cbarre02

tryska Though I enjoy Crem Brulee I was looking for a bit more composition as far as a plated dessert goes. Though I could use it as one of my components, and I do agree that Indian flavor would go very well with custard. Also it is very easy to pronounce flavors via a brulee or flan.

I will never again... use an unrolled edged sheetpan to bake a batch of flourless chocolate cake. The pan buckled in the oven... while the batter was still liquid. I didn't check on it until about 25 minutes into the cooking... well you can imagine the rest

Great idea about the naan and mango. There is a dessert in Richard Leach’s book "Sweet Seasons" that incorporates a very thin strawberry "tart", and I believe that the afore mentioned ingredients would lend very nicely to this preparation. Possibly with some rosewater and yogurt sorbet, and a light cardamom scented pineapple foam. KEEP THE IDEAS COMING!!!

I am not really concerned in the shape or texture of the dessert. Just flavor applications that I can use in modern French/American style plated desserts.

Recently I have been playing allot with food influences from the subcontinent of India. There are of course a wide array of spices, and fruit that are used there (all which are very interesting). I have had some success with infusing chocolate with whole toasted spice, by letting the chocolate sit in the same airtight container as the spices. I have also experimented quite a bit with adding yogurt to ganaches (on a 1 to 1 ratio) and have had some excellent results. Just was wondering if any one had some creative ideas in the way of flavor combinations?

While "beating" the egg mixture the protein strand in the egg may have broken up. Even straining this liquid could not remove the broken protein strands. During baking these broken strand could have rose to the top, and formed there own layer outside of the homogenous one underneath. Also I would like to point out that my inquiry about your opinion (Dave) was genuine; I was really impressed with some of the posts that you wrote for the egg cookery topic. Very interesting and well backed.

Dave you seem to be quite an authority on "egg based" subjects (no pun intended), what is your opinion?

Samaki, If your truffles are leaking from the upper half of the truffle (which I don't know if they are or not), It may be because of the high water content of the ganache. After the initial dipping the chocolate on the upper most point may not be very thick, because the ganache is too slippery. When couverture sets it shrinks, and if their is a part of the shell that is thinner that the rest it will crack first. This would allow the ganache to escape form the truffle; because at it comes to room temp it expands. So you have two laws of science that could be working against you. You may want to try dipping at a lower temperature so that the chocolate will set a bit faster, at least for these specific ones.

I have found that making the batter 24 hours in advance will allow all of the air to escape prior to baking. Also don't let the cream come to a boil, that will also incorporate air, the fat in the cream will trap water vapor and result in the bubbles after baking. Instead place a ladle in to the hot cream (or milk mixture), when you lift it out of the pot and a large cloud of steam rises from the bottom of the over turned ladle then you are ready. Though I am not sure what temp this is (I am guessing around 190) it has always worked for me.

For the first 2 (of eight) courses we had sparkling water, which was nice because both of our first courses had citrus. And the sparkling water seemed to add a nice edge to the slightly sweet sauces. For 3 and 4 we had our asked our server what he could recommend, he then in turn returned to the table with some kind of wonder full white grape mixed drink (non-alcoholic). I have to admit I don't really know what it was, but it was rather dry and quite wonderful. For the cheese and Meat courses.....We fell both of us enjoyed a single glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, and loved every last drop of it. It isn't that we don't drink alcohol, its just we don't drink much of it. I am truly glad that we didn't go dry all the way through I nice glass of Evian through the lighter of the two dessert course, and then a wonderful cup of coffee to go with a milk chocolate mille feuille.

Any one of the warm spices (clove, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, etc...) should lend a nice depth of flavor to a marshmallow. You could also try adding a touch of salt to the recipe, to pronounce added flavors more. Making it taste like something more than just sugar. Vanilla bean may also give a bit more depth than just extract.

Last evening my companion and I had a wonderful night out, and quite possibly the best meal of our lives. For those who are wondering we had dinner at Tribute in Farmington Hills, Michigan. I would like to thank all for there replies

Neither my dining partner nor I consume alcohol. Though we both respect wine and all of it's history and glory, we would rather find another beverage that can be paired with wonderful food. I understand that no beverage can compete with wine on this level, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Soft drinks, I believe are not one of the alternative, and water doesn't do much for food complimenting. While coffee can be nice at the end of the meal with a robust flavored dessert, it is too strong (and to hot) to go well with meat courses. With that said I was wondering if anyone had any creative ideas, as we are going to a wonderful restaurant on Friday.

Recently I have been using yogurt instead of cream in my ganaches. I find that the light acidic notes that yogurt provide enhance the flavor of the chocolate, much like salt is used to enhance sweet flavor. I also like this method because of the high ratio of yogurt that I can add to chocolate (1.5 to 1) with out sacrificing the texture of the ganache, since yogurt all ready has a creamy texture. I have infused yogurt and added it to ganaches, and have had great success (herbal flavor really stand on their own). If the chocolate is to strong still, I simply add a little extra infused-yogurt to the mixture. And if I find that the ganache has great herbal flavor but to "yogurty" I add a pinch of salt and a touch of melted whole butter. Give it a try. Good Luck!

You may also want to try El Rey Chocolates, they are made in Venezuela. Here, the coco goes from the plantations to the factory in a very short time period, therefore allowing the manufacturers to have very close ties to the farmers. The closer all of the steps are in the cultivation-production-sales process, the more likely you are to have a quality product.

Orange powder is simply orange zest poached in simple syrup, then dried and aground into a powder. It is a nice garnish to a dessert, and offers orange flavor with out the acidity of the juice or the bitterness of the zest.

Here are two desserts that I have recently prepared especially for the fall season. Both may be a bit over top, but if anything strikes your fancy feel free to use it. The first of the two I based on the classic combination of pear, blue cheese, and walnut, only in a more modern fashion. The second takes its influences from two popular beverages in Mexico: Agua de Jamica (a sweet beverage made with steeped hibiscus flowers), and Horchata (a drink that is made with cinnamon and rice, and in this variation is represented by rice pudding). Mulled Cider Poached Pears Walnut Oil Financier & Cabrelas Ice Cream With Spiced Walnut Croquant Hibiscus Poached Pears with Orange Powder Warm Horchata Strudel & Warm Dried Fruit Compote Cinnamon-Tequila Sorbet I hope that these dishes can lend you some ideas. Good Luck!