kitwilliams

I didn't. I used it in some of my recipes over there and it worked great but, of course, it was in conjunction with great butter, richer cream, happier eggs, etc. I'll have them ship me a quantity and give it a try. Will let you know the results. Will be a fun experiment! Also, I remember reading an article, about five years ago, about an ancient form of wheat that was found in an ancient bit of thatch somewhere in England. I believe that they produced it on Prince Charles' estate. But I've heard nothing further. Did anything earth shattering come from it? My 11-greats-grandfather was a baker in Cambridge early in the 17th century and I've always romanticized about baking with the same type of flour as he.

This is all too true to me right now, having just returned from three weeks in London where my beverage of choice is tea. Try making a decent cup of tea in Southern California with the rotten tap water (at least it is bad here in Long Beach) and milk (whole milk) that holds none of the richness that British dairy contains. As we all know, you have to start with good ingredients in order to end up with the perfect final product. Which leads to the subject of flour, of which I am supposed to be writing in this thread. I've worked with a flour called "Irish Cream" in London. Just the physical feel of it is beautiful! I think it is somewhere between A/P and Cake as far as protein content is concerned. Has anyone here used it and know of anything comparable here in the States? P.S. Bloviatrix: personally, I'm partial to the Kerry Blue Terroir (sounds like an Irish Potato!)

Ted and Neil: Thanks for all your knowledgeable advice. So many times we get advice yet those giving it haven't the knowledge to back it up. It is much appreciated getting real answers, graciously given. Which is usually the case here on egullet And thanks for starting the thread, bloviatrix! And now I'm off to slice a piece of freshly made pound cake and devour it with a few small scoops of frozen lemon curd on the side! And Ted is right about the Lemon Napoleon/Millefeuille. Killer.

bleu: ditto the above. i'm making pound cakes at the moment so just did a few measurements and came to almost identical as the above: sifted a/p: 114g (4oz) lightly spooned: 122g (4-1/4 oz) dip and sweep: 144g (5 oz)

So this brings up another question: do most of you strain after cooking to remove the zest and, particularly with your technique nightscotsman, does the immersion blender puree enough so that straining is unnecessary? Which makes me wonder, is there a taste benefit from leaving the zest in after cooking or have all the oils/flavors been cooked out at this point? I know some people like bits of zest in their curd although I prefer it satiny smooth. Joni: you're right about frozen curd!

Ted, you've raised a question which I have wondered about, since I have made curd adding the butter after the cooking process as well as incorporating it with all the other ingredients during the cooking process. Why is it better to add the butter at the end? What have you found to be the differences in the final result? I have found the final product to be smoother after adding the butter at the end. Can you, or anyone else, explain why that is? Just curious. Thanks!

Sandra: Daquise is the name of the Polish restaurant in South Ken. I love the atmosphere of it and the food can be satisfying. Bapi's rec of Rotisserie Jules is a good one too. I just returned from London and continue to recommend Lisboa Patisserie (which Magnolia originally recommended to me). A galao (coffee) and two pasteis de nata (amazing custard tarts) are only about £2.50. But then I always go back for a box of nata to take away! I always seem to have good, stimulating conversations there too. Lisboa Patisserie 57 Golborne Road (at the north end of Portobello Road) 020 8968 5242

I was drooling over Bill Granger's books while in London recently. Refused to purchase them there due to rotten $ to £ exchange rate. But wanted to ask those in the know which of his three books I should buy. Well, which I should buy FIRST. Also was wondering about Donna Hay, having just bought a copy of her magazine. How do her recipes rate and what is her reputation? They both have fabulous photographers! Thanks!

For those of you who are so lucky to have them, is it too early for ramps yet? I tasted my first ramps last year and have been looking forward to them ever since.

Thanks for the recipes and advice. Surprised that most Cheddar and Onion Pies have a larger quantity of potato in them than onion and the one I remember so fondly was simply onions and cheese. So have found the following and am going to give it a try (I might add a drop or two of cream ). If the results are great, I'll add it to the recipe archives, Marlene! Cheddar and Onion Pie And I plan on giving all the suggestions a try once I get this one out of the way and as long as the weather stays cool. Thanks again all!

I could eat a quart of Sainsbury's Greek Yogurt with Honey. It is pre-mixed (unlike Total which gives you your honey on the side). It is so rich and creamy. I'm back in the States now and miss it terribly. But I'm also with sequim. Pie for breakfast is the best.

Can any of you offer me an awesomely tasty and traditional Cheese and Onion Pie recipe? I assume it would be quite simple but I've never made one, only eaten some delicious examples which I'd like to recreate. Onions and cheddar in a flaky crust. Is it as simple as it sounds or are there some tricks to a superlative one? Thanks.

Just back from London and I struck out, time and time again, looking for copies of Fergus' book. Books for Cooks, Hatchards, Charing Cross Road and nearly every bookshop I passed in hopes that some, obscure little shop might have a copy tucked away on the cookery book shelf. No such luck. But I had an awesome lunch there yesterday. Had to have the roasted marrow bones which lived up to all the hype from all you folk who frequent the joint (speaking of "the joint", I LOVE their space!). What I didn't realize was that my dining partner is squeamish and she had to look away as I scooped and scraped the marrow onto my bread! Then I REALLY shocked her by ordering the braised squirrel! Never again will I go to St John with such a wimp! And the puddings ARE awesome. I had the rhubarb jelly, Jersey cream and shortbread. Refreshingly light but fully indulgent as well. Oh, to get cream like that here in California! As for the book, the search continues via the internet!

Here I sit, a Southern Californian in a cybercafe (one word?) on Queensway, warming up after a walk across Kensington Gardens in a snow flurry. Having spent the morning wandering New Covent Garden market and seeing the gorgeous leeks that grow so beautifully in this climate, I'm wishing I brought along my copy of Lamb, Leeks and Laverbread by Gilli Davies. Glamorgan sausages, parsnip pie but especially a simple leek dish, based on a recipe back when Romans resided on these shores. Thick slices of leeks cooked long and low in olive oil and white wine, salt and pepper. Simply dip your bread into it and eat...always the favorite dish at parties when everyone comes into the kitchen and dips directly into the pot on the stove. Double-dipping allowed. Perhaps Roman in origin but only because they came to Britain and encountered the tasty leek. Someone correct me if they had leeks in Rome! To my favorite leek, I add the following: mushy peas (with battered haddock and chips at Brady's last night) rhubarb compote (they currently have it at Baker & Spice made from the gorgeous forced rhubarb that is available) bubble & squeak and egg and beans and sausage from Marie at her little stand which has replaced the Borough Cafe just outside Borough Market cream, oh the cream. I don't buy it because the container says it is for "spooning" and I do just that -- straight out of the container and into my mouth. lemon curd sausage rolls hot cross buns chelsea buns bath buns sally lunn buns yorkshire tea cakes crumpets and the fact that you can get a decent cup of tea almost anywhere (remember folks, I'm from LA)

Reconstitute and puree (add a touch of almond extract) and use as a filling for rugelach.

I had a ton of dried apricots, made an awesome pureed filling and made rugelach for the first time in my life. They rock. I've gained five pounds.

I'll be in London next week and sampling Fergus/St John for the first time. Has anyone been of late and, if so, what are the current absolute musts on the menu? I'll pick up a copy over there.

Thom: Did you ever go to Stoke? Just curious.

dead: jane austen, katharine hepburn, oscar wilde, richard burton. alive: bill clinton, bill bryson, emma thompson, jan morris.

I'm drooling just thinking about baba or savarin but that isn't what I'm looking for. This was just a simple sheet cake, sponge, infused with a sort of sherry syrup. I've tried just making a sponge cake and soaking it but it wasn't the same. I'm sure it is an American concoction rather than European. In the meantime, I'll have to settle for the buttery Gateau Breton that I just took out of the oven!

Now that you mention it, I'm looking for a recipe too. At a friend's engagement party, I recall having an amazingly light spongecake which was soaked with sherry. Probably a sherry-infused sugar syrup? It was unbelievable. I had four pieces. And I've been looking for a recipe ever since but have come across nothing like it. It was simple lusciousness. Anyone else recall something of the sort and, if so, want to share a recipe? By the way, this was catered in LA. So any LA caterers who read this, 'fess up! Thanks!

Definitely. I vote Montmorency. Those dried Bings don't do a thing for me.

We did it too. Margarine (yeesh!) and cinnamon sugar.

No, I think $17 for two beans is outrageous. Prices for vanilla are at an all-time high but I recently ordered them from Penzey's and paid $36 for fifteen Madagascar beans. As for sour cherries...are you near a Trader Joe's by any chance? They carry them. Everyone I know is down with this Rota Virus so I just stocked up on 7-Up and saltines, just in case. But I'm thinking positively as I really would like to make brioche this weekend!

My latest pet peeve is cookbooks which only state the ingredients by cup and no mention of either ounces or grams. Sherry Yard's book is this way (with the single exception of butter) and it drives me crazy. So my question is, does Emily provide more than one form of measurement in her book? Not that it'll stop me from buying it if she doesn't!