fou de Bassan

Canadianbakin and joni, sorry I have not answered sooner, have had bronchitis. I used about 1 teaspoon well filled with Chambord and found that result to be pleasant but not overpowering. Have also used the same amount of Amaretto but since I love Amaretto it was not nearly enough. Nightscotsman, curry does sound interesting. I was thinking of making an infusion of thyme or tarragon but I think I will need to adjust the sugar amount. The idea of honey-thyme marshmallows sounds good in my head. I dont know...

What was your family food culture growing up? My mother detested what she called slavery and drudgery and so she played lots of tennis. My father worked. Was meal time important? No. Tee time was though. Was cooking important? Oh, ha-ha. If my mother could have found perfect nutrition in a pill that would have been our meal. If someone was not cooking for us, we ate out. Were restaurant meals common? Not so much restaurant meals, but club meals. We kids would ride our bikes to the club, eat and add it to the tab. Did children have a kiddy table? The carpet in front of the TV When did you get that first sip of wine? I do not remember. I do, however, remember the first puff of gitanes, thought I would die. Was there a pre-meal prayer. Nope. Was there a rotating menu? There were always tv dinners in the freezer. How much of your family culture is replicated in present-day? Well, I do not play tennis. But I did learn a lot from my grandmothers who were wonderful Southern cooks and strong women. And my MIL is a lovely woman who helped me out enormously in the kitchen. So I am trying to raise our kids with those role models in mind.

lucia, I should have explained about the rounding, sorry. My only excuse is that the bronchitis meds are fogging my already dim lights. When I started baking the thing I used to try to remember was that finished bread dough will feel like a babys cheek.

did you round the dough, tucking under and turning to get a nice rounded shape has always worked for me. No, I do not think a banneton is necessary but if you have wooden salad bowls they do work well for helping to shape the rising dough. We line ours with floured tea towels. Of course, without the banneton,you would not have those nifty concentric circles on your bread.

This is areally good thread, keep it up. Also, never apologize. Your pics are more than fine. As to brownie recipes, katherine hepburns brownies from laurie colwin are a classic. I have not succeeded in posting a link but try to google or look on epicurious... I am really enjoying the baking procession. Keep up the good work!

My aunt, who is a farm wife, makes the best divinity! She beats hers by hand and when we were small it was a treat for us to take turns beatingthe goo until our little arms were sore. I've tried this with my own children but they never fall for it.

In response to Canadian Bakin' : I made raspberry marshmallows with Chambord the other day and was floored! I now keep 1/2 cup measures of fruit puree in the freezer specifically for marshmallow making. I have to thank night scotsman for that wonderful idea, because, although I've been making marshmallows for a while with different extracts I never would have added fruit puree. Now, I'm thinking of savory marshmallows. Has anyone tried this?

grahamR, I had no idea. Thanks for the information on fumigation techniques, now I can justify the organic peppercorns. Well written piece on an interesting topic. Thanks. Fou

I'm really looking forward to reading this blog. Good on ya for being brave and doing what lots of us(me) would love to!

foodman, I was glad to see this recipe as it looks delicious! I'm interested to see if it has the same taste as an indian dish that's called aab gosht, which is lamb cooked in milk. I may have the spelling wrong tho. There's also another dish, a korma, made with yogurt by muslim indians but that has nuts added. I'd be interested to know if there's a connection. I'm sorry if this is at all off topic.

I like Ambrosia, but breaking with the one word mantra I can't seem to get baba malone's out of my head. There are a couple of interpretations and it sounds cool. IMHO

Welcome! If you've got the use of a kitchen, I think it would be less nerve-wracking to transport the puffs and accessory ingredients on site. If you end up transporting the whole shebang assembled make sure it's stable and your van is cold. All in all, I'd rather arrive really early than risk damaging such a showstopping dessert. Kathryn

If you decide to stay independent you might try Bakewell's or Bake for you But, if you and your brother are definitely going to team up then you should keep it simple. Most people only want to remember one word. Wellington's or sugar or something of that nature. Also single words pass more quickly by word of mouth. I hope this helps and I wish you success.

Have you seen the recent issue of Fine Homebuilding? It is for kithchens and baths. In this issue there is an article on nooks with benches and underbench storage. I like the susanka idea in there which is proportioned for short and tall. Have you thought of this as a possibility? And is there any way you could vary counter heights so that a pastry area for you could double as a workspace for your wife? Good luck!

I've finally stopped salivating enough to post Your blog is marvelous and makes me dream of produce( sigh ).

My mother knows one flavor, BURNT. So we are all thrilled to be asked to contribute. She does the flowers, we cook. It's much, much better that way.

I'm putting in another vote for Christofle. My MIL has an absolutely beautiful set which has a nice heft and clean lines. It polishes up easily also. I got my great-grandmothers and so have no purchase information for you but Christofle and Puifourcat are my two favorites. Use your silver and enjoy it! Nothing keeps it more beautiful than regular use.

I love this topic! I have my great-grandmother's chicken frying fork and her cutting board. They are the tools I saw her use almost daily. We also have some olivewood eggcups from my husband's grandmother but that's as far back as it goes. This site really brings out my inner archivist(and I don't let her out that often).

It's been 4 years since we moved to WI from Montreal and this info may be outdated but... We used to live in Beaconsfield and the Metro had a pretty good supply of basics. I'd go to Fruiterie 440 on Sources for fruits, veg, cheese and sausages. Marche' Adonis further down the road was where I picked up middle eastern ingredients, plus I love the staff! I found Sources also had a great Asian store as well as Greek and Indian. Just keep driving. As I said, things may have changed since we moved so someone who still lives there may be a better guide as I'm sure new stores have opened. We lived in NDG too before migrating West, I wonder if NDG has become the springboard to suburbia? Happy Hunting!

Pure and simple? Laurie Colwin's Pickled cabbage Roasted Sweet Potato with feta Lemonade

I agree, that is a lovely floor! And a sweet-faced dog It seems well worth the effort.

When I'm sad or upset I make coq au vin. I have a friend who makes pans and pans of biscotti in times of crisis. I think what draws us to these foods is the slownes and attention they demand. When I focus my energy outward I become more centered and thoughtful. On the other hand, when I'm really happy or pleased I'll make quick, bright food.

Susanand prepcook, I love reading your posts and am looking forward to this blog especially as our Wisconsin winter is just beginning.

Those windows are just gorgeous! I love the slightly wavy glass, it seems to give an added texture to the view. Congratulations!

I've found other people who think about food( in Wisconsin, even) holistically. People who love the generosity that cooking represents and who embody the ideal. I'm much more of a reader than a poster, partly because i often feel I can't say anything as well as it has already been said. I can only echo the sentiments expressed. I've learned that I can come with almost any question and someone out there has an answer. I've also learned how beautiful butt can truly be.