pastrygirl

That sounds like a challenge! Do you know anyone with an anti-griddle? Do you specifically want to make mo(u)lded chocolates, or just do something fun with chocolate for your friend? Is it meant to be only a demonstration, or will guests take part? Definitely find a shady spot with good air circulation and away from brick or concrete walls or patios that will be heating up in the sun all day. You could get a few blocks of ice and blow fans over them to generate cold air, that might help. If you're open to things other than mo(u)lding, what about something involving ice cream, since it's going to be so warm out. Thin milk and dark chocolate down with coconut oil then dip ice cream sandwiches or fruit popsicles in it. Have a variety of nuts and sprinkles that people can add on. Or use ice to make the chocolate set and make chocolate bowls to fill with berries and whipped cream (etc)

pneumatic mnemonic?

I take July & August off from production and disable shipping on my website. Last summer my kitchen never got below 75F, even overnight, all summer. It should be better this year because some heat-producing equipment is gone, but I'm not getting my hopes up. One larger chocolate company here handles summer shipping by putting the chocolate in an insulated bag then packing that plus an ice pack into a larger insulated bag. But ice is heavy and if you want to expedite shipping that gets expensive quickly. There's one little outdoor neighborhood festival that I do in mid-June but it's $30 for a booth and a block from home so no big deal if I close early or cancel. Instead, I'll work for wedding caterers or other another chocolatier who has AC in her kitchen, work on packaging updates, do yard work, enjoy all the days off I won't have in Q4, and dream of being able to actually afford summer travel.

@Tri2Cook you’ve been totally civil and made some good points. Not 100% sure what you meant about human nature, but if you mean that nobody likes to be told what to do and people get overwhelmed by bring expected to care about every last unique group, I think you’re right and that does explain the backlash.

But we know that people were actually offended. Tosi got plenty of complaints over the years. Crack cocaine addiction isn't a hypothetical situation, people died or were jailed, families were torn apart, babies were born addicted and face lifelong struggles ...

Sure, it's just that one never knows who they're talking to. In retail, better safe than sorry.

Except it was totally intentional, intended to be edgy and allude to addiction. It's all fun and games when you're young and joking around and pushing boundaries but some people grow up and learn about compassion. Or make deals with Target. If 'crack pie - one taste and you're addicted' is still funny, what else can we come up with? I'm not living in a $3+ million dollar apartment so I need something marketable ... Alzheimer's pie - one bite and you'll forget everything you ever knew! Cerebral palsy pie - so good, you'll lose all control! Colon cancer or HIV juices - enjoy sudden rapid weight loss without exercise! Dyslexia vodka - one shot and you can't see straight! I could go on, but I already feel too much like an asshole just for writing those. Look, I'm not 100% innocent, I don't call my products 'crack' but I have joked about addiction (the first one's free, then you're hooked). I should be more careful about that because I do aspire to be a better person and use my powers for good. YMMV.

Ha! It was Target! ... https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/dining/christina-tosi-milk-bar.html

OK, mission accomplished - I spent some quality time with my food processor and now have a tub of cilantro chutney with ginger, jalapeno, and lime in the freezer for future South Asian inspiration and a bowl of cilantro hummus in the fridge for lunch & snacks. Yum! I tend towards terribly lazy when it comes to cooking for myself but a little effort usually is worth it

I agree with @minas6907, the plastic one looks like it would have limited use. A funnel should work for your caramels and things that are too hot or fluid to pipe. It won't work as well for a thicker ganache because you're relying on gravity and flow rate instead of squeezing it through the piping bag.

I don't know what's for dinner, but dessert will be chocolate cake with sour & amarena cherry filling and milk chocolate buttercream, with hazelnut gelato.

I have this one but I don't use it a whole lot. What do you want to know? https://www.dr.ca/confectionery-and-kitchen-depositing-funnel.html

Funny you say that, I have some green curry simmering on the stove right now. I'm too lazy to make curry paste so I used some jarred Thai Kitchen product. It does not list cilantro on the ingredients, but I will be adding a generous amount to my bowl.

Coconut cream powder is one of my secret weapons! Even if you added pure coconut fat, it should firm up eventually and be temper-able. And if you did add pure fat then you don't have an emulsion, you have a fat-based gianduja. Adding water or coconut liquid might actually thicken it up if the fats are emulsified instead of free-flowing.

Feeling impulsive at Cash & Carry, I grabbed a pound of cilantro. I don't think I'll be able to eat it all fresh, what would be a good way to freeze or otherwise preserve it? Does pureeing with olive oil make sense? I think my mom used to do that with basil ... Any favorite cilantro chutney or pesto recipes I should know about?

Oh, that’s odd then.

You added all the water from the coconut milk and little of the fat. It might be a little firmer if you had stirred the coconut milk all together. For now, I’d just add more white chocolate to the desired thickness. Next time, emulsify your coconut milk first, then add the liquid a little at a time so you have more control over the consistency.

It doesn't sound like a big difference, but the size of the hole is double - calculate the area of a circle (Pi times R2) and its 0.096 mm2 vs 0.196mm2 I switched from a 3 to a 5 on my Grex and was glad I did. Not critical. If your molds are clean and your CB is at appropriate temp I don't think it matters how strong your compressor is, as long as it’s matched to the volume you want to spray. My compressor is 1/5 hp, works for small batches with the 0.5 nozzle but i could stand an upgrade overall.

Very sad. But I have to say the chocolate itself looks pretty rough. If that is dark chocolate, it looks like the chocolate may be out of temper. Did they contract and pop out nicely except for the cb or did the molds take a beating to get the pieces out?

You should still be able to temper it, just strain out those hard bits (as long as it doesn’t taste burnt)

I have seen it at the West Seattle TJ, though I can't say exactly how recently.

well yeah, that's who started the topic ... I appreciate Tosi's statement that the mission is to spread joy and offending people is contrary to that. Just curious what the tipping point was. Maybe she's older and wiser, maybe the hijinks of those early restaurant days have lost their shine, maybe she just got tired of hearing about it ... or maybe she struck a deal with (walmart/target/costco) and they made her do it? 🤔 Btw, I have not tried the pie either. I had Tosi's Milk Bar cookbook for a while but little in it appealed to me so I sold it.

I'm only surprised that it took so long. That pie has been around for what, 10 or 15 years already?

Did you add extra red, or is it the lighting? That's actually a decent color! (I'm not a fan of pink)

If you're having trouble getting a thin enough layer, you can add cocoa butter to your chocolate. William Curley adds 1 part CB to 2 parts dark chocolate by weight and brushes it on with a paintbrush, on both the bottom and top of the ganache slab. https://www.amazon.com/Couture-Chocolate-Masterclass-William-Curley/dp/1906417598