alligande

When using suoermarket coconut I dump it in a french cap / seive and rinse it untill it runs clear. I have found you end up with moist coconut without the sweetness

Wendy, sausage rolls are snack food, quick lunch etc they are sold in bakeries hot and cold along with pork pies, and other meat pies and pasties. When full size they are about 4" long. They are similar but different to ones I have had in the states, mostly due to the style of sausage meat. shame I cant send you one to try

If you are looking for a traditional British sausage roll then I would use raw sausage to fully satisfy the expat craving they will more closely resemble the ones bought from the bakery than if you pre-cook the meat. I have also found disembowling good sausages makes an excellent sausage roll.

I think I remember seeing in the equipment supply catalogues from sysco/us food service etc a pancake batter dispenser that fits that description.

Thanks for all the input, I am definately going to try lots of these, due to the fact that I have to make them in advance and freeze, I dont think the tartlets will work, but if they are good I will still have to make them I thought it was just me who could not get away from brownies and all their variations, it must be the choclate!

Yes I am bored of brownies and every regattta there is always a different variation just for my entertainment. granola bars are a little to healthy, and they always have power bars on board. I would love the recipe for the rasberry squares. Are you english because, those are both childhood treats for me rarely scene in the US! I have never had any luck serving flapjacks to americans I should also mention, they dont get a variety just one choice so I try to find flavours that have universal appeal. thanks for the input

Help I need new ideas, my imagination has given up. I cook for 2 sailboat racing teams, and for lunch along with their sandwich and piece of fruit, they get a sweet baked item, ie brownie. Because this food has to go sailing and is for big athlelic types, there are limitations: can not be delicate must be substantial like a brownie on one boat is not kept on ice I have to be able to make in advance and freeze (limits my cookie choice) This summer, they have had, brownies, lemon bars, lime and lemon bars, blondies, a variety of cup cakes, shortbread. Brownies and blondies are always favourites. So dos any one have any ideas and recipes. cheers

Before deciding on culinary school there is another topic on the board that is relevant > Pastry chef salary & compensation (I cant figure out how to link), I have a MS in historic preservation and knew that the field did not pay well, but did realize how badly, so I continued to cook for a living. Dont regret the degree as I still love the subject. On the subject of externs and recent grads I used to get J&W students who thought our food was beneath them, but they could not cook a burger to temp or handle any type of line pressure, and then wondered why they where getting paid less than the line cooks without a degree who could handle all you could throw at them. I think Steve is right on target, a well rounded education is important, as is travel and seeing other places.

Just wanted to say thankyou for the tutorial, I have dabled using pastllage as support pieces on cakes but this has inspired me to see what can be created thanks.

Thanks for this cheffete, the link to the historic site was inspiring, I cant wait to see the next installment this is great thanks.

My 2 cents, I really dont think the images replace artistic talent, just add a diffrent technique. To use them creatively still requires those artistic skills. Photo images have been around for a bit, but now we are seeing really intresting uses for them, It takes creatitivty to get from supermarket picture cake to some of the uses seen in the these pictures. Bottom line I think there is plenty of room for all the techniques disscussed as each provides its own look. As for cost, you can get started for under $200.00 one dedicated canon printer plus ink and paper.

I did not fully read the Horlicks explanation, This explains the need for lots of carnation, for the filling I used 2 sticks of butter, 2T boiling water 1 cup of icing sugar and a lot of carnation powder, I just kept adding untill I got the taste I wanted. I did add a little extra water. The malt powder intially caused the icing to be corse but I did not want to add any more water, by the time I served the cake (about 3 hours) it had melted and was smooth.

I tried nigella Lawsons Malteser cake, (thanks for posting) I modified the filling/buttercream) using butter, icing sugar, hot milk and malted milk powder so that the cake would be more like the sweet. To get the malteser flavor I had to add alot more malt to the mix about a cup+. I used Carnation which had a nice mild flavor. I toped with cake with a ganache The cake was very popular with husband and neighbours and did taste like a malted milk ball. Maltesers and malted milk balls look the same and are related but do not taste the same, the malteser is milder in malt taste. I think this is why Nigella suggests using Horlicks, but the carnation did give me a malteser rather than milk ball taste.

Thanks for the test Anne, I have also been wondering about the stuff. Looks like it does work as advertised. karen

I just a Kopykake airmaster and aztec brush following peoples advice here. Found the airmaster slightley cheaper than Kopykakes site, using a froogle search, and got a brand new aztec brush for under half price on ebay. Having all sorts of fun trying to figure out the best way to use it karen

I only use scratch, I learned to bake from my granmother in England, I had never seen or used a box mix till I came to the states for the first time in the early eighties. Went through a period of using them for my job. I used to be a chef on private yachts and untill I started working on large power boats with "kitchens" not galleys there was no stand mixers therefore no scratch cakes. That said I went out for dessart the other night to a coffee shop where people love the cake, my companions all raved about the choclate cake, it and the frosting both came from box and can, didnt do anything for me. I just think that boxes are an aquired taste and to many people cake is the flavour of a boxed mix, its what you get from supermarket bakerys, and many small bakeries as well. (I wish criollo was located near me )

First if we cant have giggle at a stupid question isnt the world becoming rather boring, come on the kitchen world is not exactly PC. Secondly, Guys when its your dollar that is paying for "mentoring" you have a diffrent attitude, I to have bought along dishwashers, servers etc who really wanted to learn, but you know these people and can see something, When you need to hire for a particular position, as Anne said they have to rock and roll. Ted, when the margins are tight, hire those seasoned pros just doesn't work, because the budget isnt going to stretch. Karen

congratulations on the Food and wine article, just got my copy and I will have to make them. karen

On reflection (while in the shower) what I was trying to say is this..... I completely understand where you are coming from, and was always aware that you were trying to have a good working enviroment, and meant no criticsm of you business and have really enjoyed your blog with all the ups and downs, and hoping it all comes together. I was really responding to others that had replied to your blog, because I really dont understand the need for machismo in the kitchen, tuff yes, insane yes, senstive to critism no, PC no! Sorry karen

I should have said this in my first post, I mean no disrespect to Mel, I think what she has acheived is amazing in a very difficult segment of the buisness. reading her blog has brought back lots of memories, some good some bad. In regard to the last couple of posts what I remember as owner is the frustation at not being able to clone your self, it is not that you really expect those working for you to have the same goals, you just hope! I do think wendy that working conditions etc might make an intresting topic, so we are no longer hijacking mels blog. karen

I have tried the long hours etc.... in my own restaurant always with the carrot that if it succeeds there will be rewards, but it did not work out for reasons that I wont get into here ( that is a whole other story about under capitilization and bad weather), but almost 2 years later, I can deffinately tell you I wont be going back to 12-14 hour days, I like having a life with my husband and friends. It was deffinately worth the effort and I have no regrets about giving it a go. Those who think that the only way a kitchen should be is balls to the walls should look around at those they work with, most only want a paycheck, they dont have the ambition and drive to become chef, but they do have skills, which should be appreactied, we all know how hard it is to find people with those skills, so dont burn them out, encourage them, appreciate that they have a life away from work, work is not their life. I strongly beleive kitchen staff are under apprecaited, the economics of the industry do not allow wages that reflect the level of skill required, remember you can earn more as a laborer in construction than you can as a line cook so why put up with the crap. Sorry about the rant but I really feal that if this a business that is becoming more main stream then it should start to become more proffessional in its working conditions and less medevial. Karen

I have never seen pink boxes, where I am in Rhode Island, regular white boxes with a doily inside if you are lucky

I have a question, I finally made the strawberry marshmallows and they came out great, but as I can't access the orginal recipe what are they coated in. I used a mixture of icing sugar and corn starch as that was what I had to hand, worked alright but what is every one else using ( I know Neil uses potato starch but do you mix in sugar?) thanks Karen

Anne, Those jackets are amazing, I would not want to work in one of those, only wear it when you have to look like a chef!!! I think it is the first time I have seen a chefs jacket make a women look good. Though I am with you a T shirt and comfy pants karen

Thanks Allan, a great tutorial. karen