Kerry Beal

Ok - got the hotel sorted - we will be at the Marriott Four Points on Dixie Rd in Mississauga. $159 Cdn per night is the rate - (tax will add about $30 Cdn per night). Still deciding if we will do Show and Tell there or move over to Rodney's new facility. When you check in you can purchase breakfast vouchers for $13 per day (they gave us a break from the usual $18). The block is for 20 rooms - half one king, other half two queens. I'm expecting most people to come in on Thursday but it allows for a couple of people to come in on Wednesday. Working on getting the reservation to allow the king and two queens - right now I'm just seeing the king. Book by April 23. Let me know if there is any problem accessing it. Link to reservations

Negotiations have started with two of the hotels that I visited yesterday and I deemed worthy of our little group. Several didn't make the cut! I like the one for the extremely friendly and helpful staff - and it is much closer to the venue. I like the other for its newness and poshness! And the staff were also very wonderful. I suspect it will come down to price.

I’ve suggested it to Fuji - yeah not gonna happen - chocolate folk are a very minuscule piece of their market! When Jim worked for them he was interested in the idea - but he had no control.

There used to be a sprayer that was headed - Kreb's I think. But it was a big thing and not elegant in any way. I did see that little invention - will be interesting to see how it works out.

Found this - Alton Brown - seems to have some interesting suggestions - the spatchcocked chicken would be brilliant I think.

Don't really know - more like the proportions based on the colour cards that come with the power flowers. I seem to recall some weights that we discussed a long time ago when making colours from powders - also that you added a small amount of another primary colour and perhaps a bit of dark chocolate to some. Vague memory that it was something I learned in Belgium. Have to do some searching - power flowers weights for powders

That’s the brand for sure

Peters Milk chocolate Crumb formulation - here. Not sure who sells Peter's at the retail level in the US though. Cargill if wholesale.

I think that most of the chocolatiers and chocolate business people on this forum make their own bars and bon bons rather than importing. I suspect pricing from various companies will vary depending on the amount you buy - so you'll have to do your research on question 1 first to estimate what you might sell to know how much you can buy. The product will come frozen and you'll need sufficient freezer space and a proper management system for the gradual thawing of product to prevent sugar bloom. Have you been in any stores that are doing what you are proposing? You might want to do a little visiting around to get an idea of their pricing as a place to start. Maison du chocolat in NYC Neuhaus in the US Leonidas Santa Barbara Chocolate Belgiums Chocolate Source

Crumb is a component of certain milk chocolates - particularly British ones. Not something you can do in your basement (easily) - though I've had some interesting discussions with a guy who consults who has used small pilot sized vacuum ovens when he has been playing with it. It's cooked together then ground up and added to chocolate during the manufacture.

English Cadbury is made with crumb - milk, sugar and cocoa mass cooked together in a vacuum oven - gives that lovely caramel flavour

Wasn't there something where you fried or baked the rinds of parmesan? I seem to remember handing them all over to @Anna N to do that cause she really liked them.

Closest to Cadbury would be Callebaut 665 NV if you can find it.

Me alleguede RobertM Chocolot Sue PEI and sister Jane Diana D curls Dallas VistaGardens Eat.Choui Wendy Peterson Britney Audrey Brown and Melanie Valerie B

This is my favourite scale - I have one in the kitchen and one in the chocolate room. Getting harder to find though - Soehnle 67080 Page Profi

Resistance is futile!

If you want transparent colours to pop - then you have to put white behind them. If you use white chocolate behind you can get somewhat the same effect - but it's not quite the same. It's a bit of a challenge anymore telling which ones are transparent and which aren't - typically if they say they have titanium dioxide in them - not transparent. But these days as titanium dioxide has become evil - I guess you look for calcium carbonate. Look for one of the newer whites made with calcium carbonate. I often make my own with either Power Flowers or powdered fat soluble colours.

Hmmm - probably 30 minutes each end. Might want to set up some sort of holder for the heater so that you can let it do it's thing without having the hold it.

Hot air gun - you go out of temper before you finish - after you disconnect the flow - you keep the chain moving and hit with the heat gun until you remove as much chocolate as possible. Before starting the chain again - heat with the heat gun until the chocolate is clearly melted before turning back on the chain.

She's a smart cookie is that Maddie!

Used to get a chocolate cherry sourdough at the market on Granville Island that was wonderful!

I use that temp for all airbrushes - even more important for compressors cause they blow cold. Extra silk does cause over tempering and thus less contraction.

I don't temper coloured CCB for the Fuji (or any airbrush) - 35º C.

Good way to celebrate graduation!

I think that @andiesenji is the expert on steam juicers.