Kerry Beal

Taste testing Supermoon Bakery

Don’t put the cart before the horse! No wedding so far

Then there is putting two fingers on a book and spreading them - expecting the text to get bigger!

This evening we had the pleasure of checking out Michael Laiskonis's new Dessert Bar - which has been operating for about 4 1/2 months in the Recolte Bakery after hours. We rushed like mad to get there for our 7 pm reservation - were only about 5 minutes late - then got the reminder of my 7:30 reservation on my phone! So had a chance to walk around the neighborhood a bit. Noted the roadies outside the Jackson Brown concert happening next door. Started with a cup of tea - no milk this time - an oolong. Neglected to get a picture of the menu - we asked Micheal to just give us chef's choice. Carrots and peas. A pea crumble, carrot sorbet and browned butter Yuzu tartlet - ginger cream - the candied shiso was the perfect touch. One of my favorites - Butter Popcorn choux These 3 were the 'main courses' - salted caramel theme, hazelnut theme and black sesame theme. I didn't get the details down - suffice it to say they were all quite amazing. and of course the magnardises - pistachio financier, a caramel filled cookie and a PDF (grapefruit perhaps - I've forgotten) Bianca and I - quite replete!

Our next step involved dropping off a DCM 20 (which is a rather large melanger) to the Gotham Bar and Grill. We were extremely impressed with pastry chef Ron Paprocki's ability to turn out chocolate from this tiny, tiny, tiny space in the kitchen. By now we were getting a little peckish and found ourselves down the street from the Gotham Grill at this great little place Tortaria. Chips and guac. Esquites for me. Cheese quesadilla for Bhavani. Some other sort of quesadilla for @Alleguede Braised short rib sandwich for Bianca.

Had to get a picture of Bhavani's chocolate set up in his basement. Of course an EZtemper is a necessary part of it! Our time with Bhavani's lovely family was over way too soon - as we headed back from NJ to NYC. Had to drop in a couple of pictures from earlier in the day after we crossed the first bridge in to NJ and drove though Pallisades park. The drive back took to Brooklyn for a very quick visit to Kerekes - we had 30 minutes before they turned off the lights and prepared to heave us out. A good dig through the clearance section is always a good idea. The fellows explained that the more stuff we took - likely the better price we would get. So after quoting me a price of $80 for the Martellato melter - after I had added the two silpats, the caramel marker, the box of de Buyer mandoline blades - they charged me $120 for the lot. (Compare at $224 for melter on Amazon, silpats $25 each on Amazon, Carmel marker $130 from their own website, mandoline blades seem to be around $20 each and there are 5 in the box with one missing).

This morning we had a fabulous dosa breakfast made by Bhavani’s lovely wife Priya. Then a trip off to see the various warehousing and manufacturing facilities that Bhavani has for Diamond Custom Machines. This is his bean roaster (retired) - he now roasts small batches in the oven. This little baby is a tava with no edges - @Alleguede though it would be perfect when you wanted to heat the two sides of something chocolate to stick them together (and could do double duty as a grill) Manufacturing the larger DCM machines. Some exciting innovations coming down the pipe.

A might peckish after our ordeal at the FCIA - we headed out in search of food - only to discover that the rest of NYC had beaten us to it. We finally settled on the equivalent of the food court at Jose Andres Little Spain in the 'brand new' community of Hudson Commons. Cutting our iberico Manchego Patates bravas

@Alleguede and his new love hamming it up behind the booth. A tasting table has become standard - and they depend upon it like a pack of hounds once the doors open This year they gave an award to Chris Elbow so featured his chocolate on the bon bon table - then didn't let anyone have any until around an hour and a half into the evening.

We made it outside Via Carota - I was prepared to enjoy the salad of Samin Nosrat's dreams - but they suggested we return at 11pm - so that was out. We made our way back through the pre pride festivities towards the North Square Hotel, kitty corner to the Washington Square park, which has a lovely restaurant in it. Quiet enough to talk. They brought warm olives and bread. Not sure what they marinated the olives in - but they were wonderful. I opted for a Cooper's Dream - rye, st Germain and fernat Pork 'rib steak' for me Duck for another. Burger for @Alleguede (I'm sure @huiray is laughing somewhere). Bianca a little surprised to find rice in a tagine instead of couscous.

They fed me this on the plane.

I’ll bring the sun with me if this plane ever takes off!

So we are sitting on the tarmac awaiting news that we will take off soon. Every plane to NYC today has been late - why we would have left on time... The pilots just arrived from LaGuardia and the think we might leave soon. Meanwhile they feed us nuts and pretzels

Thanks Mitch

My ex husband's mother was from Grand Manan - dulce eating people out there! She would bring a brown paper bag full of the stuff, complete with starfish bodies and seagull shit and they would munch it down. Can you say serious sulfur farts?

NV means natural vanilla. Bars should be fine - I either chop if I'm feeling energetic or put a big chunk in the microwave if I'm not.

@Alleguede arrived a little after me - it's lunch now.

@Alleguede and I are in the lounge awaiting our flight to NYC. Saturday is the Fine Chocolate Industry Association's Summer Elevate Chocolate event. I will likely spend a day at the Fancy Food Show this trip. Only one specific plan this time - we have reservations for Dessert Bar - Michael Laiskonis's new dessert place inside the bakery Recolte

I suspect the distinct lack of responses reflects the similarity of your experience with the Badger and most of ours! There’s a reason we all use other brushes now. Kate Weiser used badgers successfully longer than anyone I know. I think Norman Love did initially too. I’m sure I still have one around but never use it due to the same issues you have identified.

Quick trip down to Buffalo today to start firming up the plans for the next workshop and to have lunch with @patris. We were headed for an Bangladeshi restaurant - Qutoom Indian and Indochinese Cuisine - but apparently they operate on island time and the times listed on the door were just a suggestion! So we headed next door to Frank Gourmet Hotdogs. A vegetarian Impractical Joker for @patris, standard with mustard and relish for me, elote and some very lovely fries to share.

Just turn it on 12 hours before you need it. Grated cocoa butter is not as easy to use as silk in its original silky texture.

Thanks @Anitainoz - and welcome to eG!

No idea - I assume the same as any powdered color.

Aren't the colors that Stick with Me Sweets uses pretty much neon? Those are made by Chef Rubber. Look under their new cocoa butters - there are some pretty bright ones. They also make a riboflavin yellow powder.