been using them for centuries.
I have one similar to copper candy kettle only mine was made in France in 1896.
i think there's a reason it's called a 'sugar pan' and not a 'chocolate pan'. candy makers have been using them for centuries, but mostly for sugar and egg white mixtures. the chemical reaction of the copper helps to keep the sugar from crystallizing and helps to produce stable meringues. i don't recall ever seeing a professional chocolatier using a copper pot for melting or holding chocolate.
which isn't to say you can't use it for chocolate, but scientifically, i'd like to hear from someone (Patrick S) who might know whether it is harmful or not.
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you could balance the bitterness with dried fruit and make a version of bark or mendiants...but using very thin pieces of chocolate
or spread the cocoa paste very thin and use the thin wafers (cut into 2cm squares?) to sandwich a sweeter ganache/fruit paste
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common sense says to use gloves, but really, the salmonella doesn't come from your hands (especially if they've been washed before separating the eggs). if it is anywhere, it is already in the egg or on the egg shell. if you're concerned, then why bother using raw yolks in a recipe in the first place? just to be safe though, i'd wash the exterior of the eggs before cracking them.
edited to add: and don't serve this dish to - very young children, pregnant women, the elderly or anyone with a compromised immune system...or at least warn them.
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I'm in the same boat as chefpeon...as a pastry chef, I don't really want to bake when I'm at home. Christmas (holiday) baking also isn't part of my family tradition, so that makes it even harder to want to bake a dozen different kinds of cookies or treats. That being said, I sometimes fantasize about making all kinds of delicious treats for everyone...
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what is your room temperature like? if it is cold (you are in michigan, after all), your centers might just be causing thermal shock. ideally, i don't think the centers should be colder than 70F (but Kerry Beal might know better).
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Have yet to taste+texture test final refrigerated version including checking surface thickness. Alanamoana: I may need to completely foil-cover the pan for moisture, but as I only have 1/2 inch high pans to work with, it was a little tricky to try whilst handling boiling water in a shallow pan. I'll have to get a deep roasting pan. On my wishlist at the sales after Xmas!
Am I being a perfectionist? Probably.
i don't know how easy they are to find in australia, but in restaurants we use 'hotel pans' to bake brulees in. cheaper than roasting pans and useful for many things. you can get them at restaurant supply places.
edited to add: no problem with being a perfectionist! have fun with it and know that you save us lazy people a lot of time when we use your methods that have already been tested
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Jeff, I'm not Bryan, but that's exactly what you'd do.
Sushi Yasuda
in New York: Dining
Posted
Hiroyuki, I think sometimes sushi chefs tend to think of themselves like bartenders...they have some sort of power over their customers!
This is not to say that Yasuda-san is like that, at least in my experiences with him. He just happens to be very opinionated and proud (of his fish, soy sauce, rice, technique, etc.). To be honest, the only gripe I have with him is that his English is so poor I have a hard time understanding him and I'd love to actually be able to learn a thing or two from his explanations...most of the time, I can get one or two points and then I just can't follow anymore! Of course, I can't say that if I were dining with a Japanese person or someone fluent in Japanese language or culture that I'd be treated differently, but every experience I've had at Sushi Yasuda (at the bar) has been extremely satisfactory. I'm only sad I don't live in New York anymore to experience it.