Fernwood

Last year I added a cookie I found in the 3rd edition of Joy of Cooking. Sorry I can't recall the name right now (will try to add later), but they are thin, coffee-flavored crisps, made with both espresso powder and Kahlua. They are dead easy, as they are cut from a frozen log of dough, and delicious, but they need aesthetic help. They are flat, brown and boring-looking. As the recipe suggests, I make the log of dough rectangular, so the cookies are oblong, but they badly want some kind of garnish (minimal labor, please!). They don't need frosting, in my opinion, and they're too delicate to support an entire coffee bean apiece. I'm not particularly talented at clever garnishes and decorations; I hope someone else here has a suggestion. Thanks, Fern

This is a great suggestion, but I now avoid the whole problem by using ground chipotle powder (from Penzey's). It's super-convenient. I can't give you a conversion formula because I just guess on the amounts, figuring that this is something you have to do to taste, anyway. With the ground stuff, a little goes a long way at my house. Fern

I made a pie based on this recipe for Thanksgiving. I did take some liberties, including using 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt. I had a bag of muscovado brown sugar from Trader Joe's (maybe Billington's brand?); some of it went for the pumpkin pies, but the pecan got one cup fancy sugar and one cup Domino. The fancy sugar had a finer texture than Domino and a delicious flavor! I overbaked the pie due to the distraction of inlaws arriving right when the timer went off (I hate it when family expects me to care about them when I'm BAKING ). Also, my oven was acting strange, just in time for T-giving , which didn't help. The crust had actually been blind baked, so it was quite a deep brown by the time the pie finally came out. I think the overbaking caused some crystallization just under the nuts, but the flavor was fabulous! I think the word "melt" may be a little misleading here. I don't think it's necessary for the sugar to truly melt and indeed, the brown butter does not have residual moisture to dissolve it. I found that a relatively brief heating softened the sugar-in-butter, though it was still granular. The sugar didn't dissolve until the eggs were added, but that seemed to work just fine. Anyway, I think this recipe is a winner. Thanks, Claire, for posting it. I am looking forward to trying this again with all muscovado sugar and better attention to the endpoint. I just need to find an audience that can tolerate yet another carb blast; my household is still working on Turkey Day leftovers. Fern

Scargo, Please do check out Liuzzi; it is your all-purpose Italian source. Besides various cool things, they do have a butcher counter. The selection is quite limited, but what they have is good. I am still hoping someone will announce an all-around butcher that I have overlooked, but it's probably not going to happen. Whitneyville Food Center, on Whitney just North of Putnam, also has a pretty good counter in the back, a bit broader in the basics than Liuzzi. Good eating, Fern

Swisskaese, Thanks for the link. I'm wondering if you have that Fearing recipe recorded in/from another source. If so, could you please check the pastry ingredients? The recipe at the link describes an 8" shell, but lists 3 cups of flour, which I find improbable. Of course, I might try his filling in my own crust, anyway, but I'd love to have the correct version of the Fearing one. Thanks, Fern

Direct pressure and elevation. The higher you get your hand above your heart, the easier it will be to stop the bleeding. If you are resuming prep, you'll have to bring it down eventually, but elevation will definitely help as part of the first aid procedure. Good luck, Fern

Where can I find this recipe? Thanks, Fern

Actually, DeRoses has just reopened! And the Wine Thief is always a pleasure. Fern

Thanks, Toliver. I intend to practice that (after my finger is healed). On reviewing the course I realize that, although I'm OK on how I handle my knife in general, there is definitely room for improvement in the department of straight cuts of firm round objects. Something to look forward to.... Fern

The recipe link describes building a 3-layer cake, but the photo from the restaurant looks like 6 to me. Melissa, if you have made the cake from this recipe, did you split the layers and, if so, was there enough filling? Fern P.S. I'm chuckling about the description in the mail order ad. If the cake really weighs 12 lbs, I'm looking forward to my 12 oz serving! I assume that's the ship weight including chill packs, etc.... Of course, if it really is 12 lbs of cake, the price is not so daunting.

After taking a nasty slice off the tip of my left pinky this weekend , I think I need some guidance about dealing with raw carrots. I feel pretty good about my completely amateur, very basic knife skills in general, but this accident highlighted a situation that seems to be particularly difficult/dangerous for me. I have no problem with carrot coins, but I was trying to do a fairly fine dice for mirepoix for a short ribs braise. It's cutting that hard, rounded carrot the long way that gets me into trouble. My 8" knife was nice and sharp so, when it slipped, it cut through the tip of my finger very cleanly, instead of tearing the nail. I will admit that haste was a factor, but I am hoping that someone can give me some safety tips for this chore. I trust what's left of my finger (Oh, it's really not so bad, I think, but we'll have to see how it turns out in a month or two!) will serve as a reminder to slow down next time. Any advice is most welcome. Fern

I have read that various fish parasites are more common in warm waters than cold, and in fresh water than salt (isn't that why salmon for sushi is typically either smoked or previously frozen, because there are parasites that are prevalent in estuarial fish more than ocean-only fish?). However, my first fish worm experience was on an island off the coast of New Hampshire, where we were eating fish (maybe cod, don't remember, something white and rather large-flaked) caught by a local Georges Bank fisherman. There was a roundworm, certainly thicker than a hair--maybe 1-2mm and maybe 2" long, quite dead, waiting for me between the layers of the flesh. The marine scientists I was with explained that such parasites are not uncommon and that the cooked fish is harmless, so I set the worm on the edge of my plate and ate my supper (we were all scientists there). I had a similar experience last year with some similar fish (again, don't remember variety for sure) from my most trusted local fishmonger. I thought I would tell him about it (just so he would know, not expecting any compensation, obviously I know that these things just occur sometimes) but I didn't go in the following week and then, of course, I forgot about it. I still shop there regularly, but I would probably refuse to go back to your market and I would want to tell them why. An occasional, solitary worm, big enough to pick out, I can deal with, though I know that plenty of folks would be sufficiently grossed out by that. But if my side of salmon was wriggling with multiple little guys, enough that I'd have to assume I was eating worms along with the fish, that's just too icky, even for me! I would think any American food retailer would be concerned about what I might tell my friends about that and want to smooth it over, not plant the idea that most of the fish they sell is in similar condition. I'm a Yankee, but I can't believe that the average Texan shopper is enticed by the thought of thoroughly wormy fish. And what's the deal about they didn't refund the whole price? Your fish is full of worms and they won't refund the whole price because what, maybe you already ate some?!! Did you bring the evidence back to the market? I'd be interested to know if that fish counter person eats fish at all, consdering what she (at least thinks she) knows about the subject. If she doesn't, maybe there should be some meditation on what she is employed to do, which is sell the fish, not warn you away from it. Fern Edited to say that I see Bux has the same impression about salmon, but types faster than I do.

I'm really hoping there are others with more to add to this thread, now that August is over and New Haven is hopping! Fern

Thanks for the feedback, Wendy. The cake was in its tube pan, upside-down over a wine bottle on the kitchen counter to cool and it was a truly beautiful warm September day. As I mentioned above, I believe the instructions indicate it should cool completely in the pan, perhaps 1 1/2 hrs. In fact, when I think about it, I went out and didn't unmold it until over 4hrs later, maybe even more like 5, so maybe the moisture somehow continued to accumulate at the pan surfaces during its prolonged confinement. It certainly wasn't underbaked, or overbaked; I think the crumb was just right. Next time I'll stay home and unmold it more promptly. Since I never did a chiffon recipe before, I was wondering if the wetness was typical, but I bet the long rest in the pan was the error. If I had nothing to do but bake, I could really nail all these details, but real life keeps getting in the way! Fern

Only the idea of it would cause the diners any harm; the urine itself is more sterile than the cook's hands and non-toxic. Unless the child is markedly ill and dehydrated, the pee-pee is almost certainly too dilute to leave a detectable odor, so there is essentially no chance that anyone would guess. I, knowing there is no health risk, would feel it entirely ethical to clean up and serve the bird without comment. Of course, feeling confident about risk is key here. It would not be ethical to do the same if the basting liquid is sewage with possible fecal contamination, or if the cook doesn't know the urine is harmless. And even though I would not hesitate to eat it myself, I know that many diners would not be able to set aside their squeamishness, even if I made an authoritative presentation of the facts. So the difficult question for me would be whether to ever fess up, even decades later.....

I have a couple of questions for those who have experience with these RLB chiffon cake recipes: I made the Orange glow cake yesterday. I followed the recipe quite strictly; the aluminum tube pan I used is rather lightweight, feels a little flimsy. It took a few minutes longer than written to bake, but seemed to turn out just right. My only problem was what seemed to be condensed moisture on the inside surfaces of the pan. The recipe specifies that the cake is cooled completely in the tube pan ("~1 1/2hrs"). There was so much moisture around the tube that there was syrup dripping down on the bottle that the upside-down pan was balanced on. After unmolding, the outer surface of the cake was unpleasantly gooey. I finally used a brush to clean away most of this wet, superficial crumb layer, then put the cake into the barely warm oven with the convection fan on until it was fairly dry to touch. Otherwise, the texture of the cake was great and it was well-received. The other aspect that needed improvement, I thought, was presentation. The high, bare sides of this big, tall cake looked so stark to me! I agree with the book that it doesn't want an actual frosting. Does anyone have an idea for decoration/garnish/presentation to address this? I had no time to fool around and ended up dropping a little posy of nasturtiums into the center of the cake. I think this drew the eye to the bright flowers, away from the bare sides, but I was not entirely satisfied. Any suggestions? Thanks, Fern

I agree with Scott that this is the most rigorous approach to adjusting the sugar, but I think the correct weight for each teaspoon of sugar is only ~4g. 28.35g is the metric conversion for one ounce (weight), but I believe that a cup of granulated sugar (8oz volume) weighs only about 200g, which calculates out to 4.16g/tsp. Hope that helps. Fern [Edited for silly typo]

I agree: cannoli might just be what we need to bring the world together!

HungryChris, Liuzzi Cheese in North Haven (see the New Haven, CT grocers, butchers, etc. ... thread in this forum) has San Marzano tomatoes with their own label, DOP registration and all, for a very favorable price, though I don't know if it can compete with Costco. I think they are excellent. Very convenient to I-91, Exit 10, if you're not in the immediate New Haven area. Fern

I am hoping others will have more, better, suggestions, but here are the places I go most often: #1 Fish Market on State St, Hamden (North of DMV, South of Sackett Pt). This place is a gem; supplies many local restaurants. Connecticut Natural Food & Produce on Washington Ave, No Haven (Wharton Brook area, almost to Wallingford). Not fancy, but good prices, quite consistent quality, frequently local produce in season. I have to keep going there because the green beans are so much better than the supermarket, season after season. Liuzzi Cheese on State St, No Haven (North of Sackett Pt, South of Dixwell). Impressive deli counter, but if you go before a major holiday you will have to wait while serious Italian-American grandmother types ahead of you work through their 25-item lists; very limited but very good butcher counter; one of the better cheese selections in the area, including their own fresh cheeses, as well as various imports--don't miss their ricotta and also the fresh butter; good sandwiches and wide variety of store-prepared foods; small but good section of pastas, oils, condiments, etc., store-label olive oil is a good value. US 1 Farm Market at corner of Rte 1 and the Boulevard, New Haven. Appears slanted toward (I think) the Jamaican, Latino and (less) Asian markets. Bargain-priced produce, some fish (mostly whole), a little meat (emphasis on oxtails and goat meat) and ethnic specialty items. Ferraro Foods on Grand Ave, New Haven (just East of I-91 overpass, West of Hamilton; inexplicably impossible to find in phone book). Iffy-looking overall, but decent meat section with impressive values on items like short ribs. A friend whose brother works there claims they are planning to modernize and expand, which appears long-overdue. Country Food Market on State St, Hamden (next-door to #1 Fish). Greek imports and basic deli/sandwich counter. Get in the mood for the Olympics! Bud's Fish Market on Rte 146, Branford (around the corner from Lenny's). Very good, but #1 is closer. However, Bud's will steam lobsters to order. Trader Joe's on Rte 1, Orange. I go there for Grade B maple syrup, if nothing else, and usually plenty of impulse-buys. The Food Terminal at Long Wharf. Someone at the Ferraro meat counter sent me to a vendor there when I was scouring the county for loin of lamb. Mostly wholesale, but some will sell retail and it's a way different experience than Stop & Shop! Hindinger Farm on Dunbar Hill Rd, Hamden. Their own corn and peaches in season, some other local/regional produce and a few goats to amuse the kids. Bishop's Orchards on Rte 1, Guilford. Generally needs no introduction; their own produce, etc.; best is pick-your-own. DeRoses on Orange St, New Haven. Was a good source for a different selection of cheeses, things in jars and "select" produce, but currently closed and many conflicting rumors about their status. Does anyone have the scoop on this? Nica's (formerly Prime) has taken up the slack (or maybe driven DeRoses out of business?) and Romeo & Caesar's (formerly Romeo & Joe's) remains an achor of Orange St marketing. Is anyone familiar with the halal butcher in West Haven? I have been meaning to check it out. Well, that's a quick list to get started. Fern

It's interesting to me how our taste for something like vanilla (which is mostly smell) can be subjective and variable in some ways, yet reproducible and educated in others. I agree that McCormick or equivalent is probably the "reference" vanilla for many of us. I am also fond of Penzeys, but I ran out of it and bought a bottle of TJ's Tahitian without knowing to expect a difference. I was taken aback by the very flowery quality of it. In fact, I now have a bottle of supermarket vanilla beside it (store brand, but similar to good old McCormick), as I find the Tahitian unappealing for certain items. I feel better that mktye had a similar impression--I kept wondering if my nose was out of whack. On the other hand, an individual's sense of smell can vary according to any number of factors, just one of which is the smeller's hormonal milieu. When I was pregnant with my second child I had some fairly typical and not very severe food aversions, but Edy's Vanilla Bean ice cream (not French Vanilla or plain Vanilla) was the most delicious substance on earth--nectar of the gods! I couldn't get enough of the vanilla-ness of the stuff. Fern

I would love to know everything about these luscious-looking items but I don't even know the meaning of entremet, for example. I would like to understand the definitions, or standards, for these categories. Even plated desserts and petits gateaux, which seem rather self-evident--I'm wondering what specifically characterizes one versus the other, as I can imagine there must be things that would be "crossovers" to some degree. Can someone offer guidance? Thanks, Fern

It sounds like there are mostly professionals here, but even an "amateur pastry enthusiast" like me is fascinated by this! Could someone offer a little glossary? "Petits gateaux" I can get, even with my feeble French, but I wish I knew what I was looking at for some of the other categories. The entremets look mostly chocolate-y, but the frozen entremets don't, and maybe flavor has nothing to do with it? Fabulous photos! Thanks, Fern

I'm sure folks with real chocolate expertise will be able to give you specific advice; I just wanted to commend you for thinking about it. Chocolate chip ice cream can be one of my favorites, but too many versions are ruined by chips that gum up your teeth instead of pleasuring your palate. The size and shape of the chocolate bits is important, as well as the consistency and melting point. Although I haven't had it in years, I used to like HoJo's choc chip, even though the vanilla base was only fair, because the chocolate was in fairly fine particles that could melt on your tongue and didn't require chewing. I was particularly fond of Edy's (Dreyer's in the West, I believe) when they used to do the same, with rather better ice cream, but then they changed the recipe and put in bigger chips and too salty, at that. That was the only time in my life I was actually moved to write to a major food manufacturer about my feelings for their product; I was bummed! Unbelievably, they never changed it back (they did send me a coupon). In Cincinnati there is a locally revered ice cream producer called Graeter's that goes the other way and uses chocolate that appears to be broken from sheets into fragments of variable size. Often you get a couple of really big pieces per scoop. They're not too thick and they have a nice smooth texture and a noticeably low melting point, so you do taste the chocolate. The Graeter's black raspberry chocolate chip is particularly good.

Wow! Thanks for all the great feedback. It's been a busy couple of days, so I'm just catching up on most of the replies. Unfortunately, no Central Market in Connecticut, though maybe, like Jenifresh, I could find a local source. Otherwise, I will contemplate the various gadgets and machines suggested above. It certainly seems like most of them would be better than what I have. I've been using a good bit of lime juice (but not quarts) for various summer recipes and beverages and sometimes the limes are so dense that they are very difficult to juice on my blunt, slippery reamer causing frustration, profanity and sticky, acidic splashes everywhere. I really need something more effective in general, and especially for the upcoming lemonade project. Does anyone else fantasize about being paid to compare juicers, graters, can openers, etc., for the food section of the newspaper, or Cooks Illustrated, or whatever? Fern