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St. Terry Richardson - Patron saint of tempering chocolate symbol - plastic hand spatula and formica board

I'm late to this thread, but I find it interesting. This may sound a little unusual but I don't ask people for recipes because I feel like it makes me lazy. I also think I'm asking them for something too personal. I like to associate a person with the great dish(es) they produce and I'm not about to ask them to give it to me. I have plenty of cook books at home and if I want to recreate some grand fantastic dish that someone has made then I will experiment and research on my own to make it for myself. I find I learn so much more going this route. I also find that I concentrate on the flavors of the original dish (while eating it the first time) so much more intensely because I'm trying to decode them. My dad and I used to do this a lot when I was little, swoon while eating some crazy delicious dish then try guessing what ingredients went into it, those elusive overtones of flavors whose names just seemed to escape our minds. But I'm someone who loves mysteries and taking the long road to get anywhere. I do give out my recipes generally but I usually don't give the one's I've decoded for use in my business. When someone asks for these, I can't help feeling how lazy an approach it is to ask for it. I also don't know why people have a problem with those that don't feel like giving their recipes away. I don't remember growing up thinking that I should get anything just by asking for it or that the person that didn't give it to me was a mean or selfish person. I'm sure there are reasons there that we'll never know. Besides, If I did ask for a certain recipe and someone were to say no to me, they would probably be teaching me how to make the dish even better since I would be intent on finding how to do it on my own.

I bought some jam at a farmer's market in Olympia, WA. I believe it was called Scotch Tayberry. The woman who made it also called it Roseberry. It tastes like a blackberry jam with rose overtones. I'm not big on berry knowledge but she mentioned that berries and rose bushes are somehow related. It was dreamy.

Honey, you gem-like center of sweet. Honey. . . you're dripping to my feet. Honey, I feel you Honey. I paint my fingers in honey for you, Coating myself in amber jewel, Honey, I'm laced with Honey. Honey, I love you Honey. My royal seal on letters to you: A jelly so potent, ten times my love grew. Honey, I miss you Honey. We had some in flight, till I lost my mind, Then you disappeared. Oh where can I find. . . Honey, where are you Honey? Honey, will you be Honey?

Thanks for the camera info. I saw that one in American Photo's August Editors picks. Thanks again for sacrificing the temperature of the food in order to make some photography.

Your photos came out great! If it's not too off subject, what kind of camera do you use? I'm shopping for a small dig. camera for close up of foodstuff and yours gave excellent results, not to mention your engaging compositions. Thanks!

I only wish I were invited to eat dinner at other people's houses. My fiance is a fabulous cook and we usually do the inviting. I can only imagine that if I were in the position of eating inedible food, I would probably start laughing uncontrollably, until crying then ask if I could go take a nap. but more likely I would eat it of course super grateful that someone for once invited us for dinner. There was a time when I was that REALLY AWFUL COOK that made food for other people. Mostly for an ex boyfriend. While visiting his parents, I decided to treat them to flour tortillas like my grandma used to make even though it had been years since I made them. I got glimpses of the trouble to come when his step mom recommended I use a glass rolling pin that you fill with water (something I had never seen before). They had a Wolf or Viking type stove with a huge griddle (also something I had never seen or used before). But I thought it would be a great improvement over the single tortilla sized comal , thinking this way I could make a few at a time. Little did I know that it would take FOREVER to heat the griddle hot enough to cook the tortillas. I tried to cook them on the griddle but it just never got hot enough, and it was getting later and later. They were all huddled around me watching me cook tortillas, meanwhile I was trying to summon my grandma's spirit. (I swear, I was waiting for her to kick in.) Anyway, at the dinner table, they were complimenting them as I was cringing. They turned out like crackers and broke in half when folded. They were so gracious that I was beginning to feel convinced that perhaps they had never even had a tortilla. After all they were nestled in the Northeast. Maybe they really thought this is how they were supposed to be. This flimsy hope couldn't save me. I wanted to climb under the table. On the train ride back home, I mentioned that I thought the tortillas were a complete failure, to which he replied, "They really sucked" which I thought was unnecessary since I was already admitting they were terrible. I thought that was the only show of rude behavior particularly because I really was trying to cook from my heart. Another time I was a worse REALLY AWFUL COOK. I was on this oatmeal kick while reading something like Fit for Life. I made it every morning and sometimes for dinner or maybe just as a snack. I wouldn't allow any syrup, brown sugar, raisins, cream or milk to be put into it. I was a fanatic oatmeal eater and it had to be just so: thick rolled oats boiled in water. It was almost like my new religion. Poor guy (this was the same boyfriend as above). I would've left me as well. So you can imagine the misery, everytime he came to visit. The mornings would begin with this joyless mush. It was during this time he just decided to split, at least there were no bad mannered complaints about my cooking. I can only thank goodness I met my current man who reintroduced the glories of bacon, butter, creme, cheese, etc. . . into my life. Since he makes such delectable foods, the only time I cook now is when I make my family recipes which he knows better than to criticize if he doesn't like them

I don't know how this would work flavor wise but you could roll the freshly coated balls in shredded coconut which, if memory serves me right, is whiter than white chocolate. And the flakey surface could be seen as snowflakey.

Only the marshmallows in Lucky Charms please. I did like this one cereal that came out a little later, called Brown Cow. I fell for the commercial. After pouring the milk over the cereal and stirring it around, the milk would instantly turn into chocolate milk. What could be more intriguing at the breakfast table than a little magic?

[the shape of a dead dog, complete with tire tracks leading into his decimated middle] Whoa! That was insanely hilarious and disturbing. It sounds like she put a lot of love into making it.

beacheschef After washing the fresh mint, dry it in paper towel by rolling it up (like a flauta/taquito) and squeeze it a little. Separate leaves from stems. Chop the leaves into the cream with kitchen scissors and infuse on stove till it's strong enough for you. I normally use a different variety called Orange Mint that is more aromatic perfume cool than pure minty cool as spearmint or peppermint would be. I also make a Jasmine Tea palet , a flavor with chocolate that is just dreamy. For me it was a Chateauneuf-du-Pape inspired ganache, although I'm sure it's in wide usage in other parts of the world. (I remember hearing of chocolatiers in times past layering flowers alongside their chocolate (or cocoa beans?) in a cabinet to flavor them, something I want to try with gardenias for our Chocolate Challenges) Depending on the quantity used You can smell the aroma of jasmine on the surface of the bitten bon bon as well as in your nose mouth area after you've eaten it. Here is a link to the Tao of Tea brewing suggestions (green vs. black) if you plan to infuse in hot cream. If you brew too long with a little too much you'll get a funky aroma and bitter taste which, if you're not looking for it, can be obtrusive taooftea.com/brew_suggest.php3?t=suggest&id=]Tao of Tea BrewingTao of Tea Brewing]Brewing suggestions