xdrixn

small blurb http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/01/..._in_the_k_9.php

hmmm? there website says $47?

isn't that savory? tell us about it?

Sorry, Thisis the elvis # cake, I forgot I put it in my recipe book, quadrupled it and converted it to grams. pound cake 900 g butter 2750 g sugar 28 eggs 1800 g cake flour 15 g salt 30 g bp 1 l cream optional 230 g malt or juice and zest from 12 lemons

The ducasse book is in french which is worse than my spanish. I'm in a bit of a rut and was looking for some inspiration despite me saying I've bought my last french book for a while. While it's encyclopedic in nature with tons of recipes it's not much I haven't seen before. Perhaps I should have refrained from making that statement as I have only had it for 2 weeks. I do think it has certain reference value. I'll give you an update down the road.

I've been hesitant to write about my Bastide experience because, and this is a really sore subject for me, but I forgot my camera. In the past 6 months I'ce eaten at Alinea 2x, wd50, Bastide, Providence, Thor...I might be forgetting someone. Anyway, I'd really like to contribute with some photos because dammit, I really appreciate it when other people do. Bastide: I ate at the chef's table with 4 others. For our amuse we had a foie lollipop that was rolled in almond and drizzled with balsamic. This was excellent. I wanted another and I do hope to have it again. Also on the plate was a cube of bacon that was cooked ous vide for 6 hours with a small dallop of creme fraiche and caviar, also excellent. A chicken croquette with some sort of liquid center, very good, but outshined by the others. tuna sashimi with a subtle citrus ice cream, fried green onions and soy gelee. We are off to a very good start and I am very happy. The added texture of the onions, salt of the gelee, cream and too acidic ice cream. A perfect dish and beautifully presented on a charcoal marble slab. Now, we had the wine pairings so these might be out of order. the popular deconstructed bloody mari on a spoon with a spicy tomato sorbet, perfectly salted foam and vodka gelee. Did I mention how good things are going! seared foie with deconstructed pina colada. rum gelee, coconut sorbet and pineapple foam...I might have those reversed. Nice, a bit on the sweet side and I do wosh foie dishes would go back to being savory but very good. Lobster done tableside with udon noodles and I'm sorry I don't remember what else and I think I tossed mynotes. This was also a bit on the sweet side. A white fish with bacon braised endive (loved the endive!) and cabbage. very good. Now one of my favorite dishes but everyone elses least. Peking duck with chorizo lentils, squid ink foam and orange peel puree. The peel was a bit bitter, naturally but it worked. I loved the salt and the richness of this dish and I particulary fond of lentils. My dining companions just weren;t wowed by this dish like I was. pinions differed about the orange peel and the purpose of the squid ink which I thought was there largely for contrast in color again the quenelle of orange that was resting on the rim of the bowl. Awesome. triple cream bleu cheese ice cream with burnt brioche. good, My fav cheese dish has to be the walnut cream filled roquefort ball at alinea, I guess that's what I base cheese compositions this evening. a limeade with a marshmallow. cute & cleansing. next we had a creme fraiche panna cotta that lacked creme favor to me and could have used some lemon juice. It was served with caramel sauce that was a little dark to me and caviar, and not the alginate kind. While I did eat the whole thing I was a little put off by this dish because of the shock factor. Bacon in dessert I get. Olive I've done and I liked it. If I was of the mindset "this is not dessert" I think I could live with it. next, a lovely chocolate fondant cake with grapefruit and black olive ice cream. I didn;t agree with the combination of this course. Chocolate lemon, passion ok, but not grapefruit. Also, I felt that if the olives had been blanched once it would have not been so overpowering and maybe it would have worked, maybe. excellent mignardies of a beet pate de fruit and some chocolates. service was great, loved the room and am envious if the kitchen. I guess they're closing for some remodelling, I'll be back.

and for those who don't like loud banging noises I find an oyster shucker works well too.

the elvis # cake in the maida heatter book of great desserts is awesome. I'd give it to you but it's in a box and I'm about to move but when I unpack I'll give it to you if no one has done so.

All joking aside I would not suggest learning Russian. I want this torreblanca book as much as everyone else here and just visited www.pacotorreblanca.com to say "hey, I'd buy this book." Whle my first language is spanish I've been americanized by the school system which is to say I can barely read spanish so I can sympathize with those who can't at all. I also have an idea of publishing costs. Just to play devil's advocate here, How many people do you think will buy this book in ths US alone? 200? Two weeks ago I purchase the Alain Ducasse Desserts book and I regret it when I should have purchased the Torreblanca book which I will do next week while I brush up on my spanish. I noticed artisianbaker was kind enough to share his thoughts on the book, I'll do the same.

Sam, Which hydrocolloid book do you refer to the most?

Thanks for your time sam. Ditto on you being a bad ass! Well put sean. When you say soy protein are you using versawhip?

Gael Greene began a sentence with a conjunction. B-

microgreens? bulls' blood? it is f*&(% hot! beautiful colors!

my dad used to do enjoy dr pepper that way, he's almost 57.

http://www.boulela.com/ just got back from LA and these were excellent.

I'd like to hear about your "pars" when it comes to R&D. For example, while I have had my successes with various hydrocolloids and have a somewhat good idea on some percantage usages could you share 1 or 2 projects of yours that might have taken a while? What were your your stuggles and what did you learn? While I don't get discouraged when it takes me 12 times to develop a recipe using gellan gum I do have to scratch my head an go "what the &$%*&^!" "I however must say, in order to keep things moving in a forward motion, there must be an exchange of ideas and tecniques. A forum ,if you will, to share thoughts and concepts." very nice to hear. I'll share, while everyone might know this? When makeing a sabayon with agar, locust bean gum helps with water retention. who's next?

how about steeping cocoa nibs in your water?

I'm about to start a new job that has a pacojet. It's been about 4 years since I used one and while they also have a taylor I like the obvious idea of not spending 3-4 hours a day...well, you know. I use the le boiron sorbet recipes and I prefer the mouthfeel from a traditional ice cream machine. I would like to eliminate that airness and have the sorbet feel more "tight". Has anyone experimented with this?

gianduja recipe 2kg hazelnuts 1500 g sugar 200 g butter 6 vanilla beans 200 gr milk powder 1kg milk chocolate 500 g white chocolate 500 g unsweetened chocolate heat sugar to 175c, remove from heat and add butter, return to heat and add nuts, lay onsilpat to cool. mix all ingredients except chocolate and pass until smooth. blend in chocolate

just a reminder, dufresne vs batali on iron chef america this sunday (1/8) 9pm et/pt

I just bought some from http://www.lepicerie.com european here in chicago only carries apple

thanks for sharing flinfoln. I'd like to hear more about the desserts, please.

details?

oscar palacios is the pastry chef

who is the pastry chef?