Trishiad
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Posts posted by Trishiad
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I do asparagus on the stove in a grill pan. Olive oil, salt pepper, Quick and yummy.
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Pricing is difficult when you're just starting out and even more difficult when you don't have a storefront. If I had a storefront I would sell more chocolates, get better prices when purchasing supplies, have the volume to buy the custom packaging I want rather than spending all that extra time trying to dress up a generic box, have the freedom to experiment more, etc. etc. etc. ( and work tremendously long days and not see my little guy as much as I want to, hence the no store front) Let's face it, it doesn't take THAT much more time to fill 10 molds than it does 2 or 3. We all know that the profit margin increases as production increases. I think that fact is amplified in a business like this where we are trying to use the finest ingredients and keep everything as close to handmade as possible.
I alternate between feeling embarrased when asking for my price and cringing because I know I spent too much time or money on something and won't get the money back.
I have been careful to price my core products knowing that they will be difficult to raise later. Sometimes I run a sale to boost customer base ( I have a friend (okay, may friends) who refer to me as a pusher "first taste is free...") and sometimes I have experimental product pricing. On other products I think I can succesfully raise prices later, weddings for instance. Weddings are also the only thing I give a quantity discount on. Again, because it doesn't take that much more time to knock out 100 extra pieces of one flavor. And because the bigger the wedding, the more likely I'll get more customers. 300 potential new customers in one fail swoop is a good thing.
I think it is important to look at the "competition" and figure out what drives their pricing, labor, rent, ingredients. Sote, sometimes one makes compromises on one ingredient in order to afford another, or because rent in that area is huge and that customer base doesn't demand a more superior chocolate. One of my best sellers is a complete no brainer made with moderate couverture, people beg for it. Sometimes you must give them what they want.
Big question. So many answers. I suggest you spend as much time selling directly to the consumers (eaters) as possible so that you can see if you've priced correctly.
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I use Cold Ice in the East Bay. They have styro boxes in many sizes and great little ice packs. I only ship 2 days or fewer and never after Wednesday, just in case. One must remember that although it may only be 78 outside, it may become 95 in a transport truck and your product may then be left on a doorstep until the customer arrives home from work. Without the proper packaging, pricey as it is, your chocolates may become hot fudge sauce.
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Weighing in here (now that I have a moment after Mother's Day) I think it's the room temp. This time of year is challenging for chocolates. If they took a while to set and your work room was in the 70's, I think Mother Nature is the culprit. I learned that lesson the hard way a few years ago and now begin work at 4 am during the warmer months.
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Mice, little armies of ribbon tailed mice. So cute, thanks John
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Oh, wait, the bunnies are two piped balls, the mice are just one piped mound with a peak for the nose, right?
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The first thing I thought of was cookies on a stick but she didn't come to me for my baking "skills", she wants chocolate. Although glittery sugared marshmallows on a stick sure would be cute.
I've never made the mice before but those would surely be cute. Pipe oval for body and small circle for head, right? Sliced almonds for ears, then dip and drop on top of a tail? As Alana knows, I am sort of over the critters after Easter, BUT they sure would be cute.....
Any more ideas? Where's AKWA?
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I've just spoken with a friend who will attend a special dinner thrown by the women of her service club to honor her new baby. Typically, the mother brings a small favor as a token of her gratitude. This is often something simple like chocolate kisses or cookies but my friend would like something a bit more creative and special. She called her favorite chocolatier who would love to make something dazzling but is feeling a little uninspired. If there were more than a couple of days I might have a special candy bar mold made or at least order some baby related molds to make some more special bonbons but there is simply not enough time.
any ideas?
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sweet potato fries or chips with a tangy catsup or dijon.
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Ah, Kerry, no mess? Where's the fun? The bigger the mess, the more fun you had right?
No, really, thanks for your demo. It took a bunch of time and we appreciate it.
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Bulimia?
I don't want to know AFTER I've eaten the meal.
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Fresh mint will give you a more grassy flavor. Some will love it, others will expect a cool peppermint flavor. I use both. I use a peppermint oil for a tiny dark chocolate truffle in white chocolate. And I use fresh mint or fresh mint with green tea in dark chocolate palets.
One must be careful not to overheat the herbs and not to press on them. I know it's tempting because they've soaked up so much precious cream but don't push them through a sieve. Let them drain slowly and add more cream if you need it.
I sat down with my tea lady one day and she was very specific about what temperature each tea should be steeped at and for how long. Herbs are not all the same and must be treated with care to optimize flavor. If you seek a subtle green mint flavor keep trying, otherwise switch to peppermint oil.
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How 'bout a nice backyard shower for the dogs? You can build it when you remodel the backyard for outdoor cooking. I worked at a house once that had an entire kitchen on the patio with radiant heated stone floors, dishwasher drawers, and 2 small refrigerators.
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Hmmm, no advice from Steve there but Lemon Curd reminded that it is best to let the chocolate set a bit before cooling. Funny, last year I was working in my home kitchen and finally got the variables right, this year it's a different kitchen, the next few days may be rocky.....darn easter bunnies!
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Yep, what Wendy said. Crust, one scrape
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I think I asked about this same problem last year. My bunnies often break at the ears. I found that a warmer room and a slower cooling process helped. I love Elaine's chocolate plug idea.
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If you add some white cocoa butter to your yellow it will be more opaque and stand out well against the dark chocolate.
Welcome to eGullet, by the way.
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I called it all damn day sickness when I was pregnant. I ended up with IV fluids and anti-nausea meds. I couldn't even open the vitamin container without throwing up. The smell of toothpaste made me vomit. I don't think I went into the meat or dairy sections of the grocery until I was 5 months. I lived mainly on slurpees and regularly vomitted in the 7eleven parking lot on my way to buy my slurpee. You will get past it and it will be worth it. For the record, just about the time I started eating food again I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and was forced to eat so much peanut butter for the next few months that I gained more than 40 pounds! Still worth it.
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No worries, Truffle. Speaking of caramel, I just did a Meyer Lemon with toasted pine nuts, yummmm. Unfortunately, not for everyone.
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Truffle, perhaps it does make me selfish to not share every candy recipe I have and it's true that they are for the most part just versions of recipes written by others but if I've tweaked it so that it has become just what I had hoped it's my perogative to share it or not. All the sharers you mentioned in your post shared their recipes by way of published works. I dont' call that sharing, I call that selling. Perhaps I will share my journal of recipes someday, perhaps in the form of a book or just a gift to my son, I don't know, only time will tell.
I am more than happy to help someone with technique and will always point someone in the right direction to create a recipe but I don't think it's fair for anyone to expect me to give them any recipe they'd like just because I let them eat it. It's not my ego that stops me, it's my lack of a crystal ball. I do not know what is in store for my recipes in the future. Until I know, it's best to keep them close to home. Any good chocolatier could make a new version of everything I make, probably better. They don't need my recipes to do it.
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Jaclyn, you may want to learn how to temper so that you don't have chocolate bloom (white-ish streaks) on your time consuming wedding favors. You may not have had a problem in the past but chances are that when you commit to making such a large quantity of bars fo something as special as your own wedding that bloom will rear it's ugly head. At the very least, tempering the chocolate will give your bars a nice snap and a lovely shine.
You are correct about the mold dimensions. Size of bar, number of bars per mold, weight of solid chocolate bar, and the last one should be size of mold although it doesn't look quite right to me. Buy enough molds. The longer your bars stay in the molds, the shinnier they'll be. You don't want to be pressured for time and mold space and try to pop out perfect bars in 5 minutes, they won't be ready.
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Alana, I really like the artisan colors from chef rubber. They have a nice shimmer that's not garish. I also use the regular flat colors but I get those from Qzina to save a few pennies. I keep looking at the pearl colors thinking they're just the ticket for something, maybe a sculpture, but just too fake looking for bonbons.
I should add that I think a jar of white is very valuable. Most of the colors are pretty sheer when backed by a darker chocolate. The white cocoa butter makes the colors more opaque so they don't disappear on dark chocolate. You can either add it to your color to make it both pastel and opaque or paint in white after you paint in other colors to give your first colors a background of opacity (is that a word?)
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Ikea Ikea Ikea!
I'm due for a trip
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Sirch, I'm stumped but please do let us know if it's the green and where you got it so we don't have the same problem. bummer.
Kerry, I flipped through my Tomric catalog and found a girl bunny with an umbrella. She coordinates with a boy bunny just slightly different than yours so maybe she'd be a good match.
Page 114, #H872. 10.6 oz, 6.75 x 3.5 x 2.25
cutting smaller cakes from larger sheets
in Pastry & Baking
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As a cake eater (not baker) I don't think I'd notice at all. Yummy cakes get eaten, not evaluated. It's the ones that taste funny or less than devourable that I start to dissect.
sleep well.