Michael M

For a great book on the issue, check out The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book which focuses on whole grain loaves. I used to play with it and it helped guide transitioning from all-white recipes to those with part or all whole-grain.

Thanks for both recent responses. I threw the question out then got overwhelmed with house renovation issues. It's time to dive back in and get this thing planned!

Actually I haven't finalized plans yet, though I realize I should have. Thanks for the tips. I'm leaning that direction anyway.

Great, thanks! Actually, he lives in Alpharetta, but I expect we'd go into the city for this. Those links are great, Melissa!

I'm visiting my brother in February and am looking for places with an interesting wine selection, knowledgable staff and great food. Examples include Tria in Philly, Bin 36 in Chicago or maybe the bar area of Otto in NYC. Suggestions? Thanks!

Thanks to help here and other forums, I am closing in on a plan for my visit in March. Fly into Rome, stay there a few days, then into Campania somewhere, then back to Rome. I've never been to the region (Campania), and want to visit Napoli as well as the penninsula in general. I would alro like to have a car sometime during this trip in order to visit wineries in the Campania region. But then there's Napoli and driving within the city. I've driven in Italy and think it's fine. I've also driven in Rome and would like to avoid that as much as possible, likewise Naples I would expect. So I think I have two choices. One: Drive from Rome and end up somewhere in one of the cities outside of Napoli as my base (perhaps Sorrento or Positano). I'll have a car to visit wineries inland, and public transportation for getting into and out of Naples. Then take a train back to Rome. The problem here is that 1) We would not be in the city of Napoli and 2) it would take time each day to get into Naples. Two: take the train from Rome to Napoli, stay there a while, then rent a car somewhere on the outskirts of town and...maybe relocate again? I'm not sure about this. I'm only there 10 days, and 4 of them will be in Rome. I've scoured the archives here, took into account responses to my previous queries. Any suggestions now about where to stay for the easiest winery access? Thanks.

For molds, someone here recommended this place online for a source of molds. I just received my order - they have quite a selection. For books, someone else should chime in.

Reasons?

Couldn't really find an appropriate forum for this, but I see a camera-for-food-pix thread just above, so I figure I'm in the ballpark. I'm not looking for a high-end dishwasher, but want the quietest I can afford that washes well and has no repair issues. Well, don't we all? Does anyone have any favorites?

Absolutely! In fact, after making a test batch, I went ahead and made the rest the next day, with enough to taste along the way. I'll start testing in 3 days, then. Yum! Oh, yes, and will report back, of course, post-prandially.

OK, someone at some time will co-opt this thread into unusual flavors that go well together, one of my favorite subjects (remember as a kid mixing everything you could find in the spice cupboard into your latest dish?) (or was that just me?). Miso + toasted pecans Raisins + butter + garlic (on noodles...not really a pastry thing, but had to add) More mainstream: sherry + nuts, especialy almonds figs + rum/brandy/marsala +/- chocolate balsamic vinegar + strawberries, or really any berry

I should add that the fondant, melted, was the viscosity of...warm honey. Maybe that was too thick? Should it be more like...warm maple syrup?

Update and a few questions: It's now December, and I assemble the appropriate indredients, and have made a test batch based on everyone's input. This is what I did: Poured in the dry fondant powder into a bowl (which said was for BC cherries, so it's the right type), mixed in some of the cherried brandy, mixed and massaged it into a dough. I took about 1/3 cup of this, melted it on a double broiler, added one drop of invertase, dipped just-barely-air-dried BC cherries, then let them air dry. Dipped those in tempered chocolate. Now, how long do I wait to see if it's worked? I assume if I wait a month, they will liquify anyway (right?). But with the invertase...? I left the bowl of leftover fondant-with-invertase out to see if that would liquify, but it hasn't yet. OK, it's only been 45 minutes, but it's really hard still. Or will it not liquify when exposed to the open air? Do I sound like an impatient child or an impatient artiste?

This is eGullet. You can't post that without providing your favorite recipe for hooch. Sarcasm aside, Hot beverage made with only cocoa must = "hot cocoa" Hot beverage made with chocolate must = "hot chocolate" ...the obvious difference being the inclusion of silky cocoa butter in the latter. A little cornstarch to thicken it is something I discovered in Italy.

Thanks, jeniac42, but we happen to live in Chicago, and can get these daily. Some of them are very nice!

I'm looking to get a special chocolate assortment sent to someone on a monthly basis. After searching eGullet, there was discussion about mail order recommendations, but not "of the month" type gifts. Can't find much review-wise on the sites I found through Google. Any experience with these? Recommendations?

Is it time-consuming to make? Or easier to purchase? Where would I go about purchasing it?

Um...CK's is...? (Amateur status showing here)

Thanks so much for the recipe! I also found one at the library tody advising to add glycerine and 36% acetic acid to the fondant in order to reliquify it. Anyone know why? Have you made this before , Artistic Creations?

First, I found the eGullet thread here which I remembered. This was helpful, although the book mentioned costs around $100, even at Amazon. What I've culled from that thread is either: 1) do it at the last minute or 2) read the info in this book which involves a drip of invertase sugar per pound of fondant, which would mean I'd have enough invertase sugar, once purchased, for the remainder of the century. Any other ideas? Or should I just eat these things as is? They would make nice gifts senza ciocollata... *edited by Wendy to correct your link

Years ago I had a recipe for these that involved rolling the cherries in fondant that, once covered in chocolate, liquified. I'm sure at the time I used maraschinos and Hershey's, but now that I'm all grown up, I have a half-gallon jar of sour Michigan cherries that have been sitting in brandy since July, and I'm thinking - hey, I can make a grown up version of those things! I'm sure a trip to the library or bookstore would be more valuable than the google search I just did, as every recipe had things like: "salt", "chocolate chips", "empty the jar", "stir in margarine", etc. I want a real recipe. I know there are 2 versions of these. One, the cherry floats in a viscous, brandied liquid; the other has the coverture exploding in your mouth with a lightly sweet brandy gushing out. I'd prefer the latter, like I had from St. Ambroeus in Milan. I know there was talk of this on the board once, someting about invert sugars liquifying something something. I'll go search for it. In the meantime, anybody have a recipe? Thanks.

Exactly how I was raised. What wasn't forbidden never did have the cachet that it did for others. And I remember reading statistics somewhere comparing American teen-drunk-driving with those in countries where alcohol is a normal part of everyday life enjoyed in moderation, and Americans came out far worse.

1) It's been great stepping back and letting the experts here do their thing - thanks, chefette. 2) Racheld, something creepy about an Undergroun Railroad for itinerent ice creams, considering what I expect ends up happening to them!

. . . as noted in my opening post =R= ← Oh geez, it's right there. I blame it on being under the weather today. No, really. Oops.

Also, to be open on Saturdays as well as Wednesdays, Chicago's Green City Market., opening May 18.