Abra

I already knew you were the Queen of Cake, but please allow me to confer upon you the honorary degree of Masters (er, make that Mistress) of Cake Engineering Science and Arts. You're totally it. Fantastic photo essay, makes it perfectly clear that if you're a) a genius, and b) have an incredibly steady hand, and c) have all the right tools, you too can sculpt cake. Uh, I hate to admit it, but I'd imagined that the straws would stick up a bit into the bottom of the top cake, so the visual really helped me. And it reinforced the First Mantra of Cake that you taught me: Buttercream is All.

The Edgewater is very nice too, if you have another dinner to account for.

I had a very interesting experience over the weekend, when I had a celebratory meal with a group of Tongans (I'll be posting about it in a few days). The food was all traditional Tongan, and since it's also traditional to eat with one's fingers, I did. Later I heard that a couple of people had commented that I was the only palangi (ferenghi, haole, or white person from somewhere else) that the speaker had ever liked, or felt comfortable with, and all because I ate with my hands. It happens that I love to eat with my fingers, but I never imagined that it would make me popular!

She called it Two Grain Abracadabra Pilaf. It was all white basmati when I created it, but she added kamut and made it brown basmati. It was yummy in its original incarnation, but healthier in hers, no doubt.

That was fun! I didn't post, due to life circumstances, but I've been reading along faithfully. Thanks!

Oh good, I found my recipe. With directions adapted to conform to eG policy: * Exported from MasterCook * GALAKTOBOUREKO Recipe By : Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 6 c milk 1 c fine semolina 3 1/2 T cornstarch 3 c granulated sugar 1/4 tsp salt 6 Eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 T Butter 12 filo sheets 3/4 c butter -- melted & hot 1 c water 1 lemon or orange (peel only) 2 T brandy or cognac In a heavy-bottomed, 3-quart saucepan, bring the milk gradually to a boil; do not allow it to scorch. Sift together the semolina, cornstarch, 1 cup of the sugar, and salt and slowly whisk into the hot milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook slowly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, then remove from the heat. Beat the eggs on high with an electric mixer. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating for about 10 minutes, until they're fluffy, then stir in the vanilla. Whisking briskly, add eggs to the hot pudding. Partially cover the pan and allow to cool. Butter a 9 x 13 pan and cover the bottom with 7 sheets of the filo, brushing each sheet with butter. Make sure that a few sheets come up the pan sides. Pour the custard into the pan over the filo. Cover with the 5 remaining sheets, brushing butter between each sheet including on the top sheet. With the tip of a very sharp knife, score the top filo sheets into square or diamond shapes - don't cut down to the custard, just through the filo. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes, until crisp and deep golden brown on top and the custard is firm. Meanwhile, make a syrup by boiling the remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar with the water and citrus peel for 5 minutes. Add the brandy or Cognac and set aside. Remove the galaktoboureko from the oven and spoon the hot syrup evenly over the entire surface, particularly the edges. Cool thoroughly before cutting and serving. Keep any leftovers refrigerated. Source: adapted from ""The Food of Greece" by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles."

I have a lovely galaktoboureko recipe, but I'm away from my home computer for up to another week. If you still need a recipe by then, just PM me to jog my memory and I'll be glad to share it.

Sounds like the Greek galaktoboureko, which is utterly delicious.

Congratulations, Suzi! Tell us how it goes. On the attribution question, I just want to give a great recent example of the opposite effect. A friend recently told me that a recipe of mine appears in Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian. I was dumbfounded, but it's true. Crescent got it from a post of mine on another online cooking community that we both frequented abut 8-9 years ago, tweaked it a bit, put it in her book, and named me as the source. I was astounded, and happy to see the recipe again, since I'd forgotten all about it. It was very good, as I recall, and now I can make it again. She sure didn't have to attribute that recipe, and I thought it was very classy of her.

Are they open for lunch? I'd need a kid-free time to go there, myself.

Well, there are a ton of recipes here. and I've been sifting my way through them. I'll be delighted if one of you has an authoritative recipe, though, since I'd like to get it perfect right from the start.

Fabulous and gorgeous!

Wow, you got me! I was thinking about how brave you were, hauling the kids up the mountain in the blinding rain...

Poor Kris! What a blog this would make, eh? No-foot cooking in a tiny space...I can see it now. I'd be thinking about what could steam in the rice cooker atop the rice. And if you do have an electric skillet, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, or tempura made at the table. At least you're lucky to live in a place where there's so much prepared and packaged stuff that your family already likes. How did you break your foot?

Thanks, FoodMan! I'll drop them a note too, in case Jim decides that he really needs all of his walnuts this year.

Oh, good idea, I'll try there too - thanks!

Wow, that must be a terrible picture if I look like anybody's son! Or like my father was Tongan! Nah, just a palangi woman trying to please her Tongan guests.

Thanks, all! That Planet Tonga site must have some good recipes, but all I can seem to find is a lot of chat about recipes, as opposed to something I can really work with, but then a lot of it is in Tongan so I can't be sure, maybe it's Cordon Bleu in disguise! The other sites contain recipes for all of the dishes my friend has already told me people are bringing. I'm getting the idea that a) Tongan food is pretty simple and limited in variety, b) consists mainly (or at least umu food does) of food cooked with coconut milk wrapped in taro leaves. I was so hoping, and really am still hoping, to find a recipe for something that no one else will be making. No secret recipes out there? A dessert would be cool. My friend is going to dress me up in semi-traditional clothes, which she swears will be viewed as a sign of respect and not as a silly haole trying to "go native." Hmmm, I'm starting to get nervous about this part! Helen, it's going to be held at my house, so I'll be there for the umu part itself. However, I've been assured that only the men will get to play with the umu, that Tongan women do the kitchen work and the guys get to play with the pit. And gifts? Please do tell before I embarrass myself!

Hey, y'all want to know something awesome? The power of eG never ceases to amaze me. A chef from Sara Lee evidently read this thread, and emailed, offering to comp me a case of banana cake for my poor deprived client. I was skeptical at first, but I swear to the sugar goddess, 20 pounds of banana cake arrived at my house this week! My client is going to think I'm God herself!

Ok, I'll be the voice of heresy here. I haven't eaten at Matt's. I went in there once, got seated at a way-too-close-together table, looked at a menu that included nothing I wouldn't make at home, saw prices that looked higher than expected, had a server who seemed indifferent to our presence, and left before ordering. I know it has a cult following, but I just want to inject the observation that it's not for everyone. Maybe if we'd eaten we would have been won over, but I'm really resistant to paying a lot for someone to cook the food I cook myself, and yes, I get great ingredients at home. I know, Scrooge speaks.

Tongan friends are throwing an umu in honor of my father, who recently passed away. I'd like to make something typical/traditional to contribute, but it needs to be with ingredients that are availaboe in California. Any ideas?

Is it ok to ask just one Idiot Question? What's the secret for perfect slicing of the Fraisier, and the Dacquoise? Slice frozen, hot knife? Perfect slicing is the key to so many things, and I can never get a definitive answer. Beautiful work, y'all!

I'm with you on the Otokoyama, jbonne - my fave - although I'm partial to it from a cedar box, because that's the way I first tasted it. With salt. Now I can't wait to try the renkon butter. Do you have a suggestion on the best dried bonito for this dish?

Another vote for favas. Either as a puree, or a little saute with shallots and maybe a few morels. It's the essence of Spring.

I don't know about pecans. I'm pretty sure there are no pecans in France, and for my first try, I really want to replicate that French flavor that haunts me.