kitwilliams

Bake off and cool a tart shell of pate sucree, fill it with a mixture of pastry cream and lemon curd and cover the top with a mixture of your red, white and black currants. Just generously toss them on. It's a beautiful looking tart. Throw on some of your raspberries too.

I can second the Blue Benn recommendation (and I'm a California girl too). I remember having a delicious Indian Pudding there. Great breakfast too. Only other thing I'd recommend there (having only spent a few hours there on two occasions) is to go to Bennington Potters. I'd recommend the section where they sell the seconds. It is very sturdy, heavy pottery (lovely too!) and they'll be happy to ship it home for you!

Thank you for that recipe and link, GG. However do you have a link to a place where you can have the virtual experience of making a marjolaine at the side of Fernand Point?

Great choice! Why would you choose him? What would you ask him to teach you?? I know you're waiting for Russ' reply, but I'd want to learn Fernand Point's original Marjolaine recipe. I still love hearing my brother tell the tale of the dinner he and his wife had at La Pyramide on their honeymoon twenty-six years ago. Madame Point took great care with them and even after all this time, it still takes my brother about half an hour to describe the meal!

Great choice! Why would you choose him? What would you ask him to teach you?? I know you're waiting for Russ' reply, but I'd want to learn Fernand Point's original Marjolaine recipe. I still love hearing my brother tell the tale of the dinner he and his wife had at La Pyramide on their honeymoon twenty-six years ago. Madame Point took great care with them and even after all this time, it still takes my brother about half an hour to describe the meal!

Ah, yes, I've had the bad ones as well, the worst offense, in my book, being soggy bread! But freshly made with great ingredients, I'm with you in that I'm happy to pay more!

I wouldn't say, "thank God"... having grown up in California where sandwiches can't be called such unless they are stuffed so full that you can't get your mouth around them and you're full after four bites having paid $10 for the bloody thing, I love the imaginative combinations found in a nice, thin British sarnie. And the fact that you have better butter, cheese and many other fresh ingredients, well, that elevates it again. And yet again because you can get a decent cup of tea to go with!

I love deGustibus too (the toasted grilled veg & cheese sandwich), but wouldn't you say that they are a much different beast than your traditional British sandwich? When I lived in London in the last century, I used to adore the Chicken Tikka & Mango Chutney sandwich at deSwarte Cafe on Bedford Street, just up from The Strand. Mmmm. Cuppa tea and a sandwich are the perfect respite. (I think I smoked then too!) When in London in February of this year, I was so disappointed to see it removed from the menu. No more of that scary, hot pink chicken tikka in the deli case

Iceberg lettuce, THICK slice of tomato, two dill pickles (no more), either the perfect combination of mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish or whatever the secret sauce is and bacon and avocado. There must be that hint of char. And if the bun is slightly grilled but still soft on top and you squish it together with just the right amount of pressure, the avocado doesn't squidge out! (To anyone who lives near an Archibald's burger joint you can get the above-mentioned burger there. Very good for a chain. Very inexpensive.)

Bear. No kidding. Braised in Belgian ale and Burgundy with oyster mushrooms, served over mashed Idaho potatoes (very creamy) with lots of the rich broth spooned over all. Not at all gamey, very tender. This was served after tomatoes with mozzarella and basil. Fresh and lovely. And afterward, lemon and hazelnut dacquoise.

And yet another non-Mexican joint that I recently discovered is Gregoire's. It's mostly take-away with a couple of tables outside and three stools inside, overlooking the grill and everything else in this tiny but well organized little joint. And the food is awesome. Meat and potatoes. The hangar steak was terrific, but the pork wrapped in bacon with prunes was awesome. Potato puffs are addictive and the scalloped potatoes are ultimate comfort food. Wonderful ingredients and prices reflect that but well worth it. Just around the corner from Chez Panisse (I think it's on Cedar (?) just above Shattuck. Anyone else tried it?

I have to add my defense for Paula's recipe and I, as I'm sure has Carolyn, have tried numerous canneles recipes. Paula's is my favorite. For truly authentic results, beeswax is an essential ingredient, not simply the grease for the molds. It adds that glorious sheen to the finished product and definitely is part of what makes for the perfect crisp/chewy exterior. I've made canneles with simply oil or butter and the final result is not as good. I am sure that copper molds deliver the best product however I use the Silicon Flex molds available from Bridge Kitchenware (and other sources, but I originally purchased mine at Bridge). As you can read in the original canneles thread, Paula has tried several silicon molds and agrees that the best results were from the Silicon Flex. As Carolyn mentioned, all this has been more than thoroughly discussed on the original thread here on egullet. But hearing the word "inedible" applied to a recipe that is thoroughly authentic, exhaustively researched, and tested over and over again (including by many of us here on egullet), I just can't believe that you would get inedible results had the recipe been prepared correctly. In all sincerity, I am not being critical of you, Jay, I am just defending what I know to be an excellent recipe.

Whew! For once I did the right thing!

I'll have to train it to bring me a cup of tea, but, as CB has pointed out to me, it does much, much more than making laminated dough a piece of cake to make! I'll try and post a photo...if this works, this is in the open position, ready to go (I don't usually work in the middle of a car park): This photo is ready for take off : and, finally, a Pithivier, which I will be making many of, once I get this damn thing working! Someone criticized my machine yesterday. I had her "disappear". Too bad. Nice girl. Real shame. Damn. Meant to post this to the dough sheeter thread...but here it is in Tarte Tatin. Moby??? help????

Allan: I think you're going to have to start another thread to tell us about the "other" things you did with the dough sheeter... Edited to say that I think I started a dough sheeter thread sometime back...care to dig it up?

Repellant for a traditional tarte tatin, perhaps (says me who bakes her puff pastry separately from the apples ( ), but it is a great idea for a breakfast pastry: Danish a la Tatin. Individual size danish topped with a half apple cooked in caramel the traditional way. Simple. Nothing else necessary, as long as the pastry is terrific. I'll be trying this next week when I get my dough sheeter hooked up!

You can howl with frustration all you want, I truly feel guilty about it too as I am usually a stickler for tradition, but not so guilty that I won't do it again and again. I want my pastry crispy to begin with and then the apple-y caramel begins to ooze and soften it up a bit. You'll never have a tough little undone spot of puff pastry in the middle of your Tarte Tatin. If I were in London, I'd sign up for Moby's competition in a heartbeat and show all of you how good it is. Also, you then wouldn't need anyone else to bring all the insulin suppies because I'm a type one diabetic and will have plenty with me!

This is SO cruel to start this up nearly four months before apple season! But, since it has been started, I have to say that Large Apple Halves, cooked for a Long Time in the ButterSugar in order to achieve an Apple Caramel (as Moby states) in a Straight-Sided Pan (as Moby states), then pouring the Caramel off and cooking down in a Separate Pan until achieving the Proper Consistency, adding back to the Apples and, as much as I hate to admit it (for lack of tradition, to which I prefer to adhere), baking the Puff Pastry on its own and inverting the Finished Apples onto the disc of Beautifully Browned Puff Pastry. Che, you are soooo cruel! I'm not going to make it through the summer! Not only do I love to eat it, it is one of the most satisfying things to make. Oh, one necessity when making Tarte Tatin (for me, at least): cover the hob/burner with aluminum foil!

I, too, will have to advise in favor of surgery, for those of you who need it. I have a small business, mostly wholesale breakfast pastries and desserts. I was laminating fifty pounds of croissant dough a week. All by hand. Prior to my baking career, I spent years in front of a keyboard and had carpal tunnel tendencies. The rolling out of croissant dough was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was told six weeks recovery. It took me fully six months, probably due to another health issue of mine, so don't worry that it will take you as long to recover. So now I am in the process of moving into a new kitchen which is large enough to house my awesome dough sheeter which I will finally be able to plug in tomorrow, now that the wiring has been completed. I've never used it before (a Rondo SMK-64) so any and all advice is greatly appreciated! Can't wait to crank that baby up! The surgery works. I had mine three years ago. So far, so good. I have the same financial difficulties as many of you, but do whatever you can to have the procedure and then let's all band together (those of us in the US) and get some sort of national health in this country! Oh, Ted has a good point. There are groups out there that WILL help uninsured persons who desperately need medical attention. And your situation is serious, jeniac, as it affects your livelihood. You too, chefpeon! My cousin, a baker and caterer in western Massachusetts, is currently serving on a board in the Berkshires. She is uninsured, has had several big medical issues which she couldn't afford, and is now working with a group of doctors who want to volunteer time for uninsured patients in order to do their bit to help rectify the bad medical/insurance situation in this country. It is good to know that there are people out there in our communities who do care. See what might be available in your neighborhood. Believe me when I say that I know how hard it is to ask for help, but know that there are understanding people who are willing to help. They know how desperate the situation is for many hard-working people. They want to help. If you can find them, let them. Take care of yourselves, everyone!

Laugharne is a tad outside the perimeter of your parameter, but wasn't it you, Andy, who recently posted the article about Brown's Hotel being auctioned to Morrissey? You won't find much of a meal there, although I have very fond memories of Brown's for it is where the entire pub, filled with 20-25 Welshmen, sang to me, along with Charlie Rich, "Hey! Did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world..." Whoops. I forgot to add the phrase "very drunk" between "25" and "Welshmen". While driving to St David's two years ago, I was told there was some good food to be had at the pubs in Solva. I obviously picked the wrong pub. But the drive up the coast is spectacular. What's happening at the Walnut Tree Inn these days? Will you stop there on your way to or from Tenby? Abergavenny is not quite on the London Road ( )and I'm sure you've dined there before, but I thought it worth the detour. Mmmm...panettone bread pudding. Sorry not to be of more positive assistance. Perhaps self-catering lodgings are in order...

I'm with you on your feelings about the traditional canelés. A pilgrimage to Bordeaux is in order! Along the lines of chocolate canelés (but they are not at all the same thing), have you tried Nancy Silverton's Crotin de Chocolat or, as they call them at La Brea Bakery, Bouchon? They are in the muffin section of Nancy's pastry book. Absolutely luscious, not too sweet chocolate treats. They are yeast-leavened but very easily thrown together. And I always bake them in canelés molds which is why the chocolate canelés reminded me of them.

Paula's recipe is now my recipe of choice as it came out just beautifully in the convection ovens at work, even in my silicon flex molds. I just may spring for the copper soon! As for the beeswax mixture, it is really an integral part of the recipe, not just something with which to grease your molds. You'll never achieve the perfect, crisp/chewy/shiny crust without it. I didn't use it the first few times I baked canelés. Having now used it, I'll never not use it again! As Paula said, ask your friendly neighborhood farmers market honey person for some!

I love it when this topic comes back to the forefront! I made Paula's canelés in commercial convection last week. I'd only ever baked them in a conventional oven prior to this. I still used my silicon flex molds, baked them at about 375 for an hour and ten or so. They were gorgeous. A beautifully even mahogany color. Chewy, crisp exterior, creamy interior. Today I made Neil's (or Hermes'!) chocolate canelés for the first time. They are awfully yummy. Tell me if they came out properly, Neil, as the crust is a more tender but crisp crust as opposed to the chewy/crisp texture of the the traditional canelés. In convection at 360 they baked for about an hour and five minutes. They rose straight up like a souffle at first but settled down to just even with the tops of the molds. I lowered the temp due to the convection but next time I'll use the 375 called for and see what happens.

Does anyone know how much one cup of brown sugar, packed weighs? There are different degrees of packed so this actually makes a difference. And therein lies my complaint with volumes. I go with the 7.66 ounces/218 grams for light brown; 8.4 ounces/240 grams for dark brown, firmly packed.

Now that I know this I don't feel quite as strongly. As long as the home user is given the info to convert the volume measurements in the book to weights, I'm okay with it. It'd be more convenient if it were right there in the recipe, but whatever. The fact that they use 4.4 ounces to a cup just shows how fickle these measurements are. Most books (including Baking With Julia, which every home baker should own!) use 5 ounces to a cup, and my hero Peter Reinhart uses 4.5. Seems like the professionals can't even agree how many ounces a cup will be when scooped correctly! As seems to be the case with many of you, this volume-only measurement in baking books drives me absolutely bananas. In particular (and correct me if I'm wrong, Rachel), if the CIA lists one cup of flour as 4.4 ounces (or 125 grams, which is even more accurate), do they specify weights for sifted AP flour, lightly spooned AP flour and dip-and-sweep AP flour? Sure hope so. Or perhaps they avoid this by stating in the beginning of the book that they use only the dip/sweep method in ALL their recipes? All this should be clearly stated in order to obtain as close to perfect as possible results. I'm with those of you who will refuse to buy any more books that do not include weight measurements. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr