boulak

The sugar piece by Louise Chien was my favorite piece in the competition. It was especially amazing as this was her first competition and she has only concentrated on sugar work for six or seven months. Random thoughts on the week: 1. Carrymax staff: A+ 2. Hotel staff: A+ 3. Trade show: Needs to be larger 4. Level of competition: More sponsorship/funding needed to level the field 5. Dinner off property with En-Ming, Thomas Haas, Ciril, Michael Joy, et al: A++ 6. Food at the hotel: Well.............. 7. Night seminars: Well attended and well received. 8. Volunteers: A+ 9. Teachers: A+ I had a behind the scenes view to the event this year as well as last year, and I really feel that this year the World Pastry Forum was indeed a forum. After classes, people mingled and the exchange of ideas and sharing of information was everywhere. Yeah, the food was weak, but when you're sitting at the lunch table with MOFs and other pastry world giants, if that particular meal is your focus, you should give your seat to someone else. This was a great event, and unlike last year in Las Vegas, I was able to meet and connect with so many more people who share the same philosophy and appreciation for things that I do. The facility was very nice and the the staff in all of the kitchens helped beyond belief. My deepest appreciation goes to all who were there and made the event so fantastic: the sponsors, the organizers, the attendees, the teachers, the volunteers, the hotel staff, everyone made this year one for the books.

Chris, The Bread Baker's Guild Of America www.bbga.org was selling baskets as a fundraiser for $10 each. I'm not sure if they still are. If not, contact the San Francisco Baking Institute. www.sfbi.com I'm not sure what you mean by Frieling baskets, but SFBI is a good source for smallwares. Unfortunately, they do not have an online store, but you can phone them and a sales representative will help you. If you don't get anywhere with them, PM me.

Results are: USA 1st France 2nd Japan 3rd I'm in an internet cafe with a very slow computer. I'll post more when I return early next week.

Have you tried Librarie Gourmande?

Other sources are Kitchen Arts and Letters in NYC -- 1-212-876-5550 and www.sfbi.com-- The San Francisco Baking Institute.

At the 1999 edition of Europain there was a demonstration on the making of American donuts -- complete with sprinkles, you know... jimmies. Exotique indeed.

There is an old saying that there is a thin line between fermentation and putrification.

I will be there and promise to post a report when I return the following week. I have been before and it is truly a phenomenal event.

I believe the three digit format you are referring to is known as the Julian or Julien calendar.

Why not make a macaroon and bake it in the form, or trim it to fit the form,and then bake your cheesecake on top of that?

I don't know that one person's appreciation can be more sophisticated than another's. We all like what we like. The truck: We clipped an article from the Dec. RI Monthly about a relocated (from Seattle) couple who missed Mexican food so much that they started making their own and selling it from a truck parked in different locations on different nights. Nothing over $6.50and they are using organic produce. They have been out of commission over the winter but the hotline (781-TRUK) has a recording to the effect that they will return to business April 8. By calling the number, you get the location of the truck for that particular night. We haven't had the opportunity to try it yet, but we are counting the days.

We were using three fourths cream and one fourth milk on some and 50/50 on others. I like it much better this way than with 100% cream.

I prefer Seven Stars to Olga's for several reasons: 1. I perceive their breads as truly conceptualized all the way through. It is evident that they have studied grains, mixing, fermentation, shaping, proofing, baking, etc. I also sense an appreciation for the history and tradition of the products they make. The breads are (to me) more complex in aroma and flavor. They look as if they have been handled with respect AND love. 2. The pastries seem more refined and are not overly sweet or masked with excess coatings and/or icings. 3. Even the simple things are sophisticated in their simplicity. Sometimes, one must know when to say 'enough is enough.' In summation, the products at Seven Stars seem to me to be understood by the crafts people making them. I do not have the same perception, although I could be wrong, of Olga's. In no way is this meant to disparage Olga's. As far as the dearth of Mexican food in the area, the recording on the hot line for the truck (I think it's called Pacifica Tacqueria) states that they will be returning to business on April 8. Is Don Tequila's the one on the Hill? We had a tasteless and poorly served meal there. Another thing to appreciate about Stop n Shop is their 'natural' section.

I have had good results baking creme brulee in a convection oven without a water bath (is there any other kind?). A low fan in a 200 degree oven and baking in shallow dishes on a sheet pan for hours -- the brulee set every time. We made the preparation and baked some directly, and reserved the rest for baking over the next few days. Never a problem. Of course the idiosyncracies of individual ovens are going to have more to say about the results than this post.

A couple of comments on chrisamirault's excellent and insightful post. Whole Foods is opening a new store in the Garden City area. My understanding is that they will move into the Shaw's space and that Shaw's will move into the new development across the street, bordered by Reservoir Ave. I have also heard that they will probably close the smaller WF on the East side. I have been a pastry chef and artisan bread baker for many years, and I would never say outright that one bakery is better than another, but I definitely prefer Seven Stars to Olga's. De gustibus............you know the rest. Thanks for all the new lead on places to explore. I relocated from the western US and really miss Mexican food. It seems people in RI think milk is spicy. De gustibus.............again.

If you are looking for a work on baking science, "Baking Science and Technology" by E.J. Pyler is quite definitive. Published in 1988, it is still relevant.

A tip: If using tap water, let it stand at room temperature overnight or for 24 hours so that the chlorine will dissipate. Filtered water is OK, but avoid distilled.

Chefpeon, I could not agree more. When in production, a scoop is the way to go. Not only does fat inhibit gluten development, but sugar is a tenderizer as well, and baking soda (the most common cookie leavener) has a rotting or decaying effect on the gluten, allowing for spread. In addition to that, most cookies are made with a lower protein flour than breads, etc. which do require ample gluten development. In bread bakeries, dough dividers are common for rolls and loaves to expedite the process and to ensure consistency -- another reason to use a scoop for cookies -- speed and efficiency in achieving the consistency necessary for an even bake and customer satisfaction. I don't find it necessary to refrigerate the cookies in order to bake them, but have for the sake of production, scooped a week's worth of cookies, refrigerated them and pulled them out daily to bake with little or no negative impact. Production baking is certainly different from home baking, but the science remains the same. Scooping works on a number of levels. Also, bread is typically sold by weight. Cookies, although they should all be of identical weight, are not necessarily sold by weight.

On our last trip to Paris, we noticed a proliferation of restaruants offering tartines, many of them advertised as being on pain Poilane. We purchased the book "Lionel Poilane's Favourite Sweet Tartines" published in English by Michel Grancher in 2001. The price is 15.10 euros. It is about 9" X 5" with a color plate for each recipe. Poilane writes in the foreword that the food requires neither stove nor chef, and that it may be eaten with the fingers. I read that the trains are selling the tartines Poilane as well. Hope this helps.

Oven spring is prolonged in refrigerated doughs allowing for a more dynamic expansion. The thermal death point of yeast is 138 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. More time is needed for the heat of the oven to overcome the cold of the loaf, which enables the yeast to continue carbon dioxide production for a slightly longer period of time. Also, the build up of organic acids due to the low temperature of the refrigerator and the long, slow fermentation, strengthen the dough.

Not to disparage or discredit any of the competitiors, but does anyone else notice the finger licking and spoon tasting (with the spoon going back into the food), and the lack of gloved hands on ready to eat food? I know the competition is about other things (marketing, mainly), but what a perfect forum for the country's top chefs to model sanitary and hygienic behavior for aspiring professionals. Sure, the demographic for the network is home cooks to a large degree, but they do eat out often if not frequently. Just a thought. I would not watch the show if I didn't enjoy it, I would enjoy it more it the competitors had the same standard for hygiene as they do for cooking. If you went to a restaurant and saw the cook lick his fingers and continue working, would you be grossed out? Even if it's Ming Tsai or Bobby Flay? Their hands are going from raw duck to spices to ready to eat food and into their mouths. Ick. I will stop before (it's probably too late) this turns into a Dennis Miller like RANT.

Roger, Thanks for the astute reply. I agree with your comments entirely. On any given day or even on just one oven load, the results can vary widely. At any step in the process, any miscalculation or deviation can have a huge impact. That is why I refrained from saying one or the other was the best -- I observed which I enjoyed the most. As to the lighter bake, I did notice not only that factor, but also the "racing stripes" down the sides. I attributed both of these characteristics to the fact that prices are regulated. The boulanger is tempted to put as many baguettes as will fit in a deck and bake for a few minutes less even if it affects the results. Whatever it takes to keep the register ringing..... Sales are a reality for the bakery owner. That's just a guess. At this point, I am still a little torn between straight dough baguettes and baguettes sur poolish. After the master class this summer, I have been making more and more straight dough. My feeling is if the flour is really good, the baguette will benefit from the staight dough method, highlighting the flavor of the grain. With a lesser quality flour, it seems to me that I can coax more flavor (although of a different profile) with the poolish method. Would you care to share your thoughts on this? Your comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated. I would like to add that I could not have pulled this trip off with as much pleasure as I had if it were not for your input and inspiration -- for that I will always be grateful. Mitch

artisanbaker, The word about Meunier is that we could not find the street that the shop is on. I plan on returning to Paris in April for Europain and will definitely try to find the shop. Mr. Kaplan rates the shop highly. Which baguette was the one that you rated highest if Julien was second?

Between A Rocco and a Charred Place

Polack, Actually, I was pointing out that long lines can forecast quality. In a city with that many bakery options and a discerning public, long lines are indicative of quality. I am not familiar with Nancy Silverton's recipe, but typically sourdoughs are best baked in boule or batard shapes as they do not obtain the best rise in a longer form. The majority of the thrust is upward due to the strength of the dough. Of course many bakers are successfully making sourdough baguettes. Depending on how you plan to use the final product, you might want to make the individual units heavier or lighter than traditional baguettes. The question to ask is do you want a sourdough bread or a baguette that is sourdough and go from there. A few bakes will give you the answer.