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jturn00

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Posts posted by jturn00

  1. What a fantastic conference! This was so much more than I imagined it would be. It was really nice to meet and work with all of you, and make some new friends. Kerry, thank you so much for putting this conference together.

    Here are some photos. First the chocolates:

    These are filled with either caramel, raspberry butter ganache or icewine. The fillings were a group effort between Mike (what's your eG id, Mike?), MelissaH and myself. These are the first chocolates I ever made, so there were many causalties. These are the survivors:

    Wow! I wish I had the time to join in......

    Isomer, what was the icewine filling? Sounds interesting? Was it based on white or dark chocolate ganache?

    I am also interested in John's Curry-coconut filling. That sounds pretty exotic.

    I've tried making different exotic fillings for family and friends before but they seem to just like my standard dark cocolate ganache or pear-caramel filling......

    Jeff

  2. any recommendations for dining in DUMBO?  preferably in vicinity of St. Ann's Warehouse?    thanks.

    There is a nice place up from grimaldi's on the corner. (There are actually two places but the one I am thinking of is just around the corner). I forget their names. I will have to check the next time I am down there. Then of course there is bubby's. Ok. I 've only been there for brunch but overall not too bad.

  3. Will be in that area next Friday with six family members (all adults) around lunch time. Any suggestions for lunch? Some of the group will be staying at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, but we can travel anywhere. One or two might want lighter fare. Thanks.

    Try some of the places on smith street or head to lobo or laylajones on court street. They are just a short walk from the Marriott.

  4. We had an employee that is out out of the office with his wisdom teeth being removed. We felt it would be neat if he could get a delivery of ice cream as a gift. I was looking for something like Ciao Bella or something else to deliver. I did come up with fresh direct and but are there any other options that anyone can think of?

  5. It was a while since I was there.

    This was a pizzaria that we ate at if we came back from our day's adventure late and looked for something good, simple and quick. Not fancy or anything.

    Le Majestic Chez Fernanda

    5, avenue Reine Victoria

    64200 Biarritz, Acquatine

    France

    I think we stopped here for some coffee and a snack

    Miremont Biarritz

    1 bis, place Georges Clemenceau

    64200 Biarritz

    France

    Not sure what this place was like but I kept the address in my contacts (so it probably wasn't too bad).

    La Cuisine Des Saveurs

    16 Rue de la Bergerie

    Quartier St. Charles

    64200 Biarritz, Acquatine

    France

    We were staying in an apartment and driving mainly to places outside of Biarritz so we didn't eat out at too many places in Biarritz.

    let me know if you have any more questions.

  6. I wonder if there would be any advantage to using one of the firm foodsaver containers, such as the rectangular ones or the marinator.  Of course it would take more space in the freezer.

    If I'm not mistaken, I don't think you can freeze the containers.

    Luis

    I did not know that. Perhaps the cold air makes the seal fail?

    Before I found out that they don't recommend freezing the containers, I did. I had left some items in the freezer for a few weeks. The containers didn't break but the seals did not hold.

  7. I have taken some professional cooking and pastry classes along with a chocolate class at the French Culinary Institute and I have some real kitchen experience in both pastry and culinary. I have been making chocolates for my personal use and not for sale.

    I was trying to see if their courses tend to refelect their knowldege in their books. I might find information on shelf life useful. Also, I would use the class to practice...... Tempering, using luster dusts, painting with coco colors and molding chocolates. (using an enrober would be interesting but probably not useful since I don't work with one and have to hand dip my chocolates squares.)

    Initially, I was tending towards the wybauw class due to some of the posts here on egullet, but I might not be able to find the time in september. That is when I saw andrew Shott's class. I need to reveiw his book.

    Thanks for all the feedback and information.

    Jeff

  8. As a follow up, these events might also be of interest.

    The Art of Belgian Candy

    JEAN PIERRE WYBAUW 3 session(s)

    course meets start date end date time other dates in course

    consecutive days Mon, September 17 Wed, September 19 7:30 AM -12 PM

    And the StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress which is also occuring around the same time. These have more of a professional aspect to them.

    Jeff

  9. Kerry,

    alanamoana was right it can be a madhouse. I think there is a day where trade and industry people are invited to tour the vendors before the general public. I found that there are some useful reasons for myself to brave the crowds.

    If you don't have access to sales people selling various types of chocolates, then the chocolate show (at least when I went two years ago), allows me to check out different varieties. (Felchlin, becolade, guittard, el rey? etc). I was also able to pick up some of the chocolate at a discount. I found it useful to be able to compare. I also saw the rechuitti book at a barnes and noble stand and then was able to walk to their booth and try some of the chocolates.. On second thought, maybe I had some of the rechuitti chocolates and then bought the book.

    Be aware that JB prince is only open weekdays. You might want to walk the bowery which has a lot of restaurant supply stores. When you know of when you are coming and where you might be staying, pm me and I can come up with some places that might be good to go/eat.

    Jeff

  10. Thanks for the input. We didn't even get to go to boulevard. We ate dinner the night we got there at the hotel restaurant. By the time the plane landed and we got to the hotel it was almost 10pm SF time, so that was the easiest. Not bad. Not great. We ate breakfast at the hotel as well only because that was the easiest as well. We did get chance to go to Postrio. It was nice, but I should have ordered steak.... I had a scallop starter that was really great but my sesame tuna was just ok. And the veggies were too salty. desert was good. But being a business dinner and trip not the best but not the worst..... Hopefully next time I will get a chance to try the other places!

    Jeff

  11. Hi,

    I am heading to San Francisco for a business trip and will be staying at the hotel monaco. I am not sure of the exact address but I can look it up if it helps. what would be some good/decent places for dinner where I won't need a reservation and is within walking distance to the hotel? (BTW, We already have reservations at boulevard for dinner one of the nights we are in town. These ideas would be for the night we arrive.)

    Jeff

  12. Most of the pots I got for day to day use are stainless steel lined. But the store where I had the gift certificate/credits did not have stainless steel lined stock pots but they did have tin lined stock pots. So I was just checking if I happened to put something in them that was acidic that I wouldn't ruin the food as in most cases we will be using them to make stock or pasta. As an added bonus they are hammered and look really nice if I left them out.

    Jeff

    Jeff

  13. Hi Slkinsey,

    I realize that tin isn't recommended. But I have the opportunity to get a stockpot and a smaller soup stockpot (with out worrying about the cost) and was just checking if I made a soup or something that might be acidic. In most cases the smaller one would be used for soups or mulled wine and the larger for boiling water for pasta. My other copper pots are all stainless steel lined.

    Jeff

  14. I have a copper pot with a tin lining. It is new and doesn't have any copper showing. Does tin react to acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon juice or an acidic vinegar like an aluminum pot or pan would? I wanted to use the pot to make a tomato sauce or risotto.

    Jeff

  15. I've used the cheese grater and it worked well. I've also seen a technique that uses a pastry bag and a small tip. You squeeze the dough into the water. You can vary the size buy trimming the dough coming out of the pastry bag.

    Jeff

  16. Hi,

    My take on this is that a formula is the basic proportions to make something and it is up to the chef making the dish to decide the amounts to use. A general-audience cookbook might specifically state a recipe for 4 people and give exact ingredients. A perfect example might be a vineagrette, sauce or marinade. Where a forumula would define 2 parts oil to one part vineagar. The chef at a small bistro would say use 2 cups of oil and 1 cup of vineagar, another chef feeding students in a university might take the forumual and use 2 quarts of oil and 1 quart of vineagar. A recipe in a general audience cookbook would just specify 2 tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of vinegar and specifically mention the quantities to use. Breadmaking also uses formulas as scaling there is in proportion to weight and not quantities.

    Jeff

  17. Hello,

    I was fortunate that my now new wife let me register for some of the copper cookware at williams-sonoma.... AND I got some of them. When I was in the store there were other specialty pans that I wondered how useful they were and if they had other uses. For example other copper pots I saw by Mauviel,

    Pommes Anna Pan

    Potato Steamer

    Rectangular Braiser with Lid.

    Confiture Pan

    Paella pan

    Would the pommes anna pan be good for make gratins? what other uses might one find for that pan? Maybe a Tart tatin?

    How would the rectangular braiser differ from the dutch oven? Is this just a fancy piece to go from oven to table?

    Would the confiture pan be used for other things other than jams? Like pate de fruit or carmelizing almonds, carmel?'

    They had a 15" Paella pan that seemed really large? Since we are not in my new place and I am not sure of the size of the largest burner (i think it is 16K btu) does this pan fit on that burner? in the oven? It could make a great large frying pan to saute multiple pieces of chicken or veal.

    What are your thoughts?

    Jeff

  18. I was looking to get a blender to mainly make smoothies, margaritas and possibly some soups.

    The most import aspect is that if I make a margarita, the blender is fast and strong enough to make the ice mixture very thick and smooth (with no ice chunks) almost soft ice cream like. Reading previous posts, vita-mix blenders get high kudos but are also very expensive. I also think Waring blenders get some high marks but looking at their website there are so many models I am finding it hard to figure out which one to choose. How would these compare to the Breville Ikon Blender that Williams Sonoma sells? On price, I was looking to stay under the $250 dollar range.

    Any recommendations?

    The reason of my inquiry into the Breville is because I have a gift certificate that I can use to get that blender but since it is only sold at WS I am not sure how good it is.

    Thanks,

    Jeff

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