JeanneCake

Why would there be only one "ground breaker"? There have always been trailblazers in industries or professions; Alice had to have gotten her start somewhere too. I think there is also a regional factor to consider (how far-reaching is someone who is a local celebrity versus a name with national recognition). Maybe it's not a "who" that made it possible, but a "what" - changes in society that made cooking seem a glamorous career choice, for example. The wave that's cresting at the shore started deep in the sea and traveled a long way to there...

We have another order for these next week so I will add some corn syrup to the ganache, and report back! Thanks!

It's not so much a glaze as a layer of ganache; the ganache layer is about a quarter of an inch thick. I want them to have enough of each (the caramel layer and the ganache layer) to be distinct once it's cut. The caramel is just enough to run a little bit, it's the ganache that's firmer. I need to keep this a poured ganache rather than piping it on (the thought occurred to me) in order to keep labor costs down for this product. Yesterday the staff made another big batch (300) of the individual ones and they used half Chocoa and half Callebaut dark in the ganache; almost half of the tarts has fissures across the centers, but some were perfect - no cracking or even the tiniest bit of caramel peeking out at the edges. I agree a glaze would be better for the flourless cake, I just need to find the reason why the poured ganache cracks in the tart shell. I've just started using the Chocoa brand and it seems to handle just like the Shokinag, so I didn't make any changes in the ganache formula. Maybe it's time to experiment.

I've been using the same recipe for ganache for years: 2# bittersweet chocolate (callets or disks, either Callebaut or Chocoa now that Shokinag is no longer available), 8 oz butter in a bowl; 2# heavy 40% cream brought to a full boil and poured over; let sit a few mins then gentle whisking to bring it together. When I use this to cover a flourless chocolate cake, in some display cases, the glaze will crack after a few days. But the worst problem is when I use this for my chocolate caramel tarts (in 9" and 4" sizes). I pour a layer of caramel (not too thick, but enough to coat the bottom of the shell. It's maybe a quarter of an inch thick if that), let it sit - sometimes overnight but sometimes for an hour or two; then pour ganache over it. The shells are probably 5/16ths or maybe half an inch shallow so these are not deep shells. The ganache is still fluid when poured but not warm to the touch. The problem is that sometimes the ganache topping develops fissures across the diameter of the tart; sometimes caramel shows on the edges of the shell. The fissures are usually hairline, not wide (they get wider the longer they stand in the larger tart especially) but they are unsightly in my opinion because you can see caramel. Not all of the tarts develop a fissure or caramel around the edges so I can't figure out what is causing this. I don't refrigerate them once they are made; usually they go out the door within 36 hours of being made (e.g., we pour the caramel on Monday, ganache on Tues, pack and out the door on Tues or early Wed morning). The tarts are on parchment lined sheet pans, on a speed rack with a cover. Should I be using a different formula for the ganache? The caramel sauce is the basic sugar/water/corn syrup with cream, vanilla and butter added and I am one of those who likes a very dark caramel in this kind of tart, but it doesn't seem to make a difference whether the caramel is dark or light. I am not using any added flavoring or salt on the caramel. We're making more this week so I'll see if I can get a picture. But any theories on what's causing this and how to avoid it are welcome!

I have so enjoyed being in your world this week; I've learned so much about kosher/non-kosher cooking from you and your blogs. I am not doing as much Passover as in previous years; my chef friend moved on to a kosher catering company so he can't use my company but we stay in touch. There's been a huge influx of Passover items brought in by a local supermarket chain - stuff you couldn't get even three years ago (carrot cake mixes?! KfP confectioner's sugar - so now I can make meringues!) is on the shelf so I think a lot of people are doing things at home now that so much more is available. We've had a great week with you; hope you have had a great week with us!

You might first want to see if there's a niche market you can fill - something like muffins, cupcakes, marshmallows and use that to fill your off hours. Or, and I say this somewhat haltingly, see if someone who wants to start a business like that wants to rent your space in your off hours. Depending on what that business is, you may need additional refrigeration or table space, in addition to a convection oven (which may not really be necessary, depending on how the ovens you currently have now work). You would need to be very specific about hours of use, who cleans what, where storage is, who is in the space (people who know how to use the professional equipment in place) and whether or not a separate business can be licensed to share the same kitchen (when I was exploring sharing a kitchen, one town I was looking in would not allow two businesses to share the same kitchen. First time I'd ever heard of such a thing.)

The only thing that comes to mind is the rose or sunflower pan from Nordicware; but the sides are the petals so it won't look like a traditional bundt pan.

God, now I'm really jealous. You get to go with Johnny Iuzzini. I would have done the same thing that your wife did - you get a chance like this, you take it and I am glad you are going and going to report about it. You also need to bring something very, VERY nice back as a present for her

I did my first vegan cake this weekend; it's not going to fit the parameters of gluten free, but I adapted the popular "wowie cake" (the recipe is all over the internet) to a vanilla version by replacing the cocoa with almond flour. You could experiment with using a gluten free flour replacer in the recipe (the recipe, which I doubled, so I remember the quantities: 15 oz flour, 14 oz granulated white sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1 tsp salt - mix this together in a bowl. Then you need 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups cold water and 2/3 cup vegetable oil, add these liquids, stir (don't leave any lumps but don't overmix this either), pour into a greased pan (I lined them with parchment so I'd be able to get them out cleanly) and then bake it for about 35-40 mins at 350 (I didn't use the convection oven for this but if that's all you have, use a low fan). It will bake pretty flat, but you can cut it into shapes and use it as a component on the plate....

So the coupon doesn't mention that gratuity will be added to the bill? If the customer learned that the tip was 18% only after receiving his bill, I can understand being surprised and annoyed about it (or he could have felt that he was saving 2%!!). But anytime in the past, if I've had a coupon, I tip on the total amount of the bill before the discount or promotion is added. The coupon should state terms of use and charges appropriately so there are no surprises later.

I have a jelly shelf, too. I have to try every known brand of black currant jam ever made. This is research! I wish I lived near andiesenji too! I stand in awe of your knowledge, your collections and your ability to explain and share things so clearly with us!

I have one of these microwave/combination units; I bought it four or five years ago and there isn't much (except baking a cake) that I can't do in it. So I use it almost exclusively, and rarely use the oven anymore. We've been buying appliances from the same family-owned company for 18 years so usually, when we're buying something, it's because something broke and needs to be replaced fairly quickly. We ended up replacing the original appliances (dishwasher, oven, microwave, washer, dryer) - which were new when we bought the house within five years (they were Magic Chef, chosen by the builder, and we were surprized to see they lasted that long). So I have to wonder ... if you're able to plan on replacing an appliance, you probably put more thought into it. For me, it's always been a sudden breakdown that compels me to buy something because I can't go more than four or five days (in one instance, I had to get the stove replaced the next day because it was Thanksgiving week, and of course, we were hosting the family) and I end up settling for what I can get.

Many years ago I read a story about the graham crackers in Maida Heatter's cookie book; someone mentioned making a graham crust with the dough rolled out as pie dough and placed in the pan. Maida Heatter thought she was making the cookies and then grinding them into crumbs for a crumb crust. So maybe use a make-your-own graham cracker cookie dough as pie crust ....

This reminds me of something I haven't thought about in years, decades probably. My mother or grandmother made it; and I don't think it was really dessert and it wasn't a salad either. I remember the gelatin being filled with shredded carrots, maybe crushed pineapple? and chopped walnuts. I loved eating it as a child - it was cold, crunchy from the carrots and walnuts and it seemed for a while I couldn't get enough of it to eat. I'm sure it was made with commercial Jell-O; I don't ever remember my mother having gelatin sheets in the house but she did have powdered gelatin because there was a thing for awhile about adding it to drinks to improve your fingernails maybe? And making gelatin blocks in our own favorite flavors when Jell-O Jigglers were first popular. I'm going to have to find out what that was....

Yes, macaron are the new cupcakes I've been a big fan for years, and can't wait for next year. I'm going to lead the charge for a Macaron Day in Boston!

As an infant and toddler, my son would eat salmon, meatloaf, just about anything. His favorite mac and cheese was the Annie's Mexican (no longer made unfortunately). As he got older, he got fussier, and it is only now as a teenager that I see him getting a little more adventurous and it seems to correlate to whatever he is studying in his World Civ class. I hope it sticks! He has to be in the mood to cook (often isn't) but sometimes he'll wander over and ask if he can help.

The title of the book is the Whimsical Bakehouse cookbook; I tried to edit my post but at that precise moment, the computer decided to stop working....

I suggest using the recipe for House Buttercream found in The Whimsical House Bakery book. When clients request a sweeter frosting (our house buttercream is an Italian Meringue BCRM) this is what I use and people are happy with it. I have only ever used it with a high ratio shortening (I still have that stuff and I think this is a key to success but I don't know. Maybe the book is on amazon and maybe you can find it by glancing through the online pages that are available with some titles. Otherwise, do a google search and I'm sure it's been discussed in other cake forums and people have posted their adaptations and notes... When freshly made, it spreads easily, can be smoothed very nicely; I've never kept it for longer than a few days but I would guess you'd need to rebeat it if you chill it or have it stand at rm temp in a bowl for a few hours....

If you aren't able to get them in before Easter, you could also try using white chocolate vermicelli (aka sprinkles or jimmies but these are made from white chocolate) and put some in a small, clean, plastic deli container with a lid and a few drops of candy color and shake it until the color is well distributed. This works with coconut (use the macaroon or dessicated) and large grain sugar as well using regular food color liquid or gel....

Most chefs understand that an apprentice or new hire with little experience will need more guidance and supervision at the beginning; I hired a new culinary graduate last year who is coming along slowly but surely. Another thing an apprentice needs to know is that you don't know everything at the start, you must ask. When you saw the butter at the surface, it would have been a good time to find someone and say "this is the first time I've seen this. How can it be corrected? What caused it? How do I prevent it next time?" This way, a potential mistake can be a learning experience and it gives the kitchen time to plan to remake the dough, or do something else if needed. And you have the benefit of knowing what happened and why, and how to not let it happen again or how to fix it if it does.

I didn't think there was an objection to a service dog; I thought the objection was that clarification was asked for, and not provided until later. It wasn't immediately obvious that it was a service dog. If it had been a readily identified service dog, I don't think it would have been an issue for the Health Dept and there would have been no chance of a fine being levied. Because that's what the shop owner is trying to avoid: being fined for something he has no control over and if the Health Dept tried to assess a fine, he would have been able to show proof of the service dog's legitimacy.

Freezer storage is less drying than refrigerator storage I'm told (I have no idea why this is); perhaps because there's more freezer space it is easier to store things there and then have the cooler for finished goods. Three days is not a lot of time for a cake layer but perhaps they found that the cupcakes dry out faster if they are not frozen. I don't have a lot of freezer space so I use the freezer as a tool to help with production - I can put a cake in progress in the freezer to firm up a very soft buttercream so I can put the next layer of cake on without squishing the buttercream, or if I want a buttercream dam to be very firm before filling... or if someone cancels an order that I haven't assembled yet I can put the layers in the freezer to use for samples later or if someone else calls with an emergency order But mostly my freezer is for storing fruit purees, unbaked cookie dough, nuts, and firming up cheesecake lollipops! So it isn't that unusual to freeze cakes or cupcakes; but I am not militant about they'd have to be in the freezer before they cool.

Well, I'm intrigued. It doesn't take that long for cupcakes to cool; surely the cake layers cool longer. Is it all recipes they have you do this with the cupcake version versus when the same batter is baked off in layer cakes (round, square, any shape...)? Usually with extra batter, we always bake off cupcakes, and I usually put them into airtight buckets lined top and bottom with deli paper and then freeze. This way I can get a few days (e.g., baking on Wednesday means I can have these cupcakes for Friday sale when the bulk of the impulse purchases or last minute purchases happen). So, how long are you freezing them for? Overnight? Days? Do all your baked goods go in the freezer? Do you have more freezer space than cooler space? Inquiring minds want to know!

I have been in food service only 10 years so I am still learning; what was the rationale behind using sawdust on the floor? When I was a child, I remember some of the supermarkets my mom took me to had a sawdust kind of stuff on the floor but I never knew why and have never seen it since.

800 ramekins are a lot to keep track of and hope to get back at the end of the night! Tart shells would be more expensive but easier to manage (of course there's always the don't fry the edges of the tart shell when firing them..... What about truffles served on a skewer? You can roll them quickly and easily, there are lots of flavor options that can complement the other things (smooth creme brulee, crispy bruschetta) on the menu.