Veena

Cbread, could you post the model number of your Bosch? Veena

Has anyone used Bosch ovens? I am considering the 24- and 27-inch single wall ovens in their 500 and 300 series, but was wondering about performance and reliability of Bosch ovens in general. Veena

Lenabo, do you mind sharing your recipe? I am planning on baking a Christmas cake this year (first time!) and would like to eliminate the eggs. Veena

Anyone here has tried Preserves (River Cottage Handbook 2) by Pam Corbin? How does it compare to Christine Ferber's book in terms of methods and variety of recipes? The recipe for plum jam in this article is intriguing enough to make me want to purchase Corbin's book (in addition to Ferber's). None of the recipes for plum jam that I have come across ask you to include kernels from the plum stones. Veena

Thanks for the helpful pointers and comments, andiesenji, Robert, and fiftydollars. I found some feedback on the Komo Fidibus (the European version of Wolfgang) on this blog post. Veena

I am considering the Wolfgang flour mill. It has gotten one good review on amazon.com from someone who seems knowledgeable. Then I also looked at the comparison chart here, which opened up several other options. The Wolfgang model seems to satisfy all my requirements (capable of grinding various textures, quiet, easy to clean, and relatively compact). However, I could not find information on how often the parts might need replacement. Having never used a flour mill before, I thought I should check with other experienced users for recommendations. If anyone here uses the Wolfgang model (or any other electric flour mill), please post your experience and suggestions here. Thanks, Veena

Are maple or other hardwood cutting boards suitable for Japanese knives? Or should I be using plastic/poly when I use these knives? Veena

Bull Terrier, here are a couple of things I do differently while making rasgullas. The latter two would impact the texture of the rasgullas. 1) Use citric acid instead of yogurt to curdle the milk. 2) Mix a couple of teaspoons of sugar (instead of flour) in the milk curds. 3) This is the most critical step: After mixing the curds with sugar, take the lump of curds and place in one corner on a large plate. Pinch off a small portion and press it with the ball of your palms (the fat part below the thumb) along the surface of the plate. It's easier to demonstrate this motion rather than describe in words - essentially, you should place the curds under the ball of your palms and slide it along the plate until everything under your palm is plastered to the plate. Then scrape it off the plate with your fingers and set aside on another corner. Do this until you have worked through the entire stock of curds. This step is to eliminate all lumps and ensure very smooth curds. This is the most tedious part of the process and unfortunately there are no short cuts (other than finding someone with very big hands). No, a food processor will not work. I learnt rasgullas from a Bengali friend of mine, who makes the best ones I have ever eaten (they surpassed even those of some famous Bengali mithaiwallas in India). All the above is from what she taught me. After my lesson, I attempted it solo, and while mine are nowhere nearly as excellent as hers, they are quite satisfactory and do have that "squeaky-spongy" texture. Hope this helps. Veena edited to add: I just realized that you were asking about rasmalai, and not rasgullas, but the same principles apply while making the "balls".

Jason, thanks. I have never baked with nut flour before, so I didn't know that. Chefpeon, I don't want to get into a discussion on the merits or (lack thereof) of egg replacer. And of course, the obvious answer is to not make it as it is eggy. I wanted to see if anyone has tried deviating from the recipe or if it is even worth doing so. Good to know that it does not taste eggy. Veena

If it were caution, I would have thrown it to the winds. It's not a health or vegan issue; it's just a little matter of taste - I hate eggy desserts. Veena

While I do eat eggs, I am put off by the idea of eggs in sweet dishes. I usually select eggless cake recipes or use EnerG egg replacer if the recipe calls for one or two eggs. But the Clementine Cake calls for six eggs, probably because there is no flour in the recipe. Has anyone tried this recipe with fewer or without eggs? I would love to try this cake and even have all the ingredients (including almond meal) on hand, but the six-egg thing is holding me back. I have looked up substitution advice on some baking sites and found no acceptable solution. I was thinking of just forging ahead by cutting down the eggs to three and using the egg replacer. Perhaps this will give me a denser, heavier cake? Or will this be a wasted effort unless six and no less than six eggs are used? Veena

I bought the 7001DX model from myWeigh last year and have been very satisfied with it. I looked around quite a bit and settled on this one as it had all the features I was looking for - it measures in grams, kilos, pounds and ounces; it has the tare function, backlight, hold feature, and so forth. It is also very compact and easy to clean. Here is another review. Veena

Thanks for all the responses! I had almost decided to buy Nordicware's 60th-anniversay edition, but now the Fleur-de-lis also beckons. I noticed that Kaiser offers a commercial-weight steel pan (La Forme). How does this compare to the cast aluminum of Nordicware? Isn't aluminum better than steel for baking? Veena

Hello - I am considering buying a Bundt cake pan. I can buy only one because I am already maxed out on storage space (but am coming across more and more irresistable cake recipes that specify Bundt pans). Price is not a major consideration - since I can have only one, I want to make sure it is a good performer. Am not looking for too fancy a design (in fact, I find the intricate designs somewhat frightening). What size and material would the frequent Bundt bakers recommend? Also, besides prettiness factor, what is the advantage of a Bundt pan over the 9 x 3 round cake pans? Apologies if all this has been discussed already - if so, please point me to the thread. Regards, Veena