C_Ruark

Thanks for suggesting.

I'm not sure I am qualifed to break down MP's formula, but for some reason (and it could be an inflated desire to enjoy the experience) I really do enjoy their pastries. Having eaten a cannolo right in the heart of Palermo, I think I can qualify my opinion: I'm happy with their product. There are many a bakery, p-shop, and resto that mask hideous confections as cannoli. All things said, I've never been to NYC... ever... really. But, we're going this spring; I'll add Ferrara to the list of eateries to investigate.

Bravo K8, Nice pics! I sent the link to my girlfriend who's started to learn more pastry techniques. ~C

Sante Fe restaurant Coyote Cafe has a cookbook (ISBN: 1580084664). Highly recommend it.

Just got back from a trip to Brookline/Boston. Here's some of the place we ate at. North End - Floretine Cafe. The gnocchi was superb! Very well prepared food here. Of course, close proximity to Mike's Pastries may have played a part in my liking it so much. Funny thing about Mike's; I've had maybe a dozen cannoli from there without actually setting foot inside (mail orders, friends picking them up, one girl tried to woo me by making a "special trip"). Now I have. Yes it's a tourist trap (packed at 10pm); but it's still a memorable experience. They definitely have a smart system for quickly serving a high volume of people. Quincy Market - Todd English puts out some good food at Kingfish Hall. I sort of wish it was in a low traffic part of town and not so commerical, but hey... it's almost like Olive's. Of course, the market itself has some surprising finds. I wish I wrote down names. There's an Indian stand worth trying in the south end (red counter; with a Tandoor right by the counter). Brookline - Zaftig's Deli has some great food for lunch. My pastrami s'wich was top-notch. Sit at the counter if you like watching kitchen work. Hot foods are in the kitchen way in the back of the resto, but the sandwich station is right there. Gave me ideas for what to eat next time I'm up in B'line. Anna's Taqueria was good for caryout (way better Qdoba/Chipotle). There's a new wine/oyster bar in Coolidge Corner (forgot name; will revise and add it) which was awesome. G/F and I ordered marinated beef-tips and there had to be "at least" 10 oz of fresh and excellently prepared beef. Wine list isn't deep though; I noticed that for a lot of Spanish mains, there wasn't a Rioja or like being offered. Sudbury - Longfellow's Wayside Inn was edible. I had a really great orange duck but the parsnip/squash puree, baked potato (2 starches ), and limp garden salad fell short. My G/F requested a medium well-done strip-steak and received what looked like medium-rare at best. Service was..eh. ~C

Roasted tomato infused oils are always nice. Keep a back of diced and seeded tomatoes in the freezer. To make the oil, grill or saute 1/2 cup of tomatoes in very little oil to pan roast them. Toss in a blender with two Tspn of olive oil, puree, with the blender on, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil in a thin stream. Emulsify. When you're finished, you have the start of a lovely salad dressing, or a quick way to add color to cream-based sauces. Just a thought. ~C

Someone may beat me to recommending it to ya, but Montreal's Le Pied Du Cochon (Chef Martin Picard) has recently published a great eponymous cookbook which many of us are searching for US distributors. The work is part recipes, part comic book and includes a DVD recipe walkthrough. I'd very much like to get a copy soon. ~C

Plus crab (and other sea-goodies) for paella.

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cardamom! (lots of dessert recipes) Milagai ← Condensed Milk (for Payasam)

Since prickly pear is our national fruit (Sabra), then I will say, prickly pear cheesecake, so.... Cream cheese, even though we use a different kind of white cheese to make our cheesecakes here. ← Puff pastry

DELETED to prevent a fork. Swisskaese and I replied at the same time. ~ C

Using the eggs for: Bavarian Creme

Using the Roses... Rose Water infused Kulfi

Congrats AM! Looks great.

like a rib-eye brushed in... Demi-glace

and Ground Veal; components of my fave meatball recipe.

Thanks! Looked at the recipe. I'm prepping a corrected dough for baking on Sunday. I think I'll give yours a go at the same time.

Skimmed the thread... weighing with my approach. Planning Eating, by nature, is destructive, so my goal is to get you to enjoy completing the process. I think about what the plated dish will look like, but don't get too hung up on it. It has to taste good first and foremost. My basic philosophy on the elements of a good dish: I - Taste - The taste obviously must line up with the ingredient(s). For instance, I just learned that I don't want walnut oil in my basic focaccia recipe because the low smoke point is adding a bad bitter taste to my bread. It’s like eating one big over-roasted nut. Very unpleasant. II - Bite - The bite action should be appropriate for the food. Good bites are tender scallop, buttery marrow, silky panna cotta. Bad bites are rubbery squid, stale cake, tough steak. Certain cooking techniques work on certain foods. III - Crispy/Crunchy - No matter what it is, most people like to feel something crack or disintegrate as they eat. IV - Clean - No harsh lingering aftertastes or bad mouth feel. I never-again want a review with the phrase “that tasted very oily”. V - Contrast – Some level of contrast is needed; whether is the texture of different ingredients, or simply changing how you plate. Most will agree that serving a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice-cream with a sprig of mint is far more appealing than serving a naked scoop of mass-produced artificial vanilla. Choosing ingredients and Cooking 1.) Look for a main ingredient. 2.) Pick one or two side items. 3.) Choose the flavor notes to impart 4.) Think about time management and select best method 5.) Cook 6.) Think about how to plate it.

Just a basic "NY" thin-crust white pizza. It was pretty tasty.

Thanks!

I was hoping someone would post the printed version. Thanks Steve! Luis, the breads looks AWESOME! When you say "long refrigerator time" do you mean 36 hrs or longer? ~Chris

GOOD TIP

Welcome MP, My first cookbook was the Betty Crocker binder-style one. Still has some good info. These days I like the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (ISBN 193361501X). Will be given out during the holidays. ATK produces the Cook's Illustrated magazine; very, very helpful pub. Some authors to checkout: Mario Batali - Ingredients lists aren't overly complex, so you can hone specific skills like braising, and basic tomato and/or cream sauces. I like M's cooking philosophy. Anthony Bourdain - especially the Les Halles Cookbook - Another stripped down "it's all about the food" type book; recipes are usually just a few steps so again, you can focus on technique. Julia Child - Read everything! Very good for technique. John-Georges Vongerichten - Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef - Recipes were just a bit challenging (and I'm schooled). But, after a while I fell in step with the way he constructs the tastes and tones of his food.

Hi Tony, Thanks for the technical breakdown; loads of useful info. How different is your recipe from CIA's basic lean bread dough recipe? I have it, but opted to go with Julia's recipe for round 1. I had a feeling that the recipe I transcribed was recited for the stunt food they used. Rewatched the video, salt is definitely in the table wide shot but out of arm's reach. I did find the show's recipe book at B&N a few nights ago but didn't read the ingredients list too closely. Someone bought the copy before I could reread it.