Patrick S

I'm thinking that texture is the key here. Sorry that I can't contribute any first-hand experience. If Ferran Adrià is excited about his N2 "plancha", I'm excited too! ← I have actually tried ice cream made with LN, called 'Dippin' Dots.' They were very good. I didnt realize you could buy small quantities of this stuff, so there is a good chance I might actually try to make some myself.

Thanks, Patrick. You know your photos have inspired us to read the manual of that digital camera. At least the slice on the plate looks half decent. My husband thinks I am VERY strange shooting series of photos of food on table. ← You're welcome, TurtleMeng. You tart looks good. I'm glad I inspired you to read the manual. Dont worry that you look strange taking those pictures -- I want to see as many as I can. I wish everyone posted pics.

Actually, Ive heard that LN2 is the best way to make ice cream, because the super-rapid freezing insures a very small crystal size and thus a super smooth, creamy texture.

You are linking to the 80x60 pixel thumbnails rather than to the full-size images. To display the full-size images, you need to view it via ImageGullet, and click on the 'click for actual URL.' This will diplay the URL for the full-size image. Or you can just change the 'tn_gallery' in the image URL to 'gallery.' EDIT: I changed the image URLs so that they point to the full-size images.

Here you go: 4 envelopes gelatin 1/2 c strawberry puree (frozen is actually better than fresh unless you have access to very flavorful local strawberries) 1-1/4 c water 3 c sugar 1-1/4 c light corn syrup 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp orange flower water (optional) powdered sugar and potato starch for dusting Line a sheet pan with a 1" rim with aluminum foil. coat the foil with vegetable oil or non-stick spray. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix the strawberry puree, orange flower water (if using) and 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over to soften. Put the sugar, corn syrup, remaining 3/4 cup water and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches the soft-ball stage (234-240 F). With the mixer at full speed, pour all of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl. Be careful as the mixture is very liquid and hot at this point and some may splash out of the bowl - use a splash guard if you have one. whip until the mixture is very fluffy and stiff, about 8-10 minutes. pour mixture into the foil-lined pan and smooth with an oiled offset spatula so that it's level with the top of the rim (it won't completely fill the pan). Allow the mixture to sit, uncovered at room temp for 10 to 12 hours. Mix equal parts powdered sugar and potato starch and sift generously over the rested marshmallow slab. Turn it out onto a cutting board or counter, peel off foil and dust with more sugar/starch mixture. Slice with a thin-bladed oiled knife or oiled cookie cutters. Dip all cut edges in sugar/starch mixture and shake off excess. Marshmallows will keep several weeks at room temp in an air-tight container. Variation - Chocolate Marshmallows: Replace strawberry puree and initial 1/2 cup of water in mixing bowl with 1/2 cup of cocoa disolved in 1/2 cup boiling water in a separate bowl. Soften gelatine in an additional 1/4 cup cold water in mixing bowl. Add cocoa mixture to mixing bowl and procede with recipe as above. This will produce a marshmallow with a strong chocolate flavor, but somewhat denser than the strawberry version. To get a lighter texture as well as a lighter chocolate flavor, reduce cocoa to 1/4 cup. Variation - Vanilla Marshmallows: Replace strawberry puree and initial 1/2 cup of water in mixing bowl with 3/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or the seeds scraped from 2 vanilla beans.

A "pretty damn good buzz" from chocolate? I'm jealous. I have to combine alcohol with my chocolate to get a buzz.

Yes, a 100% cocoa solids bar would be horrid for eating straight. At least, I would find it horrid.

I imagine all the recipes would work fine, but my advice would be to use the Fine Cooking recipe in the first post to this thread. It has a much higher lemon juice/egg ratio, and a more intense flavor, which I think is preferable if you are going to mix the curd with more ingredients to make a buttercream. Also, I dont like the lime juice in Yard's recipe.

Another example I always thought was interesting was the crossed extensor reflex. Its like the flexor reflex you mention, with an added component. In this reflex, the injured foot not only withdraws (activation of flexor muscles in leg), but at the same time a signal passed through the spinal cord to the extensors on the other leg, so that the opposite leg comes forward to maintain balance. I'm not trying to draw any philosophical conclusion from this, I just thought it was interesting that you can have this multi-step behavior without input from the brain.

I cooked it just to a boil. In reading previous entries on this newly combined thread, I'm beginning to suspect that may have caused the graininess. What do you think? Also, do you think it's necessary to cook it in a double boiler, or would a good, heavy-bottomed saucepan be adequate? ← If you really cooked to a boil, that's at least 212F. I've never cooked a curd that high. 150 to 180F is more typical in the ones I've done. I would try that with your recipe, using a thermometer. You can use direct heat as long as you are careful, that is, have the burner low and stir the curd constantly so that egg bits dont coagulate in it. EDIT: Reading over thread, Wendy says she brings her curds to a boil and they still turn out fine. Hmm. But she also finishes them with a blender, which I suppose would break up any graininess. I don't know. I know the recipe I linked to specifically warns not to boil.

jgm, what temperature are you cooking your curd too?

Sherry Yard's recipe is very good. I think it was printed in a previous lemon curd thread. ← jgm, I've made Yard's version, and I like it too. Its slightly thin for my taste, but still good. I used a little bit of orange juice (like 1 tablespoon). I also tried this recipe this recipe from Fine Cooking magazine. Pretty good. More tart. More translucent in appearance. Stiffer.

Actually, as ghostrider pointed out, caffeine is itself a diuretic. On the other hand, the caffeine is taken with lots of water, which would tend to counter the diuretic effect. I dont know for sure, but I doubt that dehydration explains caffeine withdrawal headaches, because people with ready access to liquids rarely allow themselves to become dehydrated (though there are exceptions). Plus, administering caffeine alone can cure a caffeine-withdrawl headache, and heachaches in people who are not big caffeine consumers (which is why so many OTC heachache pills contain caffeine). ← Oops! I got it wrong. Caffeine by itself is not an analgesic. Rather it increases the analgesic effect of acetaminophen and aspirin when they are taken together. I read an interesting article yesterday that was discussing what has been learned about how caffeine increases arousal. I relate it as best I can, but be advises I could have it wrong. Anyway, the thinking now is that caffeine exerts its arousing effect by acting as an antagonist at adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine production is related to brain activity, and since there is much more of that during the day, concentrations of adenosine in the brain rise during the day. As more and more adenosine is produced and binds to adenosine receptors during the day, it increases sleepiness. At a certain brain concentration of adenosine, sleep is all but irresistable. Caffeine, and theophlline as well, act as temporary antagonists at the receptors, so that even though adenosine concentrations go on increasing normally, they can not bind to their receptors and exert their sleep-promoting effect. Lots more information available with a Google search for adenosine+sleep.

Yum! How do you make this lemon cream? Is the recipe online anywhere? ← The cream is made as follows. First, set out 10.5ozs/2 sticks+5Tbs of unsalted butter to soften. Cut it into tablespoon-sized pieces. Second, after this has sat out for a while, get a pot of simmering water started. Third, in a bowl that will fit over the top of your pot of water, mix 1C sugar and zest from 3 lemon. Rub the zest thoroughly into the sugar using your fingers. You'll end up with a crumbly, yellow fragrant sugar. Fourth, whisk in 4 large eggs, then 3/4C of fresh lemon juice. Fifth, place your bowl on top of the pot of simmering water. Stirring constantly, heat until the mixture reaches 180F. As soon as you reach 180F, take the bowl off the simmering water and strain the contents into another bowl. Let it cool to 140F. Sixth, when you get to 140F, start beating the butter into the mixture a few pieces at a time using an immersion blender. Keep beating for several minutes after all the butter has been added.

1/4 cup of zest seems like a lot from 2 lemons. You didnt peel off some of the pith too, did you?

jgm, I can't recommend a microplane zester strongly enough. There are very few kitchen tools that cost so little but save so much work.

Yum! How do you make this lemon cream? Is the recipe online anywhere? ← Its starts like a lemon curd, except that you bring it up to 180F, cool it to 140F, then mix in ~half pound butter with an immersion blender. I can't find the recipe online anywhere, unfortunately. I can paraphrase the recipe in the book when I get a chance though.

Ive tried a few recipes from CI, and most of them were not terribly impressive. But there is still plenty of stuff like tips and product testing to keep me interested. Sure CI can be pretentious, but that seems to be pretty common in the culinary world. Very rarely do you see someone publish a recipe and say 'Well, its okay, I guess, nothing special.'

Actually, as ghostrider pointed out, caffeine is itself a diuretic. On the other hand, the caffeine is taken with lots of water, which would tend to counter the diuretic effect. I dont know for sure, but I doubt that dehydration explains caffeine withdrawal headaches, because people with ready access to liquids rarely allow themselves to become dehydrated (though there are exceptions). Plus, administering caffeine alone can cure a caffeine-withdrawl headache, and heachaches in people who are not big caffeine consumers (which is why so many OTC heachache pills contain caffeine).

Are you doing only savory crepes, or are you doing desserts as well? Even though I haven't tried them, I have to recommend the lemon cream filled crepes with orange sauce in Desserts by Pierre Herme. I have tried the lemon cream, and it is ridiculously good.

I dont think memory is necessary for pain. For example, I've worked with many Alzheimer's patients, and patients with other forms of dementia, who appear to have no memory whatsoever, short or long-term. But they are plenty able to feel pain. A brain is another matter. If pain is a perception, and if a perception requires a brain, then pain requires a brain. Granted this doesnt really clarify matters, as a 'brain' could conceivably be a rather small and rather unspecialized nexus of neurons, not necessarily just a fancy vertebrate brain.

Richard, I think you madeleines look nice, holes and all. One observation I made, and I have no idea if this has anything to do with why you got those holes, is that your batter in the molds looks warmer/wetter/shinier than mine did. My batter was stiff like peanut butter, and I just had chunks sitting in the molds before I baked them. When I put them in the oven, thats when it got warm and filled out the molds.

I've used maybe half a dozen flourless chocolate cake recipes, and none of them involved piping the batter, I guess because they had a much higher proportion of wet ingredients. Also, none of them came out chewey, I suppose for the same reason. When I get around to trying this recipe, Ill be sure to post pictures.

Looks good, Elie! I think I also like the look of your glazed pave. That's gives me a good reason to make another one --this time with the glaze (as if I needed an excuse).

Ok, I'll be the first to gush! That looks terrific-- and thanks for the extra tips on making it. I will definately be trying it. Hope you do follow up with a discussion/recipe on your favorite caramel sauce recipe... ← Thanks Ludja! From memory, the sauce went as follows (if I make any errors, I'll correct them tonight when I have Yard's book in front of me): Mix 1.5C white sugar, 0.5C light brown sugar, 4Tb corn syrup and 0.5C water in medium pan. Cook over med-high heat until you reach 300F, then reduce heat to med. When you reach 350-355F, take pan from heat, let bubbles subside, then add 1C heavy cream (warmed in microwave), 0.5C sour cream, 1t vanilla, 1t lemon juice, and a good pinch of salt. Whisk to mix it all together. You may have to put the pan back on the heat for a few minutes to get all the hardened caramel bits incorporated. Like I said, this is my favorite caramel sauce now. Its nice and dark, smooth in appearance, and has a more complex flavor than most caramel sauces due to the sour cream and lemon juice (not to mention truly caramelized sugar).