kitwilliams

interestingly, my father just told me the story of the best lamb he ever had, which was in Rome in the 70s. It wasn't until after the meal (fortunately) that he was told that the lamb was removed from the mother prior to coming to full term. I guess even vets will have to hire bodyguards in order to keep the pro-lifers at bay... anyone know if this procedure is done in this country? just curious.

Ahh, a walk down memory lane. I lived 'round the corner and down the street from Launceston Place in '94. I frequented the florist next door but couldn't afford the restaurant in those days. Did spot The Princess of Wales there. Interesting to hear what others think of it and look forward to a review from Andy. Is the florist still there?

I'm with you on the golden raisin thing....they are like wormy little grubs. And just thinking about grubs makes me want to take a shower...yuck! As a child I hated raisins, now I have to be in the mood for them and only in certain dishes/foods. A delicious pain au raisin is terrific. I agree, not in cinnamon bread (a great raisin-less cinnamon swirl bread is at The Bread Garden on Domingo in Berkeley -- do you know it, Janet?)

Thanks for trying, Deirdre, that helps! I've been studying up on steamed puddings and was going to do a couple for a dinner party last night -- nice comforting sweets for a cool spring evening. Then the weather turned and the last two days have been summer (it was 85 F today) so went with panna cotta and berries instead. Very big hit. The steamed puddings will have to wait until the autumn! Thanks again!

It was also in the LA Times last Wednesday. Inspiring! Brings a question to mind: If you were to do the same as Julie, whose book would you like to tackle? I'm still thinking...

Ahhhh, but the melon baller is so fantastic for getting the core of seeds out of apples and pears! Indispensable for me. Love those microplanes. Offset spatulas. Scale.

Deirdre: I assume this to be an apple cake-like steamed pudding, dripping with the sauce and pouring cream...yes/no?...any more details would be greatly appreciated! Sounds delicious and oh so comforting!

Buttermilk is a crucial ingredient for Irish Soda Bread which everyone must be baking today, no???

true. but it is sooooo wonderfully flakey and, I think, the perfect foil for a filling of this sort.

poke to your heart's content! yikes! did I say that?

so for those of you who are terrified of flaky pastry, use puff pastry as is the case for Michel Richard's Alsatian Onion Tart in Baking With Julia. ohmigod you can't stop yourself from devouring the entire tart....hmmmm, considering the turn this thread has taken,perhaps I should watch my phraseology!

Mariage Freres sells matcha. I paid $15.00 for about two ounces, needing it to make the green tea poundcake from Nick Malgieri. Used about $8.00 of the powder for the cake which I ended up throwing out -- it just didn't do anything for me. I'd rather have matcha moshi!

My brother's idea for my bakery: The Yeast Confection.

John O'Groats. Wish they had a website, but here is a brief description/review. I've never had a disappointing breakfast there, although the wait can be miserable. John O'Groats (brief description)

Nightscotsman: it looks as if the French actually have a name for the trouble you've had with your canneles! "White Asses!" But all it takes is a little beeswax and butter to cure it -- perhaps that is the same mixture as in Bain de Soleil!

I spoke to the Honey Man at the Berkeley Farmer's Market last Saturday so now know how to process the beeswax hanging on the side of my house. Question is, what are the proportions of beeswax to butter to oil needed to produce the perfect coating for the canneles molds? Also...have any of you canneles experts baked them in both copper and silicon molds and, if so, is it possible for the silicon molds to produce the same crust as the copper? Thanks.

They are, lou...we love them! But our neighbors are scared to death (ooh -- they are probably killer bees!!!) and keep threatening to call local authorities. Just let them try I'm going to move my question to a new thread so that it might get the attention it undoubtedly deserves. Ha!

I'm in the red meat category as well, either in burger form (WITH bacon, avocado and cheese) or the simplest steak with no adornment except perhaps a very large pat of salted butter melting on top and down the sides and over the edge of the plate..... and I do have to have some chocolate which is odd because since I'm around it all the time I am not prone to eating it. But during that time of the month, there is absolutely no talking me out of it.

Beeswax. Interesting topic and perhaps should be a new thread but, as I will use it only in conjunction with canneles, I'll leave it here... I have a swarm of bees living on the side of my house. They have built the most amazing honeycomb -- five feet in length and about 15" at the widest spot. Is there any way I could put some of their wax (the honey is delicious) to use? Anyone here know how beeswax gets to the state where it can be used to coat canneles molds?

A day late but I just saw Madeline Kamman doing mussels the Normandy way, with apple (as bripastryguy also suggested) but in the liquid form....melt butter, add finely chopped shallots and just stir briefly to coat with butter. Add your mussels and some hard cider for the liquid. Cook until done. Strain. In clean saucepan melt butter, add the strained juices and bring to a boil, adding a couple of tablespoons of Calvados. Take off the heat and whisk in a whopping spoonful of creme fraiche. Arrange mussels on plate and pour broth over.

160, give or take. Now that we're finding out the general number of books owned within this group, I'd like to know how many actual titles are represented!

Me too. I never cooked much out of it as baking was then, as it is now, my favorite thing. I STILL make the sugar cookies in that book. Big, thick, soft, a hint of lemon. They're great, despite the fact that they are all shortening.

Couldn't remember the name of this place in order to recommend to a friend -- thanks for the help, Scott! Mmmm. Chicken and potatoes from Rotisserie Jules!

Hardly non-corporate any more, though, surely? Or do you just prefer the coffee? True, yet not trying to take over the coffee world. And perhaps, as others have stated but I have not noticed, their product has suffered slightly due to their expansion. But I do like their coffees. Their barristas are well-trained. And I'm looking forward to having them within walking distance!

I danced down our local high street when Chipotle closed its doors a few weeks ago. They opened less than a year ago, on a street where there were already seven Mexican restaurants within ten blocks. And, to get back to the coffee topic, Peet's is going in where Chipotle was. I'm in heaven! Perhaps they will put the kiddie-corner Starbucks (one of two on the street) out of business! Note to Kikujiro and LML: there IS a possessive apostrophe in Peet's!