etalanian

Thanks very much, Steven. I appreciate the kind words. I hope you enjoy it. Eileen

Thanks for taking the time to supply the info, Steven. I agree that taste tests are questionable at best, but I was curious about this one because I had not seen Merckens included in one before. I always use Callebaut, which I can get at a restaurant supply in Phila, so I had never looked at the chocolate page and therefore never before read the comment on KA. I like to see how things are compared when claims like that are made. et

We made cupcakes as the dessert for the fund raiser event for my daughter's school last spring. I was in charge of coordinating the effort, and had about a dozen moms at my house to frost 1,000 cupcakes. Some of them had never frosted anything before. It was really a lot of fun. The cupcakes were set up on a tiered display that one of the dads built. I can't find a photo of that, but I wanted to post a photo of some cupcakes I made earlier this year. I just can't figure out how. Can anyone tell me? Thanks! I love this thread!! It is so much fun! Eileen

Thanks for the info! (Do I call you Mage?) I would love to get my hands on that report to see which (and how many) brands of chocolate were taste-tested. I'm always curious when I see references like that. It must come from the Merckens company, because it is on every site that sells their chocolate. But I guess I'll have to live without it. Loved the photos of your kitchen! Thanks for the response. Best, Eileen

I am often running against the clock when I bake, and I have been known to press handfuls of ice against the mixer bowl while the whites/sugar syrup mixture is cooling. It helps. You can also jimmy a wider, shallow bowl so it sits around the workbowl and fill it with ice and a little water. It doesn't matter to the end product if it cools quickly or slowly; but I find that if you add the butter when the whites are still warm, the butter melts. (Butter melts at around 95 degrees, so I try to get the temp down to just below that before I add the butter in. I always use soft butter. I usually have butter laying around the kitchen counter because I bake every day. I've never had a problem using soft butter.

I use a large fork (like a serving fork or salad fork) to toss the flour/fat while sprinkling the water over it, until the mixture just starts to stick together a little. You can quickly pick up a small amount, place it on the work surface and gently press it with the heal of your hand to see if it stays together. Then I empty the mixture out onto a cold surface (I use marble) and knead it a few times with no additional flour. When I do this I use a bench knife to scrape it up from the counter and fold it over itself, then I use the floured heal of my hand to push the dough away from me. Scrape, fold and push again, repeating this three or four times until the dough is mostly unified. I flour the work surface only when I am rolling out the dough. The less you handle the dough, the more tender it will be. The less additional flour you use, the better off you are. There is surprisingly more leeway in this process than most people realize. Don't obsess about this. Your crust will probably be wonderfully flaky and tender.

I was just perusing the King Arthur site (love their flour) and looked at the chocolate they offer. They made this reference to "The Chocolate Report" regarding Merckens Bittersweet Chocolate Bars for baking: Several years ago, The Chocolate Report did an extensive blind-tasting, with a crew of top chefs. Merckens was ranked #1 in both bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate, and #2 in white chocolate." I have searched the web to no avail. I have found a Chocolate report that is about fair trade, but nothing that would give "extensive blind-tasting" results for chocolate. Is anyone familiar with this report? Can someone tell me where I can get a copy of this report? Does anyone know how old the report actually is? Or who authored it? Thanks for any help! Eileen

Palace of Asia in Fort Washington serves wonderful, authentic Indian food. IMHO. It's always well-attended by actual Indians. They hold weddings and other banquests there. It is in a most unlikely place: a small chain hotel. But despite that, the food is excellent. It's not far from the Fort Washington interchange of the turnpike.

Four quickies: Buy butter on sale and freeze it. It freezes well, wrapped in plastic and then foil, and you can get some very good buys that way. It keeps for months. But don't switch to margarine. You will sacrifice valuable texture and depth of flavor. Trader Joe's is wonderful for butter, cream, nuts and bulk chocolate. I love the Ambrosia brand chocolate chips at the warehouse stores. They are much more flavorful than Nestle. I also find the store brands to often be better than the name brand chips. Just be sure to check the label for ingredients. I was divorced once, years ago, and my life is so much better for it. You will land on your feet and one day (soon) you will turn back and say, "Wow! That's the best thing that ever happened to me!" Good luck to you!

Ancho chiles or long pepper work really nicely with dark chocolate. What you will get is a slight bite at the finish that is very subtle and quite nice. The long pepper is not easy to find, but you can get it on the internet. It has a spicy peppery flavor. It's wonderful.

Banana Creme Fraiche Ice Cream. Homemade, of course.

Do you know about the Philadelphia National Candy Show? It's not a huge show, but it is a very helpful one. I checked your info page, but there was no information about what area you are from. If you are in the Phila area, this is the show you want to go to. All of the chocolate manufacturers, both high end and low end, have booths there, as well as all of the major and many minor chocolate equipment companies. Also chocolate mold companies, and many other suppliers that you would want to know about. They also have packaging vendors and suppliers for gift baskets, custom and stock box manufacturers, and a lot more. The show runs from 9/11-9/13. Before I sold my business I always found this to be an extremely helpful show. Give yourself several hours to do the show right. Good luck! BTW, I used and loved Hilliard's chocolate tempering machines and cooling cabinets. They have a good warranty and if you ever have a problem you can get help over the phone. They will walk you through replacing fuses, belts, anything.

I have to agree...I've never heard of any kind of "buttercream" like this before, and I can't imagine what it would taste like. I guess like sweet, thick chicken gravy with out the chicken??? And why is it so popular if it melts so easily? Sorry, but I am mystified. edited for spelling error

ooops! I didn't see that you all were talking about 1q9th street, not the original store. Nevermind... mrbigjas: If I am not mistaken, Capogiro was there before DiBruno's opened their world-class store. DiBruno's wants to carry the top of the line, and they probably knew the owners of Capogiro from when they (DiBruno's) had the smaller store in that area. One stop shopping more or less and a lovely atmosphere for the DiBruno's customers. And great exposure for Capogiro. If it wasn't selling at DiBruno's, they wouldn't carry it. Artisanal food sources often distribute near their own facilities. ←

mrbigjas: If I am not mistaken, Capogiro was there before DiBruno's opened their world-class store. DiBruno's wants to carry the top of the line, and they probably knew the owners of Capogiro from when they (DiBruno's) had the smaller store in that area. One stop shopping more or less and a lovely atmosphere for the DiBruno's customers. And great exposure for Capogiro. If it wasn't selling at DiBruno's, they wouldn't carry it. Artisanal food sources often distribute near their own facilities.

Anne, Thanks so much for the edible flower link! Eileen

We had homemade Peach Cobbler from local peaches, topped with homemade Creme Fraiche Ice Cream. The peaches were lightly scented with cinnamon and a touch of lemon zest. Yum, yum, yum. Dessert is my favorite meal. (Sometimes it's my only meal.) Eileen

When has it been postponed to? (I clicked on the phrase "Information here" but it wasn't a link to anything.) Thanks! Eileen

Maybe it's time to start an email campaign to Philly mag with suggestions for categories. Would be nice if they did a readers' survey and asked for category suggestions. There are a lot missing, and some of the current categories are sort of non-items. Maybe an entire issue devoted to Best of Philly Food would solve the problem. I mean, Phila is such a food city. It deserves more than a few food categories on the Best Of list. And IMHO all of the food cartegories should be serious.

Where is it in Old City?

My fave is the small independent in Mount Airy on G'town Ave called Infusion. they use Torreo espresso roast for their espresso drinks. The flavor is wonderful, and the atmosphere is funky and relaxed. They also have free wireless internet. I have personally never liked Bucks County Coffee. But that's why there's 31 flavors of ice cream, I guess...

ooops - forgot to say that you can dip the tops of the buttery sugar cookies in a nicely flavored dipping icing which dries to a shiny, smooth coating. It is beautiful. I can send you the recipe if you pm me.

Most cookies can be frozen after shaping and before baking. If properly wrapped (double-wrapped, airtight) the unbaked dough will keep for up to 2 months. So no need to stress yourself out. I have recipes for excellent shortbread or buttery sugar cookies. If you would like them just pm me. Both cookies keep well for a week or more. Congratulations on your future wedding! Hope you have a wonderful life together! Eileen

Marshmallows. For S'mores.

Hi, Michael, It is indeed hard to do what she (or any of them) does. I respect her for being such a talented business woman and marketing guru. While I don't watch her show there are probably millions who do. More power to her. She knows exactly who her market is and how to massage them. We DO have smarter shows, though. They're on public television. I have a sinking feeling shows like that won't make it onto FN, though, even as it evolves. It's like Bourdain's stuff - they won't show it during the day because they're afraid of losing ratings. FN seems to be devolving, not evolving. Too bad for us. When I worked with her she held a luncheon for local journalists, and she was very upfront about not being a chef. She wants her public to know she's just like them. No pretense, which is very good marketing sense. [bTW, liked your PBS chef show. Hope it gets expanded to an hour for next season. But that's the other thread, isn't it?] Eileen