onehsancare

Had dinner there a few months ago and were VERY pleased.

Yes to Osteria Sfizio and Rabbit Bistro (now moving), Markets of Choice and Sunrise. Still happy anytime anyone says "Let's go to Marche!"

I had a very similar first experience. My guardian angel was really looking out for me -- the patio umbrella was just far enough away from the 3' high flames to avoid a complete disaster. Still looking for the perfect side table and a really good spotlight (we tend to start cooking after dark), but the higher heat is making a wonderful difference in flavor.

I got malt powder at the home brewing supply store.

I'm scheduled for a procedure on Friday that requires clear liquids all day Thursday. (Yes, I turned 50!) I know that I'm not going to be happy with tea, apple juice, and popsicles alone. I've already decided to make a chicken broth with garlic, ginger, chiles, and kaffir lime leaves, then strain it for one "meal," but I thought I'd ask for more ideas from all of you. Nothing red, blue, orange, or purple allowed. Ideas? On second thought, I'll go light on the chiles.

Hummus. I use Martha Rose Shulman's recipes from Entertaining Light or Mediterranean Light (they're similar, but not exactly the same). Roasted red pepper hummus if you want some variety.

Abra, what if you post the label for us to look for, too?

I haven't seen ramps in the markets, but I found them on line: ramps Maybe I can talk Mr. Care into a road trip next weekend . . . what's five hours on the road for the chance to buy fresh ramps? (My guess is he'll vote for FedEx!)

I don't know how you remove your cake. Me, I chill my cake, then warm the bottom and sides with a wet cloth, then sloooooowly open and remove the springform, then flip it, then warm the bottom again, then slooooowly remove the bottom, so there's lots of room for awkwardity, especially given my natural leanings that way! If it's no big deal for you, then just take the cake in the springform and deal with it there. (But then, why are we talking about it? )

I'd rather remove the cake from the springform at home than at someone else's house (I'd rather look awkward without an audience!). Are you going to decant it onto a cake round or onto a plate? I make my flourless cake in an 8" springform pan. After I decant it onto an 8" round (which is always a little bigger than the cake), I've transported it on the round in an 8 1/2" springform pan, so the sides are protected, but the whole thing isn't slipping around. (I put a piece of green no-slip fabric under the round, even though it isn't really necessary.) If you put the cake onto a plate, you'd need a bigger pan, of course. Aside: I adore my cake carriers. It's a little late now, but my Sunday paper usually has an insert for Michael's Craft Stores, with a 40% off coupon for one item. Wilton's round cake carrier is then an incredible bargain. (But it's only $10 at Amazon without a coupon--Wilton Cake Carrier)

Mmmmm. . . . . duck fat and popcorn salt--no need for butter. Yum!!! I follow Maggie's pop-one-kernel method (because that's the way my dad did it--I don't think I've ever tried another method!). Sunday night is popcorn night because that's the night we watched the Wonderful World of Disney and ate popcorn from our popcorn bowls (little wooden salad bowls that were used for nothing but popcorn). Sweet memory.

Since I can't afford to buy all the pans I want when I want them, though, I've been buying 3" pans first--since I can fill them as though they were 2" pans. It doesn't work in reverse, though!

In case you're not successful in locating the diamond-shaped pans, you can cut a square cake on the diagonal and then butt the bases against each other to form a diamond. How frustrating, though, to know they exist and not be able to find them!!

Report: The construction worked out just fine. After putting together the larger cube, I realized that putting the smaller cube on top would look disproportionate--sort of pinhead-y and tower-y. So, I put it next to the bigger one, and I was satisfied. The dowels were easy. K8 was right--I severely underestimated the effort and skill needed to smooth sufficiently, and I'm not particularly happy with what I settled for, but it was late and time to say good enough. The other problem was the texture of the icing. I have only myself to blame for this--instead of using a buttercream that I know pipes well, lays smooth, and holds, I used a coconut cream cheese frosting that everyone loves that I make with sweetened coconut cream in addition to the cream cheese and butter. It tastes divine, but boy, is it soft! I ended up adding some extra confectioner's sugar to stiffen it before icing the entire cake (probably not enough), but needed to add cups of extra sugar to stiffen the colored icing enough so it wouldn't slide off the sides of the cake. So my piping (which only gets a B+ on my best days, anyway) isn't anything to write home about. (And, in retrospect, my judgment at 1:00 am was impaired--I should have spent the five minutes to find the star cookie cutter rather than free-handing a star shape.) I'm at the office (where I dropped off the cake) and will post a photo when I get home. THANKS for all of your help--I wouldn't have felt confident enough to try it without you all!

It wasn't until I saw your highlighted text that I realized I'd left out the part about using the 8" square pans. (I just meant the batter should fill three 8" squares.) No wonder you were concerned! Thanks for all of your help. You're right--the first time for anything is going to be ten times as hard as the second . . . which is why I'm asking for all this hand-holding here!!

Tri2Cook--that's exactly what I had in mind! I thought it would be within my abilities. . . Jeanne--Thanks! I was hoping that the borders would hide a multitude of sins; it's good to have that confirmed! Everyone loves the filling--if you think it won't be a hazard if I grind the coconut a little smaller, I'd sure like to use it. I was planning on a buttercream dam. Thanks for the vote of confidence. What about freezing the cake--necessary? construct with it still frozen?

Thanks for the help! K8, I don't know what you mean about cutting an 8" cake out of a 10" one--I'm using 8" square pans. I'll take your advice and ditch the filling--were you thinking that the four layers and two strata of filling would be 10" high? I'm not wedded to four layers--however many it takes with icing in between to be an 8" cube is what I'm going to use. The raspberry filling will be just a thin layer of jam, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll put a board under the small cake and secure it all the way through to the bottom (i.e., use a 12" dowel). I haven't sculpted with the coconut cake before, but it's pretty sturdy. Are you thinking I should construct with still-frozen cake layers? Then defrost before icing? You guys are great!

My #3 son, who still attends the UofO, apparently eats at least six times a week (boy, I hope I'm exaggerating!) at Burrito Boy, which has several outlets near the university. My #2 son, who lives in San Francisco and appreciates fine food, insists on at least two or three stops at Burrito Boy when he's home for a visit. So I'd call this a college favorite. I've eaten there several times and it's quite good, but it's not the addiction for me it is for them--must be because I did my undergrad elsewhere!

My goal: a cake that looks like two baby blocks stacked on top of each other, the one on top smaller than the other. My plan (over-thought and overwrought): Cake one: 8” coconut cake, filled with coconut filling. I think I use the Peninsula Grill recipe with a few tweaks—I’ve used it for so long and retyped it for my needs, its provenance is cloudy at best. The recipe calls for three 9” rounds, so it should make three 8” squares. I’ll make two batches, and will use four (or five, if necessary) layers to make the first big block. Instead of one four-layer cake (with three filling strata), I thought I’d make two two-layer cakes and stack them, with a cake board in between to increase stability. Cake two: 4” yellow butter cake, filled with raspberry jam. RLB’s recipe, not worrying about a cake board in the middle. Construction/Decoration: Bake and fill both two-layer coconut cakes, each on its own board, remembering that I have at least one extra layer if necessary for proper proportions. Ice bottom cake, including top. Insert straws, cut to measure, around the perimeter. Place upper cake in place. Do I need a dowel driven through the entire cake at this point? Finish white icing. Apply colored icing to big cake, except top. Ice small cake in white. Place on top of big cake. (No need for a board, right?) Insert two big straws through small cake and top two layers of big cake, down to first (upper) board? Finish decorating top of big cake. Apply colored icing to small cake. Transport: 1.5 hours. Am I doing everything in the right order? Am I worrying about the right things? Advice?

I was just browsing through the Cooks Illustrated ratings for food processors, and one of the downsides of the KitchenAid, in comparison to the Cuisinart, was the longer time it took for the blades to stop when letting go of the pulse button. I'll be sure to mention your issue and how you've solved it (? have you?) to the friend who is almost certainly going to buy a KitchenAid.

No, no, no . . . GLUEY tourist crap!

oooh. . . . Burned.

I use a skillet on my gas stove, but always wonder what I might be missing in the way of wok hei. Also, I'm short, and even working in a skillet, my arm gets tired pointing my elbow in the 1 or 2 o'clock position for the entire time. Mr. Care suggested that we consider getting an outside wok. He saw the Eastman wok kit (about $200), but further research found the Eastman Baby Kahuna (only $60). They both have 65,000 BTUs and adjustable legs. (I haven't done an in-depth comparison of the burners--they may be essentially identical.) Does anyone have experience with these or any of the similar products?

I would generally call myself a faithful disciple of RLB, but I note that Annie and Sugarella's system essentially debunks the "need to adjust leavening" theory. I double recipes, fill the pans I want appropriately, and make cupcakes or smaller cakes out of the rest of the batter.

I've replaced the workbowl on my (28 yr old?) DLC-7, but got to worrying about what I'd do when the motor eventually gives out--how would I run that most glorious of accessories . . . the power strainer? (It's spectacular for seeding raspberries. I really do not know what I would do without it.) So--I started looking on Craig's list and got a back-up! Mr. Care says it's obsessive to think about getting a second back-up, but I'm contemplating doing so while they're still available!