etalanian

I think most cookbooks are written for the home cook/baker. For them, liquids will always be measured in measuring cups, and for dry ingredients, like flour and sugar, it's unlikely most of them will own a scale. Before I turned in the manuscript for my upcoming cookbook I talked to my editor about entering the dry ingredients as volume and weight. They didn't want that. There is a lot of turmoil in the publishing industry right now. The internet has changed everything. In addition to people being able to post popular recipes from cookbooks onto forums, or email them to their friends, many of us are now buying used cookbooks through such places as Amazon and eBay. In the past those books would have sat on someone's shelf or in their basement instead of being redistributed, and if someone else wanted the book, they would have little recourse other than buying it new or looking for it in local used bookstores, where the chances were slim they would have found it. Fewer new books are being sold because of this. That's a long explanation for why publishers want to avoid anything that might turn a potential cookbook buyer off. There is a scale on the market that was developed with the help of King Arthur Flour, which provides the measurement of a weighed item in cups and tablespoons as well as in grams, or pounds and ounces. It's made by a company called Escalli, and the model is Pana. I may not have the spelling correct for the model name, but if you google it you can find it. Of course, the way an author measured the flour for the recipe may not be the same as that weighed flour measurement developed by King Arthur. It's a difficult situation. Eileen

You must be exhausted. I know this may sound impossible to you, but try to find a little time every day for yourself; meditate for half an hour, do a little yoga or yoga breathing exercises, or something calming to help your inner spirit. When I think of fall, I always think of making gingerbread with lemon sauce. It was my dad's favorite fall/winter dessert. Nice and spicy, with a tangy, tart, deeply flavored pourable lemon curd topping. You can also make sour cream apple tarts with streusel topping. Walnuts or pecans, maybe some cranberries in there for sparkle. Pumpkin bread pudding. Or any bread pudding, for that matter. So warm and nurturing. Eileen

Mmmm. If it were my $200 I'd spend it at Buddakhan or Continental. Continental Midtown is not as "packed like sardines" as the one downtown. Eileen

If they are going to be there over the weekend, what about Rx? 45th and Spruce Eileen

Sounds like fun! You might be able to borrow a church or synagogue kitchen for a day or two, and they may have a larger oven, and perhaps more counter space. Then you could bring in some of your friends to help you. Or maybe a local school. A private school would be the better bet, as a public school would have a lot of issues about allowing someone in their kitchen. You might also enlist some of the students to help you. It could be a great community outreach program for the school. Good luck! Eileen

When I had my bakery we dipped many items in callebaut, and we didn't vacuum seal, but rather heat-sealed in high barrier bags that kept out the moisture. It worked like a charm. Eileen

You may be confusing organic with vegan. Perhaps she wants to make an organic pudding, but she is a vegan? In that case, she wouldn't want to use cream, butter, eggs, or gelatin. Are you referring to the classic British definition of pudding - as a dessert? Or do you mean what an American would call a pudding - something like a curd, or custard, or pastry cream? If you are looking for a custard/curd/pastry cream type of thing and your friend is not a vegan, you don't need any gelatin at all. I don't know of any (American) puddings that require gelatin. You can make a mango custard or curd or (American) pudding with eggs, butter, sugar, and/or cream, and mango. As long as all of the ingredients are certified organic, your pudding will be organic. If you need a vegan pudding, someone else will need to help you! Good luck. Eileen

I sold my business 6 years ago; I don't remember the brand name, but it was called an impulse sealer. It had a foot pedal so someone could sit while sealing the bags. If I remember correctly, it came in varying widths, and the sealing area could be thinner or thicker, depending on your needs. The important thing is to be sure you buy packaging that can be heat sealed. Hope that helps. Glad to answer more questions - pm me if you need more info. Eileen

Is the chocolate that you bought ground chocolate? How are you planning on packaging this - with chocolate chunks in the package, or ground, or what? I agree with Robert; you probably want a high ratio of dark chocolate in the mix. I wouldn't use cocoa liquor, because it is not always as smooth as slightly sweetened chocolate. It's not always conched the same. As Robert said, let us know what you choose and how it turns out. Eileen

Yes, you can color it any color you like. There's a black gel coloring that Wilton makes, but I've not used it, so i don't know how much you would have to use to get it to really be dark and black instead of just greyish. Be sure to take pictures for us! Eileen

We will definitely report on our experiences. Can't wait to go. And I will check those new entries on the map, Dave. It really IS amazing! Eileen

What kind of icing were you using? The best thing to use is royal icing, because it sticks well and dries like cement. It sounds like you were using something else...? Eileen

Freshly-rendered lard is excellent, but not everyone has the time or inclination to make it. I find that pie crusts made with European or European-style butters (and NO shortening) are flaky, tender, and easy to handle. The extra butter fat and lower moisture content in these butters makes a substantial difference over regular butter. I cannot abide the mouthfeel of shortening, and when I think about what it does to the body, I cannot bring myself to eat or use it. Using a light touch is always beneficial when making pie crust. Eileen

Thank you all for your suggestions! I would also love to know where the best pastry shops and bakeries are in the area if anyone has any inkling. I googled and found an amazing review by Patricia Wells, although it is 2 decades old - I'm hoping It's still as wonderful as she makes it sound. Just what we would love to try. Thank youj, cigalechanta. I checked out the compendia, and there were some helpful insights there. Thanks, John! The map is AMAZING! Someone had way too much time on his hands! What an accomplishment. Thank you for the heads up on that, Dave. Eileen

My husband and I are spending several days in Provence. We have taken an apartment in central Avignon, and have arranged to rent a car. We are looking for both delicious and authentic Provencal meals as well as some of the fine restaurants. We plan on hitting the markets for breakfast items to have in the apartment most mornings, and will buy cheeses, breads, fruits, wines, and meats to have in the apartment and to perhaps pack picnics occasionally for the drives. So far we have reservations at these restaurants: Bastide de Capelongue (Bonnieux) - lunch Restaurant Christian Etiene (Avignon) - dinner La Mirande (Avignon) - dinner We will probably be driving to Arles, Nimes, Aix-en-Provence, Carpentras, perhaps Marseilles, Orange, L'Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue, the Camargue, and small villages in those areas, during our trip. Suggestions for restaurants - expensive or cheap, as long as they are excellent - are truly appreciated. Also, if there are any towns, villages, or sights we should definitely see while in that area, please advise. Thank you so much! Eileen

Alison's is my husband's and my favorite restaurant - in or out of the city. She has such a wonderful palate. She's especially good at combining unusual flavors with excellent results. My husband took French clients out to Nectar this week. They loved it. (For what that's worth.) Mike liked it, too. We used to be big fans of Palace of Asia, but the last couple of times we bought take-out there we were really disappointed. For a surprising hole-in-the-wall neighborhood place my whole family likes Flannery's Grove Deli on Willow Grove Ave in Wyndmoor. He roasts his own turkey and beef, uses good rolls for cheesesteaks, and makes terrific sandwiches. And of course, there's Bluefin in Plymouth Meeting/Norristown. Great sushi. But what else? Surely I'm forgetting someplace. Eileen

I have found this season's peaches to be so amazing here in the mid-atlantic region that I couldn't resist making peach preserves. And peach chutney. I just bought some local pears at Maple Acre Farms in Plymouth Meeting. Thinking of making something pear-gingerish. What local items have served as your preserving muse this season? Eileen

If you include some not-quite-so-ripe blackberries in with the ripe ones, you will be able to make blackberry preserves without pectin. Under-ripe blackberries have a substantial amount of natural pectin and the jam sets up quite nicely. I usually include about 10 % unripe berries, and add a little lemon juice. Eileen

When I did mail order I packaged the cookies in high-barrier bags (reduced damage from moisture, etc) and heat-sealed them. Small cookies were stacked within gift bags, sealed and twist-tied; large cookies were individually packaged in flat bags specially made to the size I needed. Are your cookies sugar cookies? Are they delicate? Are they made with butter, or shortening? The answers to those questions have a lot to do with how your cookies should be packaged. Eileen

Is this something that is available only on the west coast, or is it being distributed to all of the TJ's, even out here in Philadelphia? Eileen

Your cakes are beautiful. Eileen

I've baked cakes in a deck oven in a pinch. I double-panned them to help protect the bottoms. They turned out okay. Eileen

I ordered one last week for my son from eCookbooks.com, and no mention was made regarding a delayed shipment; the description noted that it was published in August 2007. Eileen

I get mine by mail order from Perfect Puree of Napa Valley. Their products are consistently high quality. You might give them a call and see if they are carried at any stores near you. They have a great number of flavors and they also carry fruit concentrates and frozen zests. Eileen

Have you tried using a marble slab instead of a plastic board? Eileen