etalanian

I agree that technique is paramount. As my grandmother used to say, "A tender hand makes a tender crust." Also, you can reduce the amount of water in the crust by using a European or European-style butter (they are higher fat, lower moisture). I've lately taken a liking to Organic Valley cultured European style, and I've had great results. There are many European butters available now, but they are more costly. Eileen

We've eaten there several times already. It is dimly lit and we find the atmosphere lovely. There is a bar menu, so we can stop by after a movie at the Ambler Theater - the Tuna Slider is exceptional. We have enjoyed some great dishes from the general menu: Sea Scallops with Potato Gnocchi, which is in an amazing, flavor-balanced broth that rounds out the dish perfectly; the Mussels - again, in an outstandingly seasoned broth; the Mushrooms with Heirloom grits and Aged Jack Cheese made us want to lick the plate; a Corn Soup that was smooth and perfectly seasoned; Roasted Chicken with Salsify Puree, again with an amazing sauce - this one surprised me, because I don't usually order chicken at a nice restaurant (I like to try things I don't make at home) and the flavors were spectacular. I didn't have the Hanger Steak, but someone we were with did and loved it. But I tried the seasoned fries that came with it and they were wonderful. The last time I was there I had a Pumpkin Cheesecake that had a crust flavored with curry. It was such an unusual and tasty combination. We also enjoyed some cocktails - especially the Dark and Stormy, which is made with homemade Ginger Beer, full of fresh ginger flavor. And we have enjoyed some great wines from the wine list. They offer a couple of dozen (I think) wines by the glass. Hope that helps. Eileen

Use it to make marshmallows! You can put them on top of pumpkin pie and broil it VERY briefly. (But watch out, because homemade marshmallows brown quickly - like in seconds.) Or if you are from the midwest (where I was raised) you could use them to top off candied sweet potatoes. You can make marshmallow fluff with it, too. Would be great as a garnish for apple pie. Eileen

Interesting question. Using a hard-boiled yolk is pretty popular in classic European cookies. I have always used the yolk, and saved the white to use in a tossed salad. I would imagine your idea of poaching the yolk should work; I cannot think of a reason why it wouldn't. I would be sure to gently move the yolk around a bit in the water so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. (Just in case.) I would be interested to know if this works for you. Eileen

Hi, Eric, When I sold products to retailers, they typically doubled the price, sometimes more than doubled the price. So if you keep that in mind, you might be able to back into the pricing. Are your products sold in your own retail shop? Will they be competing price-wise with you at retail? That's another thing to consider. Eileen

Hi, Eric, Does your cost include labor and overhead? If not, your food cost is at 28% for this item; most businesses try to keep their food costs around 20%. Be careful how low you go - you don't want the majority of that product out there at a low margin, which would bring down your overall margin. Good luck! Eileen

There's this from Wikipedia: Tonka bean The tonka bean is the seed of Dipteryx odorata, a legume tree in the neotropics, of the Fabaceae family. The seed is black and wrinkled in appearance, with a smooth brown interior. It is known mostly for its fragrance, which is reminiscent of vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, and cloves: it has sometimes been used commercially as a substitute for vanilla. It is also sometimes used in perfume and was commonly used in tobacco before being banned. The seed contains coumarin, which can be lethal in large doses. For this reason its use in food is banned in the US by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many anti-coagulant prescription drugs are based on more powerful forms of coumarin. The plant has its origin in Northern South America (Guyana, Orinoco region). Main producers today are Venezuela and also Nigeria. And this from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages: Coumarin is toxic and causes serious though reversible liver damage in high dosages or if applied regularly over some time; toxic doses range around one gram, but some individuals are more suceptible. In rodents, coumarin has proven a carcinogen, yet this result does probably not hold for humans. It should be noted that some condensed coumarin derivatives act as strong antagonists to vitamin K and thus prevent blood coagulation; these compounds are used as rodenticides and as medicinal anticoagulants. Simple coumarin does not show this effect (but some molds can metabolize it to vitamin K blockers, which is why moldy hay may cause fatal poisoning in cattle). See also cassia for coumarin limits in German food laws. And this from www.latartinegourmande.com: Tonka bean tastes like bitter almond and vanilla combined to a light touch of clove. Friends who have tried pastries I’ve prepared with this fragrant bean tell me so, and I have to agree with them. I typically use the bean to infuse milk or cream for crèmes brûlées or flans, and I prefer to grate it finely — a microplane grater works like a charm — into a cake batter. Either way, the flavor is strong, and cannot be missed. --------- And you can buy them in the US here: Good luck! Eileen

Be sure that you measured the flour correctly. Carole probably has instructions in the book for how she measures flour for her recipes. (Different ways of measuring can yield vastly different amounts of flour.) Eileen

I would do 4 small servings per person. Eileen

Have you made these before and they came out okay? Did you change anything in the recipe? Did the recipe specify a specific flour? (If so, did you use that type?) If the recipe called for shortening or margarine and you used butter, the cookies will spread more. Likewise with flour - using unbleached flour, when a recipe calls for bleached all purpose, can cause the cookies to spread more. Eileen

If you want to maintain your product quality, you need to make sure you reach your target market. It's true that the more well-traveled your customer is, the more they will appreciate high quality - for instance, most mainstream consumers have been conditioned to believe that Pepperidge Farm is the benchmark for fine quality cookies. It's all a matter of marketing. Know your market and understand how you are going to reach them. Eileen

Why not go with a seasonal, local fruit shortcake? Make some sweet biscuits - they go together in a flash - and serve them with blueberries, sliced peaches, blackberries, whatever fresh, local fruits you can get your hands on. Serve with whipped cream. We have a neighborhood street party every summer, and that's my contribution. People look for it every year. It's popular and easy, simple, scrumptious, and ecologically friendly. Eileen

If you price them all the same, just be careful...it could turn out that the most popular are the ones for which you get the least margin. Eileen

Drizzle or drip the contrasting color around the top of the product, and then use a toothpick, skewer, or similar instrument, and drag it through the drizzles. Eileen

First, remember that if you decide at a later time to expand and get your own retail space that you will need to cover the costs of that overhead. It is very difficult to raise your prices once you have set them - you need to be sure you are charging enough now; then if you decide to expand you won't have to worry about raising prices. If you are baking very small quantities, it is extremely difficult to make a decent amount of money for your time. The real savings come from the economies of scale as you grow. People have different ways of determining their prices. I used to try to keep my food costs (cost of all of the ingredients in a product) to 20-25%. To use that method, determine what the ingredient cost is for each product - include everything - and then multiply that by 4 (if your food costs will be 25%) or 5 (if your food costs will be 20%). That will give you the target price of each item. Then list all of your products and their price as determined above. Should some be decreased? Can others be increased? Use your best judgement, but try to keep control of your overall costs, and keep them between 20-25%. Even lower is better, if you can get away with it. If you were doing this in a brick and mortar store, you would have insurance, rent, utilities, staff, taxes, etc., so you would need to cover those. That's why the ingredients are at that percentage. Also, when you are using the best ingredients, remember that there will be people who will compare your high quality baked goods to lower quality trash. Don't take offense; when you make a high quality product, not everyone "gets it." Just make sure you have a way of getting your story out to your target market. Whew! That was longer than I expected! Sorry for the wordy explanation, but I hope it helps. Feel free to PM me if you want more information. And good luck!! Eileen

Met my hubby tonight at Parc (I was at a special event at Fork, where I ate) and he had a good-tasting burger with soggy, cold fries. Big disappointment. Ordered still water, got sparkling - after a long wait, so didn't send it back. Had a truly good pots de creme - smooth, creamy, chocolaty. But the espresso didn't come until we finished dessert. Place was mobbed. Eileen

When I had my mail order/wholesale bakery I used to use high barrier bags. Doing a quick Google search for "high barrier cellophane bags" I found this and this and this. Search around a little; what you want is a high barrier bag - one that keeps moisture from escaping or entering. If you look around you'll find some that are affordable. You will need to heat seal the bag. You can use something like this. It's a small investment, but well worth the effort. You can PM me about it if you like. Good luck! Eileen

My daughter is coming home from college this weekend, and she wants us to take her to a great Mexican. But she wants Tres Leches for dessert. Does Distrito include Tres Leches on their mene? Thanks, Eileen

My favorite dessert herb is rosemary. It pairs perfectly with sweet flavors and is especially good with figs, orange, and lemon. (But don't stop there.) Basil makes a great sweet flavoring, and cilantro with lime can be used in many desserts. When I was writing my Marshmallows book I included many savory herbed flavors; unfortunately, my publisher vanquished them from the book, much to my disappointment. Savory herbs are where it's at these days, IMHO. Have fun! Eileen

When push comes to shove I think people want the basics. Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gingersnaps, Black and Whites, Brownies or Cream cheese Brownies, Cupcakes. Carry the other things, but the basics will pay your overhead. Just be sure the quality is excellent, because that is what will bring people back for more. Good luck! Eileen

I used this type of sealer in conjunction with high barrier bags when I had my bakery. The foot pedal made it a much faster sealing process. Eileen

i agree, it's the aluminum you are tasting. Rumford is a great baking powder. Eileen

The baked goods at Whole Foods stores are made with real ingredients, so you might try them. Eileen

Wow, Bluehensfan, I couldn't disagree with you more. I've watched them bake and mix frostings at Flying Monkey, and they definitely use butter. And my family, which is very very fussy about their baked goods, loves the cupcakes they sell. As far as catering, I use Feast Your Eyes for my events, and my foodie friends and family are always extremely impressed. Not just "thanks, great food" impressed, but sending written thank you notes for the wonderful party and amazing food impressed. Everything is made from scratch and fresh, and you can tell when you taste it. I think who you choose as your caterer will determine how good the food is. You have to be very selective. Starbucks serves some of the worst baked goods in the world, IMHO. I never go there unless it is the only coffee shop around and I am desperate. and then I only buy coffee, never anything from their baked goods case. As far as prepared foods, it's always a crap shoot. It's tough to keep food lying around in wait for a buyer. I would love to hear from someone who knows of a great place for take away prepared food in Philly. Eileen

Sarcone's uses shortening in their baked goods, as does Isgro's. And if they do that, I would venture that it is probable that they also use mixes, and don't bake from scratch. Termini's is the same - shortening and/or margarine. This is common knowledge because it was Isgro's and termini's that caused the brouhaha when the city of Philadelphia wanted to ban trans fats. They said that if they had to take trans fats out of their products they would go out of business. I know I am a nudge about this, but using butter makes ALL the difference in cakes and pastries. (Granted, lard produces an exceptional product in some cases, but that's another thread.) They don't use the best ingredients, so their products won't have the best flavor. There are much better places to get desserts - The Night Kitchen in Chestnut Hill makes high quality, exceptional desserts and cakes; Metropolitan Bakery (although they don't do celebration cakes) is particular about everything they make; and Flying Monkey is a high quality butter house. Any of these might be more expensive, but you get what you pay for. Especially for a special event, why not pay the extra cost to have the best? I agree with you on the DiBruno's description - all the same flavors for so many dishes. Eileen