Trishiad

So, Where the heck is the answer???? I'm still making banana cream napoleons for my hubby for his birthday but truly his favorite birthday cake is yellow with chocolate frosting. I've mentioned before that he's historically enjoyed the box and can version. Ha! I remembered that there was a "best of" thread and figured an additional dessert would be a no brainer. But NOOoooooo! It's just a thread full of potential recipes. Come on, I thought you guys loved me. Anyone wanna choose a winner?

Ian, I spoke with Chloe a few weeks ago and she told me 2 men (Steven Singer and Jonathan Waxman) bought the building and the restaurant. Perhaps there is a connection to Alice Waters but it's not Alice herself. It's a small town and I've heard the same rumor, who knows....

Kerry, I love those square bars. Chocolat Moderne does bars that shape too. I have always loved square. I wonder if it would be fun to do more than one filling in the same bar? How are they being packaged for the wedding?

John, I have found that in order to recreate that Reese's experience one must use what I call trashy peanut butter. Smooth Safeway brand in fact has given me the closest results. I think Jiffy may come close because of it's sweetness. I had a request and kept trying to match the flavor with natural peanut butter, I should have known better. So, my best result came from a very Swiss tasting milk chocolate and safeway pb.

Annie, I have asked and asked what it was about that particular napoleon. He can't remember. He just remembers the feeling he had when eating it, you know. Perhaps I should make both a classic and a banana cream? That's easy enough and we like celebratory gluttony.

I was spacing out a bit today and started to think about my husband's favorite desserts. He loves yellow cake with chocolate frosting like his Mom used to make (from a box and a can)! He also really enjoys banana cream pie, but truly he's always talking about this amazing napoleon he had a billion years ago. What about a banana cream napoleon with a chocolate glaze?? suggestions on a banana pastry cream? raw bananas in slices, mushed bananas, mushed roasted bananas? thoughts?

Hubby's birthday is coming up and I'd like to make the perfect napoleon for him in lieu of a cake. Should I stick with simplicity and just do puff with layers of vanilla pastry cream? Any other ideas? He's not big on berries......

I haven't seen the show because, based on the ads, it seems really meanspirited. I think it's just plain F'ed up to bring Booby Flay and his staff in to push the local guy off his pedestal. It's like bringing a second turkey to Mom's house for Thanksgiving with claims that yours is better than her is. Just wrong and uncalled for.

I was just in cambria last week, so sweet. With 20 days you really could see a lot of California. Sometimes, when planning a trip I decide how long I'd like to stay in one place before I pack up again and then How many hours I'd like to travel to my next location. For instance, I like to stay in one place for about 3 days and then drive less than 5 hours to my next location. Maybe San Francisco to Santa Cruz or Carmel to Cambria and then to Pismo or Avila and then to Santa Barbara and then Disneyland????

Torres uses a vacuum for his ganaches.

I steep cardamom pods, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, etc in some cream and use that for my ganache.

Seems funny to me to compare California fruit and Mexican food to those of New York. Still, I'm glad you ate well. No desserts???

hmmm. melted wax on the caramel??? I use parchment and have never had a problem. Caramel is very easily made gooey by too much moisture. I try to avoid the fridge. Plus, then it's already room temp and ready to enrobe.

Some chocolatiers have shipping prices that vary according to both the season and the region. For instance, Priority Mail is very inexpensive and will arrive at many locations in 1 day. However, Alana is right, if we're talking about "Summer" coating, the temperature is not really a big deal. I start using styrofoam packaging as soon as the outside temperature is in the 70's because it becomes very warm in trucks at that temperature. I use gel packs wrapped in papertowel and in a zip bag. I also put a bit of packing paper between the pack and the chocolates, just in case.

V, I cook my soft caramel to 240. It is just firm enough to enrobe. I do leave it to set for at least 24 hours before I slice it. T

My Grams was a home ec teacher. She taught me the all basics, from steaming broccoli to making pancakes. I have a few kitchen things which she left to me, some biscuit cutters, her candy thermometer, some of her cookbooks (she had 5 children and many grandchildren), her superiorly seasoned cast iron pans, and her marble rolling pin. I know marble is not everyones perfect rolling pin but I use it exclusively. That pin is the favorite of all the tangible things she left me. I think of my grams and am reminded of picking Gravenstein apples from her backyard tree, peeling them carefully, trying to make a spiral slice of peel. Then slicing with the pairing knife and seasoning. Finally rolling the pie crust and stuffing it full, full, full. When I use my rolling pin, I am back in her kitchen talking about life and finding nourishment of the body and soul. I hope to pass that rolling pin on with a few perfect recipes and the peace that comes with cooking and especially baking.

Purist here, I never add corn syrup to my toffee. I find that the butter melts faster than the sugar and will naturally begin to seperate as the lighter butter begins to float. Some vigorous stirring while the sugar is melting always brings it together for me.

I developed a banana bonbon last year and will tell you that I had little success with banana liqour. Norman Love uses fresh bananas and white chocolate. I use dried bananas in a dark chocolate ganache layered with a dark rum caramel in a white chocolate shell bottomed with dark.

I use the same recipe as John. I make it in a jar and leave it on top of the stove overnight. Works like a charm and makes yummy ganache.

Kerry, I use Creme Fraiche in place of cream in a few of my recipes. I find it goes well with the bolder chocolates like Scharf.

When talking with a metalworking friend, he mentioned that the grooves in the platform would need to be quite small or the wires would be able to move a bit as they were reaching the bottom of the ganache, thereby causing an uneven slice. He suggested using a metal base and having it cut with some special jet of water or something (my chocolate filled brain didn't quite understand what kind of tool he was referring to).

Just home from a road trip. Stopped at some tiny fruit stand and bought some butter toffee nuts. Am coming down from the sugar rush now. This batch also had bits of coconut in it. You almost don't notice it but it does add texture.

Vanessa, I like the convenience of being able to place an internet order at any time of day but I love the service I get when I order by phone. Qzina and Glerup both keep all my info on file. I say my name and they pull up my account. They can answer any questions I have. At both Qzina and Tomric, I always speak to the same woman. I like that I know who I'll be talking to, and that they know me. I also love Qzina because I know when my product will be here. They deliver to my area on Tuesdays. So, even if I place an order at 4 on Monday, my stuff will be here the next afternoon. Give it a try.

I'm a chocovision girl myself. They are perfect for carrying to a rental space or a demo location or whatever. They are noisy but I'm not really bothered by it. I have 3 of their machines and use them well. They have really great customer service as well. I don't think you can find a better machine for the $.

oooh, and to clarify, I dislike any of the burnt sugar recipes I've made from Recchuiti's book. I quite like many of the others.