alanamoana

1) Many full color photos = high production costs 2) Very small professional market compaired to consumer-focused books. If it helps at all, I've looked through the book a bit and I would consider buying it even if I weren't interested in Mycryo. Lots of nice looking stuff and diverse recipes for both full-size cakes and plated desserts from two reputable chefs. It is a bit small and short for the price, though. In the same range I'd much rather have Fredric Bau's or Pierre Herme's books. ← and the cd-rom has lots of video demonstrating techniques. but i agree with neil, i'd rather spend the money on a bigger prettier book. i don't see any real benefit in using mycryo over regular cocoa butter for tempering chocolate? doesn't regular cocoa butter cost less?

NYCMike...those are some damn fine looking loaves! great job.

Vanessa, when you say you don't add sugar or glucose to your ganaches does that mean your recipes are based only on chocolate, butter or cream, and flavoring?

Vanessa and John, thanks. John, I think you're right. My friend is awesome and a perfectionist...so often, I think she'll obsess over something that might not make a difference to the majority of consumers! I'll pass on the suggestions. Thanks everyone!

Thanks Trish! That is what we were talking about when she called me. I don't know what her recipe is and I'll have to call her to find out. I think the customer mentioned that they couldn't taste the infusion as well in some of the bonbons, so I suggested using a chocolate with a different profile in order to complement the infusion. Where she's working right now, they only use one chocolate for everything (I mean one bittersweet as they also use white and milk). But I don't think the owner thinks too much about the fact that different blends and percentages can make a difference in the final product/flavor profile. So my friend has to work with what she has!

This is an open question but I'd like to direct it specifically to Kerry Beal and John DePaula and any other chocolate specialists out there! I have a friend who is working on a chocolate line for some people. They loved the bonbons overall, but someone made a comment that the ganaches were a touch too sweet. We were discussing ways to adjust the sweetness level without adversely affecting the texture of the ganache. Some of the thoughts were: 1) blending the chocolate used by adding some unsweetened cocoa mass. i think she's currently using something like a 72% from e. guittard and i'm not sure of the sugar level in their chocolate. i think it does tend to be sweeter than valrhona, cluizel and others (not as acidic as well) 2) adjusting the sugar level by using more glucose which doesn't offer the same sweetness level as sugar If anybody has other suggestions, it would be appreciated. I've been reading all the books I have on the subject, but most don't address sweetness levels in ganaches directly, they just tend to give you information on ingredients and how to use them. edited to add: unfortunately, I don't have the recipe that she's currently using. If I can get it (and if it would help with analysis), I'll certainly forward it!

Yes, on the menu it says "turnip cake" but it's actually the flaky pastry with the shredded daikon and bits of meat inside. Soooo good. Shanghai Wind is in Richmond (suburb of Vancouver.) Let me know when you're in town! ← ling, be careful what you ask for...i may just plan it on a henry weekend so that i can experience the iron chef style meals that you both prepare for your friends and families!!! by the way, beautiful apple pie. i'm going to have to try your baking soda tip. do you use leaf lard like phlawless (i think it is phlawless) does? gfron1 that's just a gorgeous dessert and sounds delicious. might be really good served with a couple of amaretti or macarons on the side to give some crunch!

Hi Alana, There is leakage sometimes but usually, any leakage snaps off cleanly and the chocolates look pretty good. I thought it’d be a big problem with the Arabesque structure sheet, but actually I have more problems with the Braid (tresse) one. As with all molded chocolates, good temper is key. By the way, as in the demo with transfer sheets I am painting-in the chocolate for structure sheets so I minimize bubbles and get maximim detail from the pattern. In another thread, folks were talking about having problems with the transfer sheets not transferring. I was getting this problem on and off, too, and finally I decided to warm up my chocolate just a tiny bit more than I would consider “safe” i.e. still in temper - 34°C. Voila! Good solid transfers every time now. Hope this answers your question. (let me know, if not) ← thanks john, perfect answer! i was the one with the issues with the transfer sheets and ultimately, that was my conclusion as well. just work with the chocolate a bit warmer than usual. haven't had any problems since. i was afraid you'd say that about the arabesques...too much work. i guess i was hoping there was some magical trick that you'd figured out . but you can still use it for special occasions. i'm too impatient to even contemplate doing something like that!

kim, you're on a photo posting rampage! congrats on figuring it out. great cupcakes. i love how they are so perfectly domed and NOT overflowing like the ones i end up with do you have a specific recipe you're working with, or is it just a cake recipe that you portion into cupcake pans?

you don't really need a recipe to make something similar... slice apples really thin (preferably with a meat slicer or something that slices around the apple to make one long sheet of apple) make a flavored hard caramel/toffee base (usually seasoned with cinnamon and other appropriate spices) cool the caramel (should be hard) break it up into pieces and then pulverize this in a food processor, then set aside. in a pan, layer apple slices with tiny knobs of butter and the caramel powder until it reaches the top of the pan or you run out of apples. roast either on a really low temperature or in a water bath (covered) for at least four hours. cool (best in fridge), and slice to serve accompanied with whatever else that goes good with apples there's another version of it in Frederic Bau's "Au Coeur de Saveurs" pastry book.

my guess (and it is only that, a guess) is the only time you'd need to add gluten to dough is when you're working with mostly low gluten flours/grains like whole wheats, ryes, semolina, cornmeal, etc. but even most grocery store bread flours seem to have enough gluten for basic bread baking! i think the "hot shot" is more like "hot snot" and needs to get back to basics before doctoring his dough!

here's a link to john's demo on using transfer/texture sheets with magnetic molds. i'm still trying to figure out if you filled the swirls by hand with colored cocoa butter for the chocolate on your avatar

John, when you use magnetic molds with texture sheets, do you ever have problems with chocolate leaking or oozing through...making for not so perfect shapes? I've seen your demo (thank you! it was very informative), and your chocolates look perfect, so just wondering if you have any tricks to avoid problems. Thanks! alana

actually, if it is a recipe that i like and use frequently, i'll weigh it out several time and take an average of the weights so that it is more accurate. especially with the flour and other dry ingredients. liquid, not so much.

Ling, I noticed the change in your sig line. Is Shanghai Wind in Canada or Washington? I looooovve turnip cakes (of all kinds). Is the one you're referring to the kind that is shredded with a bit of ham and flaky pastry wrapped around it with sesame seeds on top? Or is it luobo gao? Gotta save up information for when we can make a trip up to your neck of the woods. Sorry this was off topic!

kim, your loaf looks great! congrats on getting the imageGullet to work for you as well.

dmalouf, that's a great guitar cutter. i think the problem might be that the cuts into the base are not deep enough for to account for the bend in the wires. if the cuts are deeper, you can then push the wires all the way through the caramels. in the commercially made guitars, the base is about three inches tall and the cuts go all the way to the bottom.

Mette, beautiful chocolates! Did you get some of the shapes (flowers and sticks) from PCB Creations? Great job...now you can rest, right?

shaya, your crumb looks great! and aside from the kneecaps, your shaping looks good too, however it is difficult to see your slashing in the picture. did you use steam in any way at the beginning of baking? that will help the color of your crust. also, a longer retard will help develop the crust as well. was all of this done in one day (aside from the poolish)? good job!

since elk has closed, you might be able to find some marzipan stuff at schaller and weber (also on 2nd ave around the 80's)

see this entry in wikipedia. there are cultures that use other animals for milk. i think it comes down to convenience and the fact that the animals that are more commonly used for milk produce enough on a daily basis to be commercially viable. it is likely that horses, donkeys, etc. don't produce enough milk...they don't have udders (?)...to make it practical.

tupac, great report so far! thanks for taking the time (and making the effort) to follow up so thoroughly. maybe this rehash will remind you how nice the left coast is and convince you to attend grad school here! what about your dad's impressions of california? is he a born and raised texan?

in the "general food topics" there's a thread "diary of the life of a cia student" or something like that...there's discussion of that in there. if i can find it, i'll make a link for it. edited to add: what xdrixn says below. from what i understand, the tapioca maltodextrin absorbs the oil so that it becomes dry and powdery, but when you put it in your mouth it melts again. sam mason does peanut butter "soil" this way, i think.

thanks again kristin!

a.k.a. binder clip