Sethro

Well if you have to oversee payroll and write schedules, plan parties etc in my mind you are the chef. I don't care if you can strudel or not.

This is very true and describes me pretty well, although the progression of my promotions wasn't as direct or within one company. I would be a bit screwed if I got saddled with running a breakfast buffet. However, I might as well be called pastry chef because that is the term that people recognize. The same way I continue to call a lot of the newer technique "molecular gastronomy" because it is the most effective way to get the point across the largest audience with the fewest words. The point of language in most circumstances is effective communication. Basically "dessert chef" sounds awkward because there is already an established term that everyone uses and understands.

Oh, I was just imagining that there was a better way to maintain the texture of a curd than by using gelatin or agar. If I use enough gelatin to move it without breaking it, it will be pretty rubbery, right? If I use enough agar it will get grainy. I'm guessing because I haven't tried it yet. If I don't have to order another ingredient for the pantry I'd rather not... I never tried Sam Mason's or Alex Stupak's but I guess I imagined it being a more revolutionary process. I'm happy if it's not. EDIT: Also, if I'm using agar, what am I boiling it in? Just the lemon juice alone before I start the curd?

So I'm guessing that more agar and less gelatin than if I was making a film? Maybe .25% gelatin and .15% agar? Hmm I feel like there's probably some more suave way of dong it with ingredients I'm less familiar with...

Is this usually done with just gellatin? Is it a a caragenan/locust bean thing? Cant imagine why gellan would be necessary since it never gets warm. Anybody know?

Very different flavor than wood smoke of any kind, but totally viable option. So is a dash of chicory extract or liquid smoke in the cream measure. Smoked salt garnish is another way to go.

My impression is that staypufts, campfires and the like contain a LOT more gelatin. I actually prefer the housemade when toasting with a torch. If the mallow is large enough you can do it on a sizzle platter, hit all sides evenly to get a nice caramelized shell, and slightly warm, gooey interior.

Agri Exotic should have them.

I hate cleaning juicers. The mesh is NEVER clean. Robotcoupes after there's been oil in them. Flexipans. I would rather put them through the machine and let them ****ing rip. So annoying.

Sounds like a very cool, Thai Jewels-esque dessert. I might have to get over there sometime soon.

Are those the same as palm seeds? Just curious.

Coconut puree is the way to go.

Well, frozen yogurt, honey and wheat germ is probably my favorite dessert of all time. Try that?

Yeah that sausage presentation is straight out os Saw IV or something. Horrifying. Those are some bummy looking plates in general. Looks like French Roast or something. Yay "bistro style".

Wow, awesome looking/sounding stuff. I'm still not into backlashing against everything new and cool. I'm actually going again tonight for (amazing) drinks and some bar snacks. I might see if I can't snag an order of corned veal or beer and pretzels.

Those are exactly what I was looking for, thanks. Wish they had a better bulk size than 25g, but it'll do. The reason I'm looking for sicilian pistachio fragments is because they are far cheaper than the whole selects.

Like the kind that Paris Gourmet sells (but I don't work in the industry anymore and cant order from them). Also looking for the sicilian pistachio fragments.

I made an uni souflee as part of an uni tasting at Haku. You can make a lot of cool stuff with "golden sauce" as a base.

I believe that freezing and thawing changes the texture and flavor of everything. I try not to freeze something unless it is to be served frozen. The benefits of silicon are: 1) it can be poured into any shape 2) It can be super-heated or cooled without any damage 3) It remains flexible throughout the entire range of practical temperatures (for our purposes), making un-molding cakes and other delicate confections very easy.

Brush it on bacon, then microwave between paper towels until super crispy!

Missed that bit. Is he asking about sponge on a silpat? I've never had any trouble with that--seems to come right off clean every time. Why would you roll it on the silpat? Like for a roulade wouldn't you need it on parchment to pull it tight anyhow? As for cheesecake, the easiest way is to freeze and invert, but with some very delicate style cheesecakes you can't touch the surface even then without marring it. For the ricotta souflee cake at perilla I had to cut it at room temp right on the silpat (using a cake knife on a silpat won't damage it).

I always spray/sugar/flour silicone molds for baking like they were any other kind of molds. For gelatin products you should invert carefully and wipe the back of the molds with a hot towel.

Agreed here - I grew up in Westchester, so much has changed there dining-wise, but certainly not that. I will find out what's good for Japanese up there. Besides White Plains, I believe Yonkers is a bit of a hot spot too, mostly do to Peter Kelly opening up there last year (FWIW he beat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef) http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/x2o-x...-on-the-hudson/ ← Haiku Asian Bistro in Cross River is great for Nobu-style Japanese and OUTSTANDING for American style Chinese. Probably the best I've had. The decor is nice but cliched, the service a little amateurish, and the location is in a strip mall...but man is the food good.

We used to burn the **** out of the rice in the pan, then pack it in a paco beaker with sorbet syrup and voila. You could do the same thing without toasting it. Just remember that with any other highly starchy base you won't need much stabilizer.

I would assume the purpose for the plastic wrap is to keep the loss of product weight from evaporation...although if the liquid results are tossed that seems unnecessary...