jende

I'm taking a trip to Las Vegas in June and trying to decide between L'Atlier and the Mansion, so I'd love to hear more about your experience. I'm leaning toward L'Atlier because it sounds like more fun with equally good food.

This is the method I use, although I always use fresh herbs and don't chop them first. I think that bitterness can come from allowing it to steep too long (like tea).

I second the Roaring Fork. Their main dining room is slightly upscale with a more refined approach to authentic Southwestern food, but I like the Saloon even better. It has a more relaxed atmosphere and menu (and cheaper prices). Go during happy hour (I think it's 4-7 p.m.) and there are even better bargains to be had. The Big Ass Burger is awesome, and don't miss the green chile macaroni.

I'm on hiatus from buying cookbooks (that's another story), but if I can pick up a copy from the library I'd love to do a bake-along.

Not wanting to mess with the acetate is the only reason I've never tried making Plaisir Sucre, alhtough I drool every time I see the recipe in Herme's book! Has anyone ever tried making a modified version, maybe just using the nutty base and ganache? Seems like it would make a pretty delicious bar cookie.

Maybe this "dumb question" was already asked, but how the hell do you remove foil from the bottom of a pan of brownies or bar cookies? I usually don't use this method, but I made some brownies today that called for the pan to be lined with foil first and I thought I'd give it a try. They were very easy to pull out of the pan, but now I've got an 8x8 brownie with foil on its bottom. With a solid bar cookie I'd probably try flipping it over and peeling off the foil, but these are pretty fudgy brownies and I know they would fall apart immediately. Any hints (besides "don't line your pan with foil anymore")?

I agree with Culinary Bear, but my tight pants are suggesting that I might want to find an alternate storage method! Thanks for everyone's tips. Well said, Culinary Bear!!! That's a huge question, Jende. Here's a few storage thoughts for you. To keep chewy cookies chewy store them tightly sealed with a piece of bread or several pieces. The bread will dry out and the cookies will absorb the moisture & stay chewy and become more chewy too in a good way. In fact sometimes I cut heart shapes out of the bread so when I store the cookies with the bread, it's not as scarry looking Umm, if I have a nice loaf of bread and there's too much quantity to eat right away I freeze it right away in portion sizes--wrapped securely in waxed paper then those packages into a plastic ziploc. I keep the fresh or subsequently thawed out pieces loosely wrapped so the crust doesn't go soft--opposite of the chewy cookie storage deal. When thawing, I will remove the waxed paper right away so the ice crystals cannot thaw & wet the surface of my yummy treat. Then just a few minutes at room temp & warm or toast in toaster if you want. And eat all you can before you turn 50 or be prepared to carry it around permanently Muffins yes in a plastic container if it's just a few days storage--then they need to be heated in a hot oven to restore the surface & soften the inside before serving. Random storage thoughts... ←

What's your favorite way to store home made cookies, or any baked good for that matter? I keep my fresh bread in a plastic ziploc bag on the counter and it seems to keep its texture this way (versus storing in the fridge). Is the same true for cookies, muffins, cake, etc.?

I've been on a quest for the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie, and this recipe is the best so far! I just made them a couple hours ago so I'll taste again when they're fully cool, but I really couldn't come up with a way to improve them. Thanks for sharing.