ohmyganache

How does it compare to Delfina?

I did a tour at Vella in Sonoma (the city). It's small, but they do some good stuff there. They make an amazing Dry Jack that they are niche famous for.

Does anyone have a good pancake recipe? Mine is okay, but I know there is way better out there. Who wants to share?

I'm the same way. At home, I cook cheap and easy food. One way to get around expensive meat is not to buy it. I use a lot of TVP and meat substitutes in my home cooking. Using good canned ingredients helps too, since you mentioned tomatoes.

Here are two pix of the pastries that I sent up for tea service when I was on that station. We're in the process of revamping the tea stuff, so as soon as that happens, I'll put some new pix up.

Wow, I did not know that. Thanks for the info. Are there any other common flowers that are a no-no when it comes to eating that you know of???

Chinatown! Really cheap dishes...

Tuile Dentelle Chocolate: Butter 100g 100% Chocolate 100 g (unsweetend) Glucose 80 g Sugar 300 g Pectin 5 g Cocoa Powder 20 g Water 160 g In a small pan, melt butter, chocolate, and glucose. Add the sugar, pectin, and cocoa powder off the heat. When combined, add water and bring to rolling boil. It should be the consistancy of bechemel. Chill. At this point, we just keep it in the walk-in until we need a sheet or two. So you spread it evenly and thinly on a silpat. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes (at the thickness we do it). You can tell when it's done because it bubbles up a lot while baking, and when the bubbles slow down, you take it out. If it's not baked enough, it doesn't snap as well... it kinda bends a bit. It also over-bakes very soon after it's done... I'm sorry this recipe is so intense, this is one of the more complicated ones we use...

Here's a wedding cake that we did this weekend. And here is a Ginger Brulee and Chocolate Mousse with tuile dentelle and chocolate shards, with bitter chocolate sauce.

Yep, it's a rectangle cake ring. It's the size of a sheetpan.

I always use fresh (or pasteurized) liquid whites and powdered sugar. I think the key is to whip them for a few minutes on high speed with the whisk attachment on the kitchenaid.

drewman, those are some nice pix! I didn't know Hotel Hershey did such cool stuff. I've had some friends that worked/externed there in the past... Isn't brunch fun??? Here are some Easter brunch pix from the Ritz... Panna Cotta with assorted gelee Chanpagne Passion Gelee Bunny Cookies Frasier Choux Chantilly Coffee Walnut Daquoise Floating Islands Assorted Financier and Mirliton Flan aux Chocolat Chocolate Fountain (I hate that thing...) That's it for now. Drewman, I'd love to see more brunch pix... they're awesome!

I own the new pastry book, and it's okay. There are a lot of recipes in it that are messed up... ingredients are not what or where they should be, stuff doesn't make sense, etc... It's a first edition and that's the problem. The layout is nice, the pix are great (my pastry chef fiancee is in several of the pix because she was a teaching fellow during the making of the book!!!). I love the CIA, had a wonderful time there and everything, but I would reccomend waiting until the next edition comes out.

Oh the banquet side uses... I'd say... at least a dozen people. They get managers, room service, whoever to help plate up. I'd love to see more pix... keep em coming!

Those are so cute! I love them! Thanks...

The list is so bogus and is every year. How can the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton not be on there? It wasn't there with Sylvan, and it's not there now with Ron? Something is amiss... I'm also very surprised to see Hawthorne Lane was not on there? Maybe when a restaurant gets too old and isn't 'new and trendy' enough for MB, they 86 it...

Everybody likes to see pictures... I know I do. It keeps my battery charged, if you will. Pictures inspire me with new ideas for flavors, garnish, presentation, etc... So I'll start posting interesting pictures from work if people would like that. I'll start out with a few from this week... This is a strawberry pistachio crepe I put on Sunday brunch. It's got a pistachio bavarois and diced strawberries inside. Here is a chocolate tart with coffee cream plate up for 400. It took two people about an hour and a half to do. A chocolate amenity for a VIP guest. Guest Recognition wanted a TV theme, so I put this together. A wedding cake we did this past weekend. The florist was supposed to do a cake topper for it, but didn't... so we slapped some flowers from the table centerpieces on top. It didn't look quite right, but we didn't really have a choice. Oh well... I hope everyone enjoys the pix...

You might want to try using a barleywine. Barleywine is a high gravity beer, so it's got a lot of sweetness and complexity in it... very similar to a port. Where is this brewpub at? Brewing is a hobby of mine. I actually just finished a chocolate stout that came out really tasty. I bought raw whole cocoa beans, roasted them, and steeped them in the wort when I mashed the grains. It's nice...

I agree big time there! You remind me of the first baker I worked for when I was in high school. You say it like it is, you're honest, and I really find it refreshing and awesome. On a side note here... I'm driving up the west coast for my honeymoon in September and will most certainly be coming by the bakery.