alanamoana

freezing the cake for such a short period of time shouldn't affect the flavor at all (if well wrapped...also, use cardboard cake circles to allow the cake to hold its shape), the texture shouldn't be changed either. it is just easier to fill/frost when cold...when the cake has had a chance to set up per se. when the cake is at room temp, it should be normal texture. it is much more difficult to deal with a cake which has been freshly baked and very crumbly. trust me, this is what the professionals do. francois payard starts making his buche du noel cakes in june/july for december...and almost all of his sponge cakes and bisquits are made and frozen then defrosted for assembly. by the way, what kind of cake are you thinking of using? and how many layers per tier? i used the "buttermilk country cake" from the "cake bible" for two of my friends' weddings. it is a very versatile and very delicious cake. at my best friend's wedding, her grandmother (who flew in from japan) took some cake home for the rest of the relatives...and most asians don't really love sweets! it is moist, flavorful without overpowering other ingredients and best of all, handles well.

one bit of advice...cake that has been refrigerated/frozen will be easier to frost, coat, whatever you're going to do with it...so if you're planning on baking and assembling the cake the same day, you might be pushing your luck a little bit. i would advise making the cake layers ahead of time (a week is fine), making sure you have a little extra, just in case...freeze the layers, then a couple of days ahead, make your icing/filling/buttercream/fondant again, making sure you have extra for emergencies. use that day before the wedding in the on-site kitchen to assemble the cake, etc. i also agree with jason in that smaller tiers look more elegant, easier to cover with fondant, etc. so go with the five tiers that the bride wants, but make them a little smaller and go with the sheet cake backup. besides, who really wants a mouthful of fondant?! make a delicious sheet cake to cut up. also, depending on how traditional the bride is, she may want to save the top tier for the first anniversary . that's all i can think of for now. oh yeah...it was in another thread and i totally agree with this method of making cakes that have multiple layers (not tiers)... instead of using cake pans, bake the cake on full sized restaurant sheet pans (if you have access). use entremet rings (cake rings, with no bottoms) to cut out layers of cake. you won't have to level the cake or try to cut even layers out of a whole cake this way. also, when it comes time to fill and ice the cake, you use the entremet rings to assemble and the whole thing comes out a lot more even and cleaner. remove the rings and you have a perfect tier ready to crumb coat and cover with fondant.

definitely a meyer lemon curd would be delicious if you're tired of silver shred. the preserved lemons can be used as stated earlier or in some form of gremolata with toasted nuts, chopped herbs and preserved lemons. man, you are very lucky to have such a beautiful tree...no fair bragging when it's in the 'teens here in nyc!!!

here's something even sadder than office potluck turndowns... i work in restaurants (in the kitchen)...we eat family meal twice a day together (as our shifts can run to 12 hours easily). once in a while, the pastry department (my department) will make a treat or i'll even cook the entire meal. the greatest thing is when the servers come in for their meal and they say things like "eeeww, what's that?! i don't think i like that", etc. etc. etc. we're talking servers who work in fine dining 2 and 3 star restaurants in new york city for crying out loud!@32094587234-0978 makes me wonder what they're telling the customers when they're "selling" food.

thanks for the recipe link! i'll give them a try.

i would venture to add that they use some of the tuna for poke?! i love sashimi and my god father used to always bring it to our house whenever we had a joint celebration like thanksgiving, christmas or new year's eve. i have to agree with gus_tatory...you show your generosity, wealth, etc. by bringing such a valued gift or contribution to the dinner...demand happens to make the prices go up...sort of a chicken or the egg discussion .

and speaking of malasadas...how do locals feel about the "big deal" punahou carnival malasada lines?! what a fiasco right? there is always a huge line at the malasada tent and people are buying literally hundreds of malasadas to take home. that carnival is such a money maker... skchai, since you seem to be the local expert...do you know much about the history of malasadas and/or a recipe?! that would be great! you're so attentive to eGullet and the hawaii forum! i appreciate the time you invest, even though i'm not always able to contribute too much to this forum...i'm from hawaii but live in new york...must keep up with fat guys postings . aloha, alana

i think you'll always find better pricing on things you buy on-line when the store only sells on-line. when a store is located in new york city and carries the items that korin does, that is when the prices get a little inflated. overhead, my friend. also, if you look at the dimensions of the cutting boards, they are that price because they are sized for sushi bars. i don't think it is likely you're going to buy a cutting board for your house that is 75 inches long, are you? so, they're meant to be for professionals. also, korin offers a 10% discount to industry people. that's like getting the knife without paying tax (which is getting higher and higher in new york...something like 8.25 or 8.5%). that's a bonus for restaurant people. also, their name and reputation costs something as well. i'd much rather buy a knife at their store where i can fondle, yes, fondle it... ellen is right though when it comes to sales help. i think because most of them are f.o.p. (fresh off the plane), their english skills aren't as sharp as their knife skills . overall, i think korin is a fun place to drool over knives and restaurant supplies! besides, japanese stuff is always so well packaged...that's gotta be worth something, eh? edited: only some of the cutting boards are huge...they are expensive and i don't know why?!

my advice doesn't aim at the bread, but the process...just remember to unplug your machine any time you need to reach in... my good friend (and a pastry chef) almost lost part of her thumb and forefinger after the blad stopped on a batch of dough. she took the lid off (the safety must not have been working) and when whe moved the dough, the blade started again...ugh!! so now i'm covering for her at work (she's been out over a month now and the doctor won't let her come back until after jan 15th...with lots of physical therapy). so, please be careful when using the food processor!

try looking for "cepes" the french name which some places use when they are fresh (as opposed to dried porcinis, which are common). usually available from late spring through summer into early fall (according to one source...don't know if it is reliable, so i won't site it).

i still stand by ton kiang for good, fresh dim sum

how about just stuffing without all the cutting and pounding? you'll find recipes/techniques for that in most cookbooks. just use a boning knife or other slim knife to make a reasonable hole through your tenderloin...this saves the tying, etc. and makes for a nice surface for searing. you can always use stove top and doctor it up if you need to. i like the apple idea also. that's a pretty common treatment with pork. then, you can take some veal stock or something and reduce it like a demi-glace and finish it with butter and calvados for a nice "gravy" after you slice up the tenderloin.

1. toss wings in a little flour 2. deep fry until done 3. in a bowl, mix (to your taste): chopped garlic, sweet chili sauce (bottled), sriracha (bottled), soy sauce, cilantro leaves and/or whatever you have in your pantry 4. toss wings in above sauce for asian flavored hot wings

it is definitely doable (over the flame, that is). my mom (although she's chinese) used to brush the nori with a teriyaki style sauce and then toast it. like the stuff that you can buy already flavored. if you're quick, it isn't a problem, you can watch the nori shrink a tiny bit. also, tommy, you can do inside-out rolls so even though the nori is soft, it is inside the roll and isn't as noticeable as when it is soft on the outside of the roll. you can sprinkle the rice with toasted sesame seeds to keep them from being too sticky.

you can sweeten it and whip it like heavy cream and make a topping for a dessert you can add corn syrup, orange zest, sugar and spin it in an ice cream machine for a great creme fraiche sherbet can you tell i mostly post on the pastry board?!

if you have a stainless steel mixing bowl, you have a double boiler. just make sure the pot is large enough to keep the custard away from any flames which may come up the side of the pot (though, at custard cooking temps, you shouldn't have to worry about that). this is what we do in the restaurant.

just as a quick aside, most marshmallows don't use egg whites. i'm sure that's how they started out (as meringues), but it seems that the more stable ones are gelatin/sugar mixes. we'll have to ask one of the more scientific egulleteers to research the process for us!

alexp, it doesn't sound as if there's enough egg yolk to make that much of a difference. it seems to me you may be cooking it a little too long maybe over a high heat. it should never boil. if steam is coming off the surface, you should be fine. or better yet, use a thermometer and cook to 175F that should definitely be hot enough to thicken and kill bacteria but not scramble (maybe someone else has a better temperature...i'm not quite sure). also, strain after you cook and get it into an ice bath immediately to cool it down. if it still looks broken, as a last resort, use a burr mixer. again, i don't think it is the recipe...but i could be wrong.

practice, practice, practice! use whipped cream to practice. use a clean, warm spoon (only one, i find that you don't get as nice looking quenelles with the two spoon method) it tends to be easier to work into the "corner" of your container. in restaurants, we usually keep ice cream in square 6th pans, but at chikalicious she uses the pacojet so it is round...in any case, use the edge of the pan to help hold the spoon at an acute angle...the inside of the bowl of the spoon should almost be facing the top of the ice cream...that way, when you start to scoop the ice cream, it will roll onto and into itself it doesn't matter if the side that is exposed isn't quite perfect, because that is the bottom when you release it from the spoon. warm the spoon with the palm of your other hand and quickly and decisively transfer it to your dish. hesitation at any stage makes for an ugly quenelle. i guess this would be easier with pictures, but i'm not that technically advanced...

since people have mentioned troquet, i would recommend aubergine for a high end dinner. it is owned by the same chef couple (Tim and Liza Goodall). Tim was named best new chef by food and wine a few years back. i had my first "fine" dining experience there and it was great. don't know how it is now, but they are trying to build an empire...we'll see how that turns out. it sounds cheezy, but if you like/love good bread, you should go to an il fornaio. there's one in irvine. they have great bread! also, in irvine for fine dining, anyone know how bistango is doing lately? they have a web-site. i used to eat there because on sundays they had a 50% discount on food for restaurant workers! that was a bargain, for sure. bistango site have fun in the sun! i sort of miss soCal...somtimes... oh yes, i third or fourth taco mesa! that place really brings back some memories...burrito al pastor, WET.

every once in a while, i try to introduce spam musubi to my colleagues (all cooks). i'm surprised by how many people have never eaten spam! well, i'm glad that i deflowered many a spam virgin in such an original (on the mainland) way. once, at a party, i made mini musubis (each slice of spam cut into four pieces for bite sized musubis). sushi rice, wasabi furikake between the spam and the rice, crispy fried spam and wrapped with a ribbon of seaweed! they were the first thing gone from the table!

at the movies, it has always been popcorn, kakimochi and plain m&m's all tossed together and eaten very loudly! what a great way to get stink breath! edited to explain that "stink breath" is not misspelled...but pidgin

slightly off topic...but Keo's other family members are now growing vegetables on the islands. i think this is part of the good trend of chefs starting the ball rolling on growing hard to get ingredients on the islands. i think they get land leased from the government or something. there's some kind of incentive involved, but i'll check with my mom to get specifics. i love keo's and that was one of my first experiences with thai food (at their ward location). i haven't been back recently, but i would hope that they couldn't decline as much as places like roy's, etc.

ankomochi, i've sat with yasuda-san and arisa. both are great! arisa's english is reasonable and she's great at making sushi. i don't want to make any assumptions (but here goes anyway), i've never had too much wasabi on my sushi at yasuda...could it have been the white guy (gaijin) behind the counter? it seems to me that he makes quite a bit of the sushi that goes out into the dining room. i've noticed yasuda-san watching him very closely. he has been working there a while, but he is a white guy...no offense. i do think that sushi yasuda, for the quality, service, etc. is the best place for sushi here in new york. i don't consider it too expensive and you can get away with eating very well for not a ton of cash. you'd spend more at peter luger and then have a meat hangover!

i'd like to reiterate what i said on the original "chikalicious" thread...i'm with TrishCT...i so wanted to love this place. what a way for pastry chefs to get their due with regard to independence, press, credit, etc. but, i was disappointed as well. i won't say that chika and donna were "cold". they were professional and focused. i understand that, as i am also a cook of the pastry persuasion. i'm not one to chat while i'm plating up desserts. but their set-up does ask for interaction and they should be prepared to be sparkling to their guests. again, i'll say that i'd expect a little more from their menu. it sounds like TrishCt had the same petit fours that i had about two months ago. the frommage blanc "cheesecake" being a signature dessert, i'd expect the others to change or to have more desserts to offer. how hard is it to change petit fours?! not very. i love the concept and i think they're doing a decent job, but definitely not stellar. they're certainly not pushing themselves nor are they asking their customers to expect more from them.