kitwilliams

mmmmmm. cookies. and so many of the cookies I bake this season include ginger. big, soft ginger cookies with bits of chewy, spicy candied ginger. long, crunchy ginger biscotti (in maida heatter's newest cookie book) with crunchy almonds and, along with the ginger, white pepper and colman's mustard powder for a real KICK! and my cousin's famous ginger crunch: a gingery-shortbread type base with a crunchy-chewy ginger topping/glaze. mmmmmmm. ginger cookies.

We grew up eating our grilled cheese with sweet pickle relish. kinda like the jam thing sorta maybe. recently in the UK I had grilled bleu cheese with mango chutney -- an adult version of my childhood favorite! but the original has to be orange cheddar cheese (not "american" or velveeta) with Del Monte sweet relish.

I've never heard the term "baking jam" (doesn't mean it doesn't exist, of course!) but my assumption is that it would be seedless raspberry jam that may have been reduced to a thicker consistency for better holding its shape for the purpose of filling pastries and cookies. Steve will be able to confirm or negate!!!!

Pan Roasted Balsamic Onions (my favorite leftover, eaten a la Nigella). Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lemon Pepper Butter Haricots Verts with Shallots and Hazelnuts Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Apples. Sweet and rich, yes, but thanks to fresh orange juice, calvados, butter and cream. And the caramelized apples, of course. Parsnip Pie. A savory pie. Fried parsnips layered with tomato, Teifi cheese and moistened with a tad of cream. I tried this for the first time on guests at a St David's Day party. Was everybody's favorite dish. Definitely a must on our Thanksgiving table this year! Let me know if you want recipes for any of the above.

Funny you should mention that! My car burned to smithereens last weekend and to thank the firemen for doing such a fine job, I took them four coffeecakes. One of the firemen cut himself a piece, stuck it in his coffee mug and, just as you said, poured milk over and devoured it. And he went back for seconds. As you said, I was "grossed out".

I just got the book today...I was supposed to go to the Hollywood Farmers Market with friends (Nancy was there doing a book signing) but unfortunately my car engine caught on fire (and is now a total write-off) and so I never made it to Hollywood. HOWEVER my friends brought me an autographed copy and I have been drooling over the photos and recipes this afternoon. Examples: Piled High Pork Sandwich. Brine your pork for a couple of days, roast it on top of some onions, slice it thin. Roast a yam and puree it with a sage brown butter. Make a balsamic sage brown butter. Grill your sourdough and rub with garlic. To assemble: bread, carmelized onions, sauteed greens, yam puree, pork, a sprinkling of fleur de sel and a drizzle of balsamic sage brown butter. I don't think I can wait for the pork to marinate! Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese, Sauteed beet greens and candied spicy walnuts on white or ww sourdough. Braised leeks, hard-cooked eggs and anchovies. Lots more, including, of course, her famous grilled cheese with a few variations. mmmm....just looking at the recipe for a clam sandwich with parmesan breadcrumbs. Clams sauteed in garlic butter and vermouth and piled high on top of garlic toast. I obviously haven't tried anything yet but I will be tomorrow! mmmmm. Grilled Escarole, white bean puree and bacon.

Red Beans and Rice. and absolutely pea soup!

As for Lenotre, I have his Desserts & Pastries, 1975, and Desserts Traditionels de France (in French only). The former I use often, don't know if it is currently in print but recently saw a couple of used copies at Black Oak Books in Berkeley (approx. $40). Since you're in LA, you should make a field trip to Long Beach sometime and go to Acres of Books...can usually find some very good titles/authors in their dusty cookbook section! Let me know if you drive down and I'll meet you there! As for Nancy, yes I love her pastry book. BTW, since you're in LA, did you know that she is going to be autographing books at the Hollywood Farmers Market this Sunday (Oct 13th)?

OK. I know I am taking this way too personally but I have to defend my suggestion here, having been thoroughly humiliated by people on this website whom I have learned to respect and from whom I have gleaned a lot of useful information As I mentioned, I don't use Gisslen for the recipes (with the exception of Frangipane III which I use in my Pithiviers). However I find the definitions and descriptions of baking terms, ingredients and how those ingredients act and react with one another to be an extremely useful resource. I wish I had had this information on hand years ago before I went to school (by the way, I did not go to a "cooking school factory" which I am sure, Steve, you were not insinuating as you don't even know me!) I know there are plenty of other such resources, I was just suggesting something which I have found useful to someone who was asking for suggestions! And I also suggest Lenotre and Healy and Bugat and Silverton and Roux!

I would suggest the 3rd edition of Wayne Gisslen's Professional Baking. I have the 2nd edition and it is an invaluable resource...mine is well-marked from school use and falling apart from constant use since then, mostly using it as a reference book as it gives an in-depth understanding of ingredients. The new edition is full of photographs and step-by-step technique (I've only glanced at it but it looks beautiful). Admittedly I don't use it often for recipes as most of my repertoire has been amassed from numerous other books, family recipes, etc. But, from what you mentioned, I think it would be something very helpful to you. Anyway, take a good look at it and let me know if you think I should invest in the new edition!

Suvir: I'm sure there are blondie variations all over the country/world (the Canadian version sounds interesting!) but in my book, the cake of the blondie should simply be overwhelmingly buttery and brown sugary with big chunks of pecans and chocolate. Try this one: Unsalted Butter, softened 1/2 cup (4 oz.) Light brown sugar 1 cup (7.66 oz.) Egg, large 1 Vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp. Unbleached a/p flour 1 cup (5 oz.) Baking powder 1/2 tsp. Baking soda 1/4 tsp. Pecans, toasted, chopped 1 cup (4 oz.) Semi(or bitter)-sweet choc chips 1 cup (6 oz.) Spray (or butter) 8" square pan and line with foil (foil must come up and over sides). Spray (or butter) foil. Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light in color and fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix briefly to combine. Stir in nuts and chocolate. Batter will be very thick. Spread gently into pan so as not to tear foil. Bake exactly 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan then lift out by overhanging foil.

Foodman: Don't know if mhadam got in touch w/you directly, but I found my copy of the Pistachio Cake (which I make often and everyone adores) which I had found on Epicurious. Although it is simply called "Pistachio Cake" I had written "Iranian" above the title. I am assuming that I did see it in Gourmet and that it stated that it was an Iranian recipe. As my short term memory sucks, that's the best I can do for you except for the fact that I served it to an Iraqi friend of mine and he said it reminded him of his childhood. Let me know if you have heard otherwise. kit

Apples. Specifically a fresh, fall Fuji from Ha's Apple Farm in Tehachapi, CA. Admittedly I don't live in the apple capital of the world, but these are well worth craving and if I had to, I could live on them. And for those of you who mentioned water, it's included!

Fun to read of someone else feeding America's Cup sailors. I supplied the sailors of "Stars & Stripes" with pastries this summer...their trainer would allow them a once a week treat, their favorite being a simple coffeecake with brown sugar streusel. mmmm. sounds good. think I'll whip one up now for my mid-morning coffee. as for meals, Red Beans and Rice with some tasty, spicy sausage (can you find andouille in new zealand?) would be a great way to start any day!

In Tres Leches Cake.

Further to Magnolia's posting on bread & pastry...you are only a short tube ride to both Baker & Spice (Queen's Park) and Lisboa Patisserie (Westbourne Park and thank you once again, Magnolia, for introducing me to this great little hang out!). Baker & Spice - pricey, Lisboa Patisserie - just the opposite!

During baseball season, Hostess puts out what they call "baseballs". White (yellow) cake cupcake with the infamous creme filling, white icing and the same swirls as on the Hostess chocolate cupcake, however they are in red to imitate the seams on a baseball. I can eat them one right after the other. Should I also confess that I am a pastry cook/baker????

Last Sunday. Fresh Sand Dabs from the Long Beach Farmer's Market Fish Man. Ever-so-lightly dipped and breaded, fried, a squeeze of lemon. Melted in your mouth. Served with Beefsteak Tomatoes, warm from the sun, with a simple cream vinaigrette. Ahhhhhhh....

I love this thread. Entertaining as well as educational!

I'm not a Brit but am an Anglophile and, if I'm not mistaken, you've got to cook the sausages in the roasting tin first and pour the batter into the smoking hot tin over the sausages...same as Yorkshire Pud, right? Serve with Onion Gravy. I must disagree with some of you... Toad in the Hole with good pork sausages and onion gravy is fabulous on a cold winter's eve!

The pocket of air problem is one that I have not encountered. Very bizarre. Can't recall in your previous postings but have you tried the beeswax coating? I think I'll go out and find some beeswax today and see how that does in my next attempt. Although a friend of mine told me that the last batch I baked were just as he recalled in both France and Montreal so I'm pretty pleased with that. I reduced the sugar in Nancy Silverton's recipe by about a fifth/quarter...don't think that that will help you with your bubble trouble.

According to Nancy Silverton, it is spelled Canelles. According to Lenotre, it is Canneles or Cannelets. Either way, I was wrong. I'd put my money on Lenotre.

It has taken me months and several recipes, each tried several times over, but I have almost hit on the perfect cannelle. I purchased four 8-mould silicone moulds at Bridge Kitchenware. I chill the molds, very lightly brush them with vegetable oil (I have yet to try the beeswax technique but will one day soon) and stick them back in the freezer for a few minutes before filling them with the 24-hour old Cannelle batter from Nancy Silverton. It still amazes me but filling them just a tad below the rim and baking at 400 for 2 hours is nearly perfect. Next time, however, I'm going to try reducing the sugar a bit. An amazing pastry and I look forward to going to Bordeaux and seeing the pastry shop which a friend visited last year where they bake nothing but cannelle. Must be an awesome sight!