Tracy K.

I've never frozen ganache, so you would be more familiar with how it behaves after it has thawed. My concern is that the cream would misbehave upon thawing and not pour/spread as well as it should. You absolutely must transport the cake as separate tiers and assemble the cake at the reception site. I'm not sure how the cake will be structured...but things move in cars no matter how carefully you drive. Small tiers can be transported stacked, but even with dowels through the tiers, you can have trouble with the layers slipping. It is much easier to assemble on-site...and you have more peace of mind driving there. Plus, any last minute decorations or corrections can be made and you know that they'll stay put. Since you'll have a buttercream filling, will you also be frosting the cake with a layer of the buttercream, then coating with ganache? My thought is that if you did that, the buttercream would seal the cake while it is frozen, then you could thaw the cake and pour the ganache closer to the wedding date. As for transporting, I always individually box my cakes (I have lots of bakery boxes...sheesh). If you are stacking layers directly on top of one another, you may run into some smooshing, but this can be covered with buttercream border, a ribbon at the base, etc. I have cut pieces of styrofoam that will make the boxes and cakes fit snugly together...surrounding the cake plate and holding the cake snugly. I don't take the cake from the top of the box, but have cut the front so it folds down and I can just slide the layer out.

Do you have one of those big box fans?...Put it in the window facing out and put it on high. That sucker should help get the smoke out a little better. This is not just an apartment thing...I only do steaks on the grill because the same thing happens in my house, which is not a good thing when it's zero degress outside and you have to open all the doors. As for supermarket steaks...around here, the chain supermarkets sell "select" beef--blech. Shoe leather in, shoe leather out. We're lucky to have a small, neighborhood supermarket that sells prime meat for the same price as choice...even at their own market! I'll take a 2" thick porterhouse, pleeze....

But Ronnie, I hate the telephone/cell phone; why do you think I'm having a conversation with you here...online! Maybe a cell phone in the store would cause some sort of spontaneous combustion with all the spices....

I'm wondering about everyone using plastic wrap in the oven...all the plastic wrap manufacturers (no matter the composition of the material) recommend against using it in a conventional oven. It apparently has nothing to do with migration of chemicals into the food (a fear by some from use in the microwave); they simply all say don't do it.

My thought exactly; but since I live within walking distance, it seems silly. I think I'd just call them up, place the order, and have them meet me outside... haachoo!!

The Evanston Farmer's market was really quiet on the 15th. Mostly fresh herbs, asparagaus, rhubarb, lots of plants. Not all the vendors are there yet. None of the fruit vendors were there, for obvious reasons (too early in the season, even for Michigan strawberries). I highly recommend the Morlock's from Barrien Springs (I think), MI. I only buy my fruit from them. Highest quality. There are some vendors who either don't sell their own stuff or sell poor quality items that look beautiful, but taste like cardboard. Just because it's a farmers' market doesn't mean every merchant has quality. And please, avoid my greatest pet peeve...do not strip corn! The size and/or appearance of the kernels has nothing to do with the quality or flavor of the corn; it has to do with the characteristics of the particular variety. Most farmers grow supersweet types now for truck farming, so the flavor will hold. A more important question is when it was picked. Parking at the Evanston market will be a nightmare once it really ramps up. There is a parking garage right next to the location...use it. There is no street parking, unless you want to drive in circles for an hour. You can get your parking ticket validated right at the market, so you won't have to pay (the first hour in the garage is free anyway, whether or not you have a validated ticket). Highland Park has a very nice, very small farmers' market on Wednesdays. There is one vendor there who has high quality Michigan fruit; a guy who has a really small operation (he's at Evanston, too), but quality, Illinois produce; and a flower vendor that sells the best cut gladiolus and sunflowers anywhere. They open fully, do not rot, and last an entire week...until you go back for more. Hooo boy, you got me started.....

You know, every time I walk past the place, I sneeze.... They obviously have a great deal of turnover in their product, which is why it's floating through the air, onto the sidewalk, into my nostrils, undifferentiated odeur, nay puanteur.... I think it's like going into one of those infernal candle shops...you can't tell the difference between things after you've been in there three minutes. Every party needs a pooper....

I'm very surprised to hear that, even as of last January, you were able to eat marrow in the UK...bovine spongiform encephalitis (Mad Cow)...we were in London right after the big outbreak, and you couldn't get any beef on the bone.

To clean the mesh...go to the hardware store and get a product called Spray Nine. Grocery stores generally don't have it. The company is in/near Buffalo, NY, so if the hardware store doesn't have it, they should be able to get it. It is a fabulous cleaner for grease. Take the filter out and spray thoroughly...let it sit...if the whole filter fits in the sink, submerge it in the Spray Nine. You may need to use a brush of some sort to get all the nooks and crannies, but it will work. Also, the dishwasher will do a fine job of cleaning...there are good grease cutters in diswasher detergent. Wash the filter alone, not with your dishes, and remove the top rack if you need to for the filter to fit. We have an electrostatic filter for our central air conditioner that we wash in the DW...comes out spanking clean. Which reminds me...probably time to clean the air conditioner filter and the exhaust over the stove....

Oh Alex, I'm so jealous--to see that beautiful horse...oh wait, you were in the infield drinking juleps.... Technical question: Does it matter what kind of mint to use? So many recipes for anything mint simply call for "mint." Is there a noticable taste difference between peppermint, spearmint, etc. Plus, would using JD sour mash or Wild Turkey (what I have on hand) be okay, or should I go "official" and buy the Early Times? Derby Day is just around the corner...plus it's my son's first birthday...so of course the party theme is set. No time to make a sugarpaste grandstand (boo hoo) for the cake.

I grew up in Toledo: "Glass Capitol of the World". Plus, my grandfather worked at a "pop shop" and Budweiser bottler. There was never any question in our house...my uncles would go ballistic with the comments if someone had a canned beverage. No theories, though, on why the taste would be different. Probably no chemical reaction with the metal in the can. I will also add to the chorus on "Tangy, Tropical TING" Plus, as regional favorites go: Vernor's Ginger Ale from Detroit. I used to drive back east or have a standing order for people who were visiting to bring cases of it, as well as Squirt. I guess I've got a ginger and grapefruit Jones.

The Pepsi and Coke in Mexico probably tastes better because they use sugar instead of corn sweeteners. (I once worked at PepsiCo). You can duplicate the experience here if you look for the soda/pop that's labeled Kosher for Passover...there may still be some in the stores. We would always load up on kosher 7-Up. My vote for "ethnic" soda is Garrett's Ginger Beer from Bermuda. Best served with Gosling's Black Seal Rum--A "Dark and Stormy"

There used to be an Afghan restaurant in Ridgewood. I don't recall the name, the the food was wonderful--a family-run affair, mom's-home cooking kind of place. Is it still there? It was right next to a place called White Russian (or something like that) This was before the Soviet Union fell, and the owners of the Afghan restaurant were more than peeved when people came into their restaurant and asked if there was a way to get to the Russian restaurant through their place...I kid you not, people really did that.

Pret a Manger reminded me of the Automat. Olive Garden is "truly" the finest dining available in Springfield, Illinois. The "real" chains are obvious, but every city seems to end up with it's own local chain-ette. In Chicago, there was just a review of the newest rendition of the "Francesca" phenomenon. The first, Mia Francesca, was hip, happening, and pretty good (but I have eaten so much Italian food in NY and NJ that nothing except Rosebud even comes close around here). Now there are "Francescas" popping up everywhere...formulaic menu...one pork chop dish, one chicken dish, two/three seafood/fish dishes.... The reviewer for the Sun Times, Pat Bruno (whom I respect very much--very knowledgable about food and the business), even said that if they were not careful, they'd just become the Olive Garden. We also have "Lettuce Entertain You" (Rich Melman's company)--which specializes in "concepts." Some of them are very good, some of them serve hog slop, and some of the restaurants simply use the corporation to fund the business (a la Jean Joho).

Red food coloring has a distinct flavor--no matter what number red is in the bottle. The recipes I've seen for a red velvet cake call for pouring in the entire bottle...which I think is about two ounces? You certainly could get a super-red cake if you used paste color in the batter.

Robyn, I agree with you. I don't think that reviewers need to be vicious or catty. I believe a restaurant review should be knowledgable and informed about the food, service and atmosphere. When I read a couple of Ruth Reichl's last columns, her reviews seemed to me to be more about her power and ego than about the restaurant. As if being editor of Gourmet, author, etc. etc., isn't enough....

You'll need to find someone who knows where the roses are coming from. Many commercial growers use systemic pesticides and fungicides and you don't want to be eating them. I'd also try to seek out some restaurants that are noted for using fresh herbs, greens, etc., as I think they'd be more than willing to help you find a source. (And gee, I always thought it was Lily vonSchtoop, aber Ich bin nicht Berliner....and I don't recall the ASCII code for an umlaut...and "Let's face it, I'm tired!")

If you have a sunny spot on a windowsill, you can grow a number of the herbs quite easily. Rosemary is profoundly easy--thrives on neglect. Basil is very easy in a pot. Herbs at the grocery store have been through the same supply chain as the other produce, so it's not right off the plant. You could also just place the herbs in a glass of water, just like you would flowers. Snip off the bottom so the plant could continue to absorb the water, again keeping them in the refrigerator. I have to admit that I'm more the put it in a bag type of person, though. Drying is very easy. Simply spread the herbs out on a paper plate on top of the refrigerator. The fridge generates a gentle warmth up there and the herbs will dry very nicely.

The review reminds me of Hyacinth Bucket of "Keeping Up Appearances"--Waterside Supper with Riparian Entertainments

As I am wont to do, I'll continue the horticultural aspect of this discussion. Soil quality, including pH, mineral content, type of bedrock, drainage, and on and on, all have an impact on what is grown in that soil. This is why some wheat grown one farmer's field can be quite different than wheat grown in another farmer's field...or even within the same field. Add in to the mix weather (which varies year to year, month to month, and can have an enormous impact), storage, processing, and the end product can be quite different. Most processors have contracts with farmers to provide their wheat for milling--their attempt to keep the product uniform.

One thing to keep in mind...the "article" is actually a press release that was printed verbatim, including the stock information at the end. Trade publications love it when companies do their work for them...that's why the thing is so glowing. We actually have a bottle of asti in the basement, a gift from cousins with whom we are quite close. It has been there two years. I don't know what to do with it, since drinking it is out of the question, and I worry about the impact it would have on the plumbing if I poured it down the drain....

When I'm pureeing a small amount with the stick blender (mine is a Braun that's about 15 years old--still going strong), I try to pulse the hand switch very briefly using a light touch and keeping the blade guard (for want of a better term) flat against the bottom of the pan or bowl--picking it up and placing it in another part of the sauce when necessary. Now, the newer models may not do this (pulse easily), but it has worked for me. Also, in terms of cleaning, I make certain that I run it under hot water as soon as I am finished...pulsing it in a bowl of soapy water also helps get stuff out of the little nooks on the underside of the thing...okay, so sometimes I have to resort to a toothpick....sheesh!

I'd have to think of three things: the brand of bacon, its thickness, and when you remove it from the oven. My thought is that there will be residual heat in the meat that will continue to cook it before it is served. I'm not a master at this because the brand of bacon that I prefer (Neuske's...from Wisc.) tends to come packaged as a thicker slice...and I really can't wait that long to eat it! Slab bacon could be sliced exactly as you prefer. I also agree about fat content...the meat portion of the bacon won't shatter unless it's jerky-like...which, indeed, is not necessarily a bad thing either!

But Auntdot...Harrod's food court is all about people-watching on those uncomfortable stools. Mr. Al-Fayed would be satisfied with nothing less....

Kalamata olives and orange sections make a nice salad--I suppose if you had a citrusy recipe you could add some olives for a kick...but not enough to overpower the citrus.