Sethro

I'm pretty sure they only have glucose syrup?

It keeps the air release open, so that you can avoid excess over-run. Its only necessary for mixtures with high starch, pectin or stabilizer content, all which will increase over-run significantly. You might find that's the case with your potato flavor. Dextrose and glucose are available through chef rubber, or you can get same day delivery in Manhattan from L'epiciere (for $15 extra I think).

Found that the best way to rig the valve button is simply sticking a cake tester in there. Viola. If your sorbet is turning out icy did you try pacotizing it twice (in a row)? Adding stabilizer won't affect any ice crystals that occur in the product directly after spinning. Those crystals aren't caused by temperature fluctuation, they're just the result of the recipe. Like if you freeze granite in a beaker and spin its going to have larger crystals than a good sorbet recipe naturally. If you're happy with the flavor then try adding some glucose and subtracting a bit of sugar. Also, if your putting chunks of fruit in the beaker, you've got to process the entire thing at least once. Depending on the buoyancy of the fruit there's going to be higher concentrations in certain depths. Here's the sorbet syrup I use for most paco recipes: 4000 g water 900 g glucose powder 300 g dextrose 300 g trimoline 1500 g sugar 24 g sorbet stabilizer Its not ideal for everything but a with a little trial and error its saved me a lot of time.

It obviously wont be remotely green no matter how you approach it, but you could certainly infuse milk and make a pastry cream. Seems like a waste of whole pistachios, when pistachio oil would give a more defined taste with a lot less work. Are the pistachios skinned as well? If so, you could toss em with a little egg white and then dredge em in superfine sugar, dry em out on top of an oven and use them for a garnish on the cake. The thing you would really want for the mousse or pastry cream is a good paste. MEC makes a great one with a natural green color that's pretty kickass.

They have some awesome new plateware. Wonder where its from...

Maybe you're right. From my perspective it would be nice if the text and the rating lined up a little more often, is all I'm saying.

with all respect, that's completely unfair. it's an existing three star restaurant...that has't radically changed since when those three stars were given (hasn't changed concept or menu etc.)...he can't just give it zero. especially not when it's the best of its genre when it's on. edit: dropping a revered NY institution by three whole stars (instead of one) would be quite the statement... look at it this way...Spice Market is a one-star restaurant. but when it is (inevitably) downgraded...it'll get two....no matter who the Times restaurant critic is at that time. ← If you look at the review alone, its a zero star. Who cares what the previous review was? To accept that one review affects another is to say that the entire process is politicized (which it is of course, but not openly so). Nowhere is it even indicated that Lugers is the best of its genre. It seemed pretty clear that Bruni felt when all things were considered, there were much much complete and polished steak houses in Manhattan. And I think Bruni would give Spice Market one star or even zero, because I don't believe he can operate with any consistency even where re-reviews are concerned. He gave Vong a zero, it would make NO sense to give Spice Market two!

Sounds like a zero-star review to me. Basically Bruni cites that there's only one great dish, which is not even consistent and is available at several other restuarants. The sides are mediocre, the rest of the menu is uterly worthless and the wine list is practically non-existent. Oh also the service and ambiance sucks. Two stars!!! Super shady as usual.

Mango, butter and xantham makes a mighty fine pudding. Just blend the room temp butter into the mango puree, mount it with a bit of xantham (maybe 5:100 parts), season and chill. If you wanted more body and richness, I'd whip 210f syrup into yolks, then fold in the mango puree and whipped cream.

Those are some DAMN sexy chairs. Comfort is in the eye of the beholder anyhow. I would be more comfortable in the refurbished dining room, personally.

Visconti's Farms, for strawberries, blueberries and watermelon.

I roast em skins on and puree em in a vitaprep.

Had a really awesome Black Plum on the menu at Perilla. I'd just pan roast the plums till they were bloody red, puree em and the recipe was 1 part plum : 1/2 part sorbet syrup : 1/4 part simple syrup + lemon juice and salt. The color was so outrageous I was oft accused of using coloring. I was also running a really nice charentais melon one for a while. Oh and buttered corn! That was awesome. Got some really sweet corn and this "butter essence". It was gooooood.

Lenny's (84th st location). Sometimes my order will arrive in under 5 minutes, no exageration. I live only a few blocks away, granted, but still.

I had strawberry tunnel vision.

No rhubarb to go with the strawberries? ← Nah, it didn't fit in with my menu too well. I had some around for a while, but it was pretty mediocre. I should have just juiced it and kept it around in retrospect. Maybe next year.

Put the local strawberries on the menu today, picked up a few flats from Yuno's. They are pretty good already. Otherwise it still looks like a bunch of apples and onions. Parsnips looked good though...

I stick to hot aps and desserts there. Thai Jewels is a classic, and Fredericks desserts are awesome too.

Harold is doing some pretty modern/complicated stuff, I might just be more overt about it. Idealy we'd lie everything to flow together homogenously. I'm sure I'll be making some adjustments as we go along that reflect that.

I'm beggin someone to spell my name right! Maybe our menu font makes R's look like T's or something...

Stopped by tonight. Cocktails: Amazing. Try the Rose and the Bangkok margaritta. Both superlative. Best of the savory options were the tar tare and the buracca. Desserts: he Thai Ice Tea Ice Cream with the Vet Coffee Tart was off the charts, and the chevre croquettas was awesome too. The place is very fun and intimate, I will be back soon and often.

I'm so happy I'm going to be working right around the corner. Pichet is a true individual as a chef, and one of my big three influences. I think I'll try to sneak in Monday night!!! EDIT: Whooooaaaaaa I just checked out the menu. Amazing. "Thai Jewels: The Remix"? I can't imagine what could be better that the origional. This is gonna be awesome.

Sounds like "chewy ice cream" is a way to produce a kulfi-like texture without the ever-present kulfi odor. Is it?

Well that has not been my experience at all. I actually tend to be surprised by the number of small to very small restaurants in NYC that try to squeeze in a pastry chef where there isn't room for one. If there are 3 star restys in ny that buy their desserts, I'd love to know who they are. I can't think of many two stars either of the top of my head, except for the ones who outsource ice cream and sorbet--and even most of them try to do something in house though (even if its just a fondant or beignets). I suppose there are a lot of touted Japanese restaurants that have no dessert program, but even that is changing. Edited to add: the desserts at Esca are very competent and the dept is pretty important to the restaurant.

Three stars as predicted. Noteable to me: the desserts were not even afforded the standard three sentences this time around. One third of one sentence did the trick.