alanamoana

I'm going to move away from food and pose a more political question: Historically, pastry and cooking in general for that matter, have been dominated by a sort of "old boys' network". Sure, some female chefs have encroached on this territory and become wildly successful but it is certainly a minority. In seeing photos of many New York kitchen staffs, yours for example, the staff is mainly made up of male employees. Putting aside the fact that most culinary schools are pumping out people unfit for working in a real kitchen, it seems that the majority of culinary school students are female. So how can females be underrepresented in top kitchens? I certainly know many female chefs who hire males in their kitchens. In your personal opinion, why does this happen? Is it generally felt that women can't take the so called "heat" both figuratively and literally? I, for one, ride a much larger motorcycle than many of the chefs I know, have a dirtier mouth, tell raunchier stories, can create disgusting sculpture with food...oh yeah, and I can bake the hell out of a pastry! I think the only place I'm lacking is having no ink to speak of... Can I be inducted into the private club? p.s. please take the above rant with several grains of fleur de sel, but do attempt to answer truthfully!

you didn't offend. it is militaristic, that's why so many people love it. you don't have to think about what you wear each day...someone else launders it and you could give a crap about how you look in it! i do know some chefs who get tailored pants and jackets...these tend to be the chefs who don't spend a ton of time in the kitchen however! the jackets are functional to a point. long sleeves to prevent you from burning yourself when reaching in ovens or over hot stoves, double breasted so that you can switch over when you stain the front, etc. etc. it isn't exactly a glamorous job enjoy the class, and post on your experience (regardless of costume )

again with the ribbon, wybauw certainly expresses the necessity of temperature and agitation for proper beta crystal formation.

i would do the brownie bottom with chopped roasted peanuts in it and top it with white chocolate cheesecake swirled with peanut butter. the sweetness of the white chocolate cheesecake will be offset by the slight saltiness of the peanut butter. this way, you get all the components you're looking for.

i have the older 5qt model which i don't see around as much anymore. this is the one i've used in every restaurant that i've worked in. i love that one. i was home in the summer (i mailed it to my mom when i moved) and used it for about 5 batches of italian meringue buttercream back to back and it was fine after having been unused for about four years! then, i bought a five-plus which is their 5qt with a wider bowl. i don't like it as much as my older regular 5qt. there's no way to adjust the height of the attachments, so the bottom and sides of the bowl never get any action. also, it is making strange sounds (after several batches of neil's marshmallows)...ticking in the motor kind of thing. it just doesn't seem as solidly built as my other mixer. i haven't heard much about the 6qt model. seems big in my opinion...unless you always make double and triple batches of cake or cookie dough.

wow, i had no idea i was dressing in a "costume" everyday! if i had thought of it that way, maybe i would have had more fun at work you probably shouldn't over think the clothing thing. pack your "cute" chef's jacket just in case, but just dress comfortably and in clothes that you wouldn't mind getting dirty. i second the idea of calling the school to get a clearer idea of what to wear.

raji, the link on your website for the sushi "instructional video" is hilarious! i forwarded it to two of my half japanese friends. my half japanese friend who is a little more "american" thought it was hilarious...the half japanese friend who grew up in japan was more confused because she couldn't read the subtitles and listen to the japanese at the same time and didn't think it was as funny...of course, her sense of humor just isn't up to par with mine

fill pot with water and bring to a boil (with thermometer inside if you need to) basically you just want to dilute the caramel and this is the easiest way. if you have a thick crust of hard caramel at the bottom of the pan, be careful as you heat it up because sometimes it can create a huge caramel bubble which can explode! if your bowl fits in the pot as well, so much the better, kill three birds with one stove...

sweetside, please don't think i was starting this thread off on the wrong foot. i guess what is really necessary is some salt...as in take all of our advice with a few grains of it neil has some great points as does k8memphis. it isn't that neil questions your abilities, he is just wondering what kind of sacrifices you're willing to make for the job. in other words, do you have a realistic picture of what is expected of you as an employee? really, read through wendy's food blog, i think it is linked under her signature line on all of her posts. should be easy enough to find. again, a little salt, she does huge volume so it is a little different. and finally, you'll never know unless you try. i've found that in the most recent jobs i've taken, i have learned more about what NOT to do than anything else. whether that's my fault for taking jobs without knowing what i was getting into or because i expected more out of the job than i actually received...who knows. regardless of that, learning what not to do is also very valuable.

I think a little more information would be helpful. Where are you located? What kind of volume is the owner looking to produce/sell? Is it only desserts/pastry or will it be a small cafe as well? Simple, beautiful and delicious are great general descriptors, but what does it really mean? How confident are you in your organizational abilities? How many employees will you be able to hire? What will you be able to pay your employees (this will have an effect on the quality of employee you can hire)? Do you want or expect to have a life outside of work? How many hours/days are you willing to work? How much time off are you expecting? I would definitely recommend you read through Wendy DeBord's food blog just to get an idea of what she produces on a day to day basis. I am a professional pastry chef and I am amazed at what she can produce by herself. She has to be very organized and cost conscious (due to the penny pinching nature of her managers). I often feel like I am in over my head...this probably won't ever change for me no matter how long I do the job, but to take the helm of a new business is particularly challenging. I'll let some other professionals chime in, but first answer some of these questions and they'll be better equipped to respond.

i would have to say that sugar 'n spice is decent. now that i live in new york, it is comparable to new york cake and baking. the supplies are definitely along the "wilton school" line. the store is a little disorganized and some of the product looks a little old and dusty. the service also leaves a lot to be desired...but at the same time, they have some of the things you are looking for that you just can't find anywhere else.

thanks for the post sneakeater. i really enjoy myself at yasuda and will be eating there next thursday evening for a farewell to new york dinner. i ate at yasuda on my first (blind) date with someone i had met through match.com. we are now married...i might attribute that to my exceptional taste in sushi restaurants ! i definitely agree that the experience is heightened by sitting at yasuda-san's station but we have been treated very well at other stations as well. one night we were served by a japanese female sushi chef. yasuda is also the only place where i have seen a haole/gaijin (white-boy) sushi chef. yasuda definitely had his eyes on the product they were putting in front of the guests. finally, any objectivity aside, i just plain like the place and i hope my final experience there is as good or better than my first to keep the fond memories alive.

i've sat at the counter before and been treated very well and never tipped the sushi staff separately. most restaurants have it factored into their tip distribution system to account for the people they feel need a percentage of the tips. sushi restaurants being a little different, if you feel the need, i don't think anyone would be insulted if you tipped with the check and then tipped across the sushi bar to the sushi chef (even the owner). just be subtle and place the tip on the counter/top of the sushi bar as you are leaving. of course, i could be totally wrong...

the one i have is in french and english and i bought it at jb prince

Michael Recchiuti comes to mind as a local SF person. Also, find out if the CCA (California Culinary Academy) has any part time courses in chocolate/candy making. If their instructor Chef Devin is still there, she's great. Her stuff is mostly "old school" mostly because that is what they have to teach, but she's a whiz with chocolate. edited to add: if you've been making chocolates/candies for 15 years, then maybe all you need are a few books. to be honest, the demos here on eGullet are great. whether done by professionals or not, they are a great resource...probably better than an on-line course and they have the added benefit of being FREE. the only thing you need to do is practice! i would get the wybauw book if you're looking to focus on chocolate. you can find it cheaper than the JB Prince price though. look at this link (it's in canadian $$ but even with shipping it ends up cheaper) Chocolate Books and Molds

also, if it wasn't made clear, you're to use granulated sugar for your italian meringue syrup. enough water so that it is like quicksand. the water is going to evaporate when cooked to the correct temperature.

neil, you should definitely update your web site with these photos! less maintenance than a blog but a great place for us (and others) to see new things! (i'm of course saying this because i'm just too lazy to do the same)

Neil, Great pictures and descriptions. It is funny how some desserts, when made by different people, lose something in the translation (a little too sweet, not balanced, etc.), but when you taste a more "traditional" dessert it turns out to be your favorite! I'm so jealous of your trip. It looks like you had a great time. Las Vegas seems to be treating you well. Regards, Alana

google search: cookie tin probably more sources than you will know what to do with the top three hits which are google "sponsored links" are good sources for plain and decorated tins.

any time you work in a mixer, it is important to scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula several times during mixing. it will help bring all the ingredients together. i have yet to meet a mixer that can reach every section of the mixer perfectly!

new york cake and baking has squares at a reasonable price...i think they're the standard "magic line" mentioned above. just do a google search for square cake pans or "magic line" cake pans...that should do it.

baking soda lightens the mixture which is what you want with brittle (thus the name). toffee (although i don't see it mentioned in most of the recipes) benefits from stirring during cooking to keep the butter emulsified and when it cools, it "crumbles" when you bite into it.

i had some trouble recently with my digital thermometer while making the marshmallows from another thread... so today, i took my taylor analog and my pyrex digtal and tested them both in ice-water (should read 32 degrees F) and boiling water (should read 212 degrees F) neither thermometer was within 5 degrees accuracy, so i suggest regardless of what type of thermometer you're using: test it first, calibrate it if possible (which you can do with an insta-read) and if you can't calibrate it then remember what the difference is so when you're working with the thermometer you can adjust for the difference in the reading. andiesenji: you make good points about where the thermometer is in the pot and also how deep it is immersed in the liquid. all of these things can cause "off" readings.

I like my Pyrex digital thermometer and timer combo. It has a probe which you put in the food item/syrup/oven etc. which reads the temperature. you can even set the thing to alert you when it reaches a certain temperature. the numbers are reasonably big and much easier to read than a standard thermometer. here's a link: digital thermometer i hope this helps.

if you're looking for "dry" with your coffee, that's what biscotti and the like are for. i've made my version of the sachertorte for an austrian (ex)boyfriend. this was based on a torte recipe from alice medrich's book "cocolat". he grew up in vienna and he loved my version. he never mentioned to me that it should have been drier!! this was also in the years long before i became a pastry chef. i don't think moist=fatty (not that desserts are lo-cal by any stretch of the imagination), but i do think that if you're treating yourself (especially expensively via mail order) the experience should be luxurious and enjoyable. that means the dessert should use the highest quality ingredients and in my opinion, each component should stand alone well enough without having to smother something in sauce or whipped cream to make it palatable. when i was going to culinary school, my cakes teacher insisted on soaking every layer of every cake he made. i know that i don't like a mouthful of sawdust!