pastrygirl

With the isi, you need thickener of some sort - enough fat to approximate whipping cream, or a fair amount of gelatin. These will make foams on the mousse-ier end of the spectrum, more towards shaving cream. (I've only used the isi with cold foams, they do make a version of the charger that is safe to be held warm). For looser, soap-bubble type foams, I believe those are made with lecithin and agitated with a mini milk frother (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=milk+frother&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15285042771434471703&sa=X&ei=otsLTonSMKnmiALq2cm2Cg&ved=0CKMBEPMCMAM) or perhaps an immersion blender.

For non-perishables, have you considered amazon.com? They will probably have much less expensive shipping than an individual at the post office. Less personal, but it would be one way to get maple sugar, etc.

Bummer. But I have to say the fact that you were in the weeds yet took even a short time out to post on egullet that you were in the weeds didn't bode well from my POV. I appreciate the urge to get it off your chest and the distraction of technology, but you may have been better off focusing on getting out of the weeds. Better luck next time.

Tartaric acid is very strong, and usually mixed with at least equal weight water to form a solution. I think the next closest substitute would be citric acid, which you should be able to find at a health food store or somewhere with a good bulk foods selection. Lemon or lime juice will work too but are not as strong. I'd estimate at least a teaspoon of lemon juice would be needed to substitute per gram of tartaric acid. There does seem to be some leeway in PDF recipes between the balance of pectin, acid, sugar, and finished temperature. Greweling does have a troubleshooting page for fruit jellies, which helps a little to explain the role of each ingredient. I don't know how thick or sweet the apple compote called for is, as I've never used it. I use either canned pears or apricots in light syrup, pureed with the syrup as a base, then add more concentrated fruit flavors (especially with the pear). Most of the fruit purees the charts are written for (boiron, la frutiere, that other one) have 10% sugar, so if you are using something else or making your own adjust accordingly.

You two make it sound do-able, now I just have to decide if I actually want to do it. The target just seems a little stark and boring to me, and like it's my brother in the cross hairs. I could work in a little camouflage ribbon around the bottom and some bullets here and there for color and interest. I'll have to see how my catering schedule ends up that weekend. Thanks.

This seems like the right thread for this so here goes: I sort of agreed to make a groom's cake for my brother, who is getting married in a couple of weeks. He loves guns and shooting them so his fiancee asked if I could make a cake with a target on it, like this: http://images5.cpcache.com/product_zoom/150321935v16_480x480_Front_padToSquare-true.jpg I'm concerned about how precise the design is, and smudging between black and white, and how little fondant experience I have. I don't want to make something that looks amateur, but I also don't want to spend hours and hours on it. I would have to do this the night before the wedding, after a long day at work, and am trying to think of something easier to execute well (less precise/high contrast) still along the gun theme. Has anyone done camouflage fondant? I'm thinking piece the splotches together and roll to fuse them? Can I just trace over an outline then cut out gun shapes? Can I make bullets to go around the edge a few days ahead - wrap or let dry? Any ideas for a great looking manly guns & ammo cake that won't be a huge pain - more than 2 hours after crumb coat - to decorate? I've been baking for 15 years but don't do a lot of cakes, mainly plated desserts. Or should I just beg off? I'm already making them 120 hand dipped chocolates and previously told them I would do a cake OR chocolates, but NOT both.

Agree with reducing, but stir frequently and watch for scorching. Adding more pectin could be difficult because the jam would have to be boiling, and it can be tricky to bring something thick and sugary to a boil without scorching it. Gelatin? Only need to warm the jam, then dissolve a little softened gelatin. Along the lines of Lisa's white chocolate idea, I bet a somewhat runny jam or fruit spread could be mixed with melted white chocolate to make a thick ganache, but it would be very sweet unless it was a particularly tart jam. Or just melted cocoa butter, which is solid at room temp should help to thicken, I've used it for vegan lemon curd at the end instead of butter. If I'm not using ganache I use italian meringue buttercream in my macarons. It can take generous additions of less-liquid flavors, like lemon curd or caramel sauce or jam/thick cooked down fruit or more modest additions of more liquid flavors like liquors or espresso.

The floor. Standard for commercial kitchens, prevents contamination in case of floods/sewage backup, allows floors underneath shelving to be cleaned, harder for vermin to reach. If you have high humidity, try to keep the flour airtight, like in a large cambro with a tight fitting lid: http://cool.cambro.com/CamSquares_Poly_CamSquare_Storage_Containers_and_Lids_Storage.ashx Otherwise, room temp is likely going to be the easiest, and if you use your flour quickly enough, shouldn't be a problem.

I'd call it a lace cookie. At my first restaurant job we would make something like that, form it over cups into bowl shapes, then fill with sorbet or fruit and cream or whatever, like lace baskets with lemon mousse and strawberries. They need a minute to cool before they are solid enough to shape, but then you have to work quickly. You can put them back in the oven to soften if they get too brittle.

The flaws with money and alcohol have been noted. It may not seem like much, but asking to go to the kitchen or stopping by the line if the kitchen is open for some heartfelt gushing can go a long way. Often the cooks never see the guests and get limited feedback, so it can be really nice to see an actual patron who is really happy and satisfied, instead of just hearing that people liked it from the servers. Positive reviews on yelp are good too.

Absolutely! In fact I am currently somewhat relieved that my boyfriend is out of town so I can go out wherever I want and not have to worry if he is going to get freaked out by the money spent or how to drag him someplace he might think is too fancy but would enjoy if he could just get over it I'll often sit at the bar, and have had many experiences where there was one last seat at the bar in an otherwise full restaurant and was happy I was solo so I could snag it. I have also done fine dining on my own, and at higher end places it becomes clear that you really want to be there for the food, which is a good impression to make. I always figure that if the choice is between doing something alone or not doing it, then I'll go ahead and do it alone instead of putting my life on hold waiting for someone who wants to do the same thing at the same time. I'm not going to say that I never get lonely or bored or feel self conscious. I used to usually bring a magazine or book, now I just play with my iphone between courses.

I have to disagree with this. I would not expect a cook to come to a non-working interview in uniform. I think it is weird when I see people in chefs clothes when they are not in the kitchen, for example I had an intern who arrived fully dressed for work, took the bus, walked through downtown, etc. Why not wait until you're ready to work to put on your chef coat? In part it seems unclean to me to be out and about in your cooking clothes, and in part maybe I just hate wearing chef coats and avoid them when unnecessary. Also, checks seem very institutional to me, like only schools and old school corporate places require them. Most cooks I know wear black or pinstriped Chefwear. One chef de cuisine had an issue with me wearing my black jacket to work because he took it to mean I thought I was special (no, just prefer black to white), but I don't think anyone I've worked for has cared about pants color/pattern.

About 15-3/8 inches. A couple more would be nice sometimes.

Try allowing for the liquid the cereal is going to soak up by adding extra milk to the base. Or soak the cereal in the milk and measure your milk after straining instead of adding cereal to the finished custard then straining.

So the butter doesn't melt.

NYE with BF and his friends, time to cook up some steaks and salmon filet. Friend decides he's going to 'slow cook' the steaks, I'm not sure why but decide not to get involved. Little bit later check in the kitchen and see steaks in a saute pan half full of beer at a bare simmer. WTF? OK... I only tried 1 bite, but it was the weirdest crunchy texture I've ever encountered in meat. So, I wouldn't recommend cooking it that way.

Did you put the eggs in the freezer to cool down then try to add the butter to cold eggs? Even a really cold bowl would probably have a negative effect. Whip the eggs on high until cool and thick and fluffy, no need for extra chilling, you want room temp eggs and soft room temp butter. If the eggs were very runny, its also possible you did not cook your sugar long enough. Try letting the butter cream come to room temp then beating it with the paddle while waving a propane torch or a heat gun under the bowl until the butter softens fully and your icing is smooth.

Proud of you!

Guacamole: avocado, lime, garlic, salt. Sometimes cumin but not lately. Definitely no onions or tomatoes. Grilled cheese: bread, cheese, mustard, cooked in butter. Anything else just interferes.

I had some coconut caramels in Vietnam, made by slowly cooking and stirring coconut milk and sugar. IIRC, they were pretty firm. Cooked down, poured between wooden rulers until cool, then cut and individually wrapped. Several photos of the process here:

Glad you have admitted the problem and are on your way to recovery. I'm probably not without sin either. I honestly do not ever graze on produce or snack from the bulk bins. It may have happened that I've sampled twice instead of once, but not often. I do look for the BIGGEST cheese cube sample, and will sample a cheese again even if it was the same cheese being sampled last time I shopped. (My local store almost always has two samples in the cheese area, one at the meat counter, and two or three other locations for chips or cookies samples). Probably have let an error in my favor slip by...damn it! And don't worry, I know I am a hypocrite in other ways - driving solo to work every day and not buying organic but claiming to care about my carbon footprint and the environment. Some people seem to be actively looking for ways to take advantage of whatever they can take advantage of. That, and people's grubby spittle covered fingers groping through the fruit make me lose hope. And sometimes my appetite.

I have some, but haven't tried tempering it. Would adding a few % regular cocoa butter (mycryo, etc) help, or does that defeat the purpose of using wild cacao?

I know! I can't believe I do it. I know. See above. Probably not. You think I should stop teaching my kids to do it? I used to think you seemed smart and reasonable. I'm so disappointed in you now. Why aren't you saving your mushroom stems for stock or drying them and grinding them into powder? Throwing away perfectly good mushroom stems, leaving your litter for someone else to clean up, who are you? I think what bothers me about things like taking bags but especially grazing is the selfish, entitled, opportunistic attitude. I want it, so I'm just going to take it, and take as much as I can, because I want it, and I'm special and deserve whatever I want. If it's small enough to fit in my mouth in one bite, its not stealing. It's easy, so that makes it OK. What??? You need to try a grape or cherry or bean before buying? How do you ever commit to buying a watermelon without taking a core sample to see how sweet it is? Do you open clamshells of berries to sample them or only loose, unwrapped items? If it's good, do you then buy that clamshell or put it back and buy a full one? How do you ever try a new flavor of chips or beer? Or anything new? You take chances, you win some, you lose some. Deal with it. The grocery store is a business, not a free buffet. And Fat Guy may wish to invest in some tupperware or semidisposable but recyclable gladware for his wife's fruit and parchment or waxed paper for his son's sandwiches. Reuseable and compostable, respectively. Seriously, how is appropriating a bunch of flimsy bags from a retailer then throwing them away day after day good for anyone? I mean, except you. Me, me, me; consume, consume, consume; let the little people pick up the pieces (or is that doing your part for the economy by creating jobs?) and pay the costs. Ain't that America.

Robert is correct, check locally for health department guidelines and specialty foods suppliers. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs. 28.35 grams in an ounce, 16 ounces or 454 grams in a pound. I lived in Asia for 2 years and made and kept handy a chart of conversions for metric weights and baking temperatures, which really helped. 7oz = 200g, 350F = 175C, etc. I'm not buying chocolate in quite as large quantities as you, but I get Valrhona packed in 3kg/6.6# bags, and cacao barry in 5kg/11# boxes - manufacturers still use metric, so that shouldn't be too confusing, unless the wholesaler only goes by the pound weight. Some Callebaut formulations come in 10kg/22# bags. As for price, I'm assuming the Callebaut is $8/kg and not the Valrhona? I'm in Seattle (not sure how much wholesale prices vary regionally), and I pay between $68 and $85 for 5kg Cacao Barry depending on the formulation, about $11.50/# for valrhona jivara lactee and $10.30/# for valrhona ivoire ($22 to $25/kg) . Good luck!

Your palate is good--Appleton Estate is aged largely (if not exclusively) in spent Jack Daniels barrels, if I'm remembering correctly. That's interesting. I have an extremely low tolerance for the smell of Jack Daniels, yet do enjoy the Appleton Estate. I just smelled my bottle, and I guess it is a bit whiskey-ish, I had been thinking of it more as vanilla. I guess as long as I mix it I won't notice - I was worried you had just ruined it for me! I tasted a hard cider recently that was aged in whiskey barrels, really unpleasant to me, definite whiskey flavor. Too much cheap whiskey in college... shudder