phaelon56

My first food industry job was working in a Carvel store. We used a sponge cake that was pre-made in a fairly thin round and assembled exactly as described above. We frosted with softened ice cream and then used a toothed tool to create wavy lines on the surface. We also applied piping around the top edge with a pastry bag - I think it was filled with softened ice cream but I can't swear to that. In recent years Carvel has switched over to an ice cream cake that's comprised of nothing but ice cream and some crunchy chocolate bits between the payers. Not nearly as appealing or satisfying as the traditional cake. By the way - IIRC we made our cakes with four layers starting with sponge cake on the bottom and ending with ice cream on the top.

The dish in quesiton is in fact a miso marinade but develops a lovely glaze when broiled. I found the glaze to develop better on the sea bass and the pieces held up better as well. To me it had a somewhat similar texture but the filets were much oilier and not as thick. I will try it with salmon and also - Irwin - thanks for the walleye suggestion. I can definitely get walleye during the summer months in this area if I ask around among friends who fish. Interesting to note that the local restaurants that still feature "sea bass" no longer use the word Chilean. It does prompt me to wonder exactly what it is they're serving. But don't get me started on the local fried fish place that uses any number of different "flaky white mild fish" as a substitute for haddock in their fish fries. Haddock it ain't and the taste is not similar to me - or should I say the lack of flavor causes it to be easily distinguished from haddock?

I just noticed a comment at Coffegeek from head geek Mark Prince. He was discussing superauto machines in his piece about new consumer products at the recent SCAA show in Seattle. Note this comment Mark's a pretty sharp guy when it comes to espresso gear and I've found him to be very objective in addition to doing exhausting testing. Further evidence in favor of the Jura.

My local specialty fish vendor was out of sea bass when I recently tried to acquire some. I was making this Epicurious.com recipe for Miso Glazed Sea Bass They advised that they won't have sea bass in stock again for about one year - possibly longer. I'm aware that there are concerns regarding the viability of the sea bass population although a number of local restaurants still feature it on their menus (or at least something that they claim is sea bass). The fishmonger described sable as having a similar oil content and texture. It was okay but inferior to my tastes and pricey at $17 per pound. They had Orange Roughy at about $10 - $11 per pound. Might it be a better choice as a substitute for this dish or can someone recommend one?

Coffee grounds add acidity to the soil - very helpful for plants that thrive on acidic soil. I just planted sixteen arbor vitae along the back line fo my property and will start bringing home grounds from the cafe where I work part time - most evergreens thrive on acidity. Eventually, if they shed needles, that will provide a natural source but in the meantime I'll keep them happy with the grounds. I also intend to try them in the soil with my patio tomato plants this year.

If price is not an issue I'd lean towards the Jura. They're made by the same people who make the Schaerer superauto commercail machiens that are well proven and in widespread use byt commercial operations (including Peet's and Dunkin Donuts). I've heard/read very positive reports re/reliability and recall seeing a favorable review at Coffeegeek.com for one of the other higher end Jura Capresso machines. I've used a low end Saeco superauto in my office for two years. It's been okay but it's in the very lowest end of superauto's and really good just for coffee and not espresso. My intuition and observations lead me to believe that Jura has a lowe repair rate and better reliability record than Saeco but it's a highlu subjective observation.

No no no... around here it's much like Sparrowgrass descibes the Missouri gas station pizza scene. Premade shells (sometimes fresh and sometimes forzen and thawed with canned sauce and prepackaged toppings added. Kinda like the Otis Spunkmeyer's version of pizza - they have a little oven that holds one or two pies. I suspect that if you get a slice when it's fresh baked it's somewhere in the De Giorno's and Pizza Hut quality range. The problem is turnover - the slices sit in that circular cabinet all day long. I was starved and setting off in a hurry on a road trip straight from work one day and bought two slices to at along the way. Huge mistake. Huge. They'd been sitting there most likely since the lunch hour and were sort of a crusty crunchy congealed mess with overbaked sauce. Didn't sit well on a long car trip. Gas station sushi? Now THAT's scary! Brings to mind that line from an old Seinfeld episode regarding movie theatre hotdogs: "I'd rather lick the floor than eat one of those."

Butter knives and all other dull ended knives go in with point up, steak knives with point down and of course the prep knives all washed by hand. At least in my house.

If I recall correctly a traditional double shot is 2 to 2 1/2 oz and a ristretto double is typically 1 to 1 1/2 oz but I've seen them as short as 3/4 oz. Most commercial machines do not do a true pre-infusion (is that what you mean by pre-extraction?) but there is a brief delay that occurs whiel presure builds up behinf the puck before espresso starts dripping into the cup. The total shot pul time is generall though tto be ideal at 22 - 28 seconds but current practice seems to indicate 26 - 28 as ideal. The Italians in general and Dr. Ernesto Illy in particular have researched this exhaustively over many many years and I trust their findings. For home espresso production or artisan quality shots in a retail environment the actual tiem often varies from 22 to 32 seconds and the shjot is stopped when the "mousetails" of the dripping espresso begin to lose their reddish brown "tiger-striped" appearance and start showing hints of blonde (the blonde color means there are no more useful components to extract). In a busy retail shop it's not always practical to watch the shot and stop extraction at the exact right moment. Instead, an autometric volume dosing machine is used (always delivers a preprogrammed fluid volume that does not vary). Shot pull time is maintained and tweaked by constantly monitoring pull times and adjusting grind to compensate for changes in the beans. I work a few hours each day in a retail cafe where our beans are nearly always 3 - 5 days old and we have relatively stable humidity and temperatures. I check pull times several times during every shift but instinctively remain ware of it nearly al the time. We rarely need to change our grind setitng by more than a small amount due to the stability of our environment. But in settings with environmental variables that fluctuate more than ours it may be necessary to adjust grind many, many times every day or even more than a few times in an hour.

I've heard mixed reports from people who've worked for Starbucks - some negative and some positive. The description of a corporate environment in which only handful of staff are granted real full time hours is not unusual these days in the retail business (I consider Starbucks to be a retailer despite in some respects being a fast food purveyor). But the reason many mega-corporations implement the part time hours scenario is to avoid paying benefits - Starbucks grants full benefits to part time employees after only three months. I'm not attacking or defending Starbucks but I think that, in general, retail food service workers face a serious uphill battle in the search for unionization. I spent many years in the retail (non-food) trade and with few exceptions it's a low pay scale industry in which benefits are scarce. As for this comment No disrespect intended but that sounds like a guy who has no clue what it's like to work in the food and beverage trade. It's fast paced hard work and you'll rarely feel as though you have enough people to handle the rush at peak times. Hustle is what it's about and if you can't take the heat get out of the fire. Starbucks is no exception - it's the nature of the business.

A few years ago I began using a smidge of "raw sugar" or Demarara in my short latte's (typically one part espresso with 2 to 3 parts steamed milk - the traditional proportions). I always detested conventional refined sugar in coffee or an espresso drink due to the intensity of its sweetness but I really enjoy the raw sugar in moderation and find it to have a noticeably different flavor. I should think that flavor difference would carry over very nicely to simple syrup. More recently I was exposed to agave nectar . It's not quite apropos to a discussion of simple syrup but both by virtue of it blending quite easily in cold liquids and also being derived from the agave cactus that is used to make tequila - it offers some good potential as a cocktail sweetener. It's touted as having a low glycemic index, making it appropriate for some diabetics, but I don't know the particulars of that. I do know that it has a clean natural sweetness quite unlike sugar or honey.

Ahhhh... the color sensitive sorter. I worked on a tomato ranch in California's San Joaquin Valley back in the summer of 1976 and they were testing an early generation of such a product. At that time it was far too immature a technology to be of much use but like all else... I'm sure it's evolved to the point of being a good tool. Your comments about sorting to eliminate defects are significant. That's one of the primary criteria differences between coffee cuppers who are selecting coffee for huge roasters that serve a mass market and those who cup to supply the more selective specialty artisan roasters. We're not talking about the Robusta beans that are used by the food conglomerates for supermarket coffee but rather we're referring to the better quality Arabica beans. Cuppers who seek to buy on price to supply the big roasters are typically cupping for the absence of defects in the flavor profile. But the cuppers who serve the artisan or true specialty market are cupping for the presence of unique and desirable characteristics in the flavor profile. For these more selective cuppers the absence of defects is already a given factor in the beans they assess. They're not by definition more skilled than the other cuppers but have a different agenda due ot their purchasing requirements. I don't know what Illy's practices are and have no reason to speculate but they are indeed a huge commercial roaster... perhaps one of the largest "specialty" roasters apart from Starbucks (although they both serve the higher end of the mass market rather than being true specialty roasters). I suspect they're well equipped to scan and process to ensure an absence. This will typically ensure a consistent and predictable flavor profile of decent quality but rarely offer a truly stellar and remarkable espresso. The highest graded beans, often those from individual estates rather than large co-ops, are in some cases substanitally better than most other beans but either too pricey or not available in large enough quanitities for the really big guys to justify pursuing them. Admittedly.... analogous to what I understand the case to be with wines, there are certain blends by given vintners that offer predictability and consistency from year to year and crop to crop. But the price one pays is the opportunity to capture some of the elements of terroir that may be discernible in more carefully selected grapes (or lots of coffee beans as the case may be). So, as some have already pointed out, Illy can indeed offer a decent and predictable espresso experience IF one is able to get it in a very fresh state but here in North American that's rarely if ever the case - artisan roaster, even the larger ones, will consistently win out when it comes to quality of the beverage. I'm completely uninformed and clueless as to the state of micro-roasters and artisan roasters in the UK. Perhaps some here can update us on that scene and its status?

Unfortunately that link took me only to the main Illy home page - I was unable to view the information you reference about "electronic selection" and I don't know what it is. As for caffiene content I don't pay much attention - I just know that Arabica beans have far less than Robusta. It's useful to note that not all Robusta is bad. There are some high quality Robustas, particularly from certain regions of Africa, India and Indonesia. These are used mostly (but not excusively) in espresso blends and for very specific and worthwhile reasons. Don't mistake these with the unpalatable Robusta beans that make up the majority of supermarket coffee. My experience with the Matthew Algie Coffee was limited - one short latte in one unlikely location (an Internet cafe in Kilkenny). I agree that freshness is the biggest issue and proper preparation and process control is a close second. You simply cn not make good quality espresso without fresh beans but even the best and freshest beans can be hopelessly screwed up by lack of care and control in the shot preparation process. I suspect that one of the problems with the Illy I tried in Paris was the fact that no one was "grinding by the shot". Not once did I ever see a grinder in operation - the barista just walked over to a doser chamber that was already half full of ground coffee to fill the portafilter and pull the shot. Grounds that have been sitting in a doser for ,ore than ten minutes or so will deliver a flatter and less satisfying cup - those that have been there for a few hours are hopeless. In Paris we went for coffee at about 10 AM most days - long after the morningrush and at a point where they all seemed to be working from an old batch of ground coffee.

Their caffeine content is lower than many of the other popular Itlain brands because they use all arabic beans in their blend. Arabica is significantly lower in caffeine than robusta - most Italian coffee roaster/blenders add about 10% - 15% robust their blends to increase cream and add a slight bitter undertone to the flavor profile. As for patented techniques... Dr. Ernesto Illy, the family patriarch, literally wrote the book on coffee (his time is a standard industry reference along with a book written by Michael Sivetz). That said, I think the patent is for a particular package system that pushes all oxygen out of the package by flushing with nitrogen. It does help preserve freshness but make no mistake - it's not a substitute for fresh roasting. As for Illy in the UK - I had Illy at about a dozen places in Paris this past wintewr and even at the best one, a small Italian cafe in Marais, it was not close to the quality I've gotten here in the states form regioanl and local roasters - it just wasn't fresh enough. Have you looked into Matthew Algie as a source? He has a good reputation and when I was in Ireland a few years ago the only good espresso I had during the entire visit was his product (and I had a good A/B comparison as I'd had a properly pulled shot of Illly just ten minutes before trying the Algie shot).

Apologies if I came off seeming sanctimonious - it wasn't my intention but it certainly did come out sounding that way didn't it? My reaction was a bit execessive because I have such a strong aversion to prepackaged pre-ground coffee - it goes stale so darn quickly after the bag is opened, no matter how carefully one handles it. I do appreciate your mentioning the use of it in an office environment - I hadn't thought of that angle. We don't have Costco in this area but we have BJ's and Sam's Club - I should see if they have a comparable deal. Maybe I'd finally be able to start drinking office coffee again if we switched to something like that (the swill we get at present makes Folger's look good by comparison).

Not for long. ← Do tell... are Vince, Sammy and company going to start roasting or are they moving over to Counter Culture or some other supplier? I'm curious (some would call me nosy).

In the absence of pimento wood (e.g. here in the northeastern US) can you suggest a good substitute? I have hickory, mesquite and oak chips readily available. I have tried alder in the past and found the smokiness to be more subtle than with the other woods. Having never visited Jamaica I'm unfamiliar with the characteristics of pimento wood (I've most likely also never had really authentic jerk but some of what I've had here at hole-in the wall places is pretty darn good). Is it strong and pungent like hickory or more subtle?

I don't even drink wine but I do imbibe of Ame - fruit/herbal beverage that's far drier than the average fruit beverage and makes a good food accompaniment for us non-drinkers. Having tried on many occasions to drink it from decent quality tumblers I still felt that something was missing. I switched to balloon stylecrystal stemware and don't regret it. Yes... we're talkign about $6 a bottle fancy juice here and issues of color, clarity anf fragrance are irrelevant. But I still find the experience of drinking from the stemware to be intuitively more enjoyable. It's worth noting that even when I did consume alcohol I was never a wine drinker and never owned a single piece of stemware - I'm not trying to duplicate some past experience sans alcohol - it's just inherently more pleasurable (to me) to drink from a decent stem.

Is it true that truly authentic jerk flavor can not be achieved unless one uses pimento wood as the smoke source? I've seen this mentioend in a few jerk discussions and was unsure as to the veracity.

That would be the cow's foot soup I had in Belize. It was beyond gelatinous... actually in a phlegmatic category unlike any other food I've tasted. The small bits of meat in it were good - a bit like oxtail - but the texture was just too weird. Even Marie Sharpe's hot sauce didn't help but I did finish the bowl (and won't ever order it again).

One additional comment: I reread ythe original post and now notice this (italics added): Even if it's decent or half decent coffee to being with (despite having minimal genuine Kauai content) - being preground should preclude it from consideration. If you're not already buying whole bean and grinding it just before you brew the pot I suggest that you try it. Getting fresh whole bean coffee and grindign it yourself is the cheapest and easiest upgrade anyone can make in their coffee practices at home and the improvement will be dramatic. 20 years before getting into the esoteric stuff like roasting my own and using a $1,000+ espresso machine and a $400 grinder.... I bought a $20 whirly blade Waring grinder and started getting two pound bags of "Gourmet French Roast" whole bean coffee from the local wholesale club. I bagged up and froze smaller portions to keep the whole beans fresh. To say that the improvement in my coffee was dramatic is an understatement yet the upgrade cost me little and at that time I was not well informed about coffee (and didn't need to be). For many years any guests I had always remarked on how amazing the coffee was at my house. By the way - the extra work/mess involved in grinding by the pot is negligible.

Was the stem peeled? I've long used peeled, chopped and steamed broccoli stem as a complementary fill item in my chicken empanadas but haven't seen it used elsewhere (and I think I actually prefer the texture to that of florets). Also - did you have coffee or more important... espresso or a milk based espresso drink? In the Alinea discussion earlier this year I was informed that very careful attention would be paid to the coffee related details. If in fact they have done this and are successfully serving properly made espresso drinks in the proper time frame (i.e. as soon as they're prepared) they'll be in rarified company among restaurants in that regard (actually alone in their class as I know of no other restaurant at any level that actually pulls this off).

It may or may not be a steal but it's got to be a blend with a small amount of Kauai at that price. Kauai has less name cachet than Kona but it is grown, harvested and processed in the US. There's simply no way anyone could sell pure Kauai that cheap unless they were intentionally losing a significant amount of money. The proof as always is in the taste but as usual I encourage anyone and everyone to search for and support good local roasters who focus on quality and freshness.

Belt sander yes but go to increasingly finer grits as you progress and then use an orbital palm sander to finish. I found that periodically there was a gooey substance coming to the surface that gunked up my sanding belts really fast. I'm not usre if it's acceptable practice but I did a quick wipe of the surface with a mineral spirits soaked rag a few times to remove the effluvia. After the sanding I let it air for several days before ooling

Here in Syracuse we're close to being smack dab in the heart of NY State dairy farming country and yes... there is a local place that makes a mix of the type you're describing. Good idea I think. I was traveling last week and tried a frozen espresso drink that used vanilla low fat frozen yogurt as the base and it was outstanding - much richer tasting and creamier with less separation than a frappuccino yet it was not overly sweet. Thamnks for the good suggestion.