Kerry Beal

Doing a little recipe trouble shooting - a particular cookie was not working well so I fiddled with it. Took it from creamed butter and sugar to caramelized sugar allowed to melt the butter, converted to a slice and bake refrigerator cookie using pretty much the same proportions as the defective recipe. The original chocolate chunks were 1 part chocolate chips, 1 part Cacao Barry Inaya. I used Callebaut Brazil - which I wouldn't do again - it's a 70% that I find quite acidic and almost sour. I think it would be fabulous with 50 - 50 my regular belcolade milk and dark. Texture is pleasing and cookie itself is not too sweet which is my preference.

Found some beef ribs at the supermarket for a good price. Sadly 4 hours is not enough. The second is bathing for 48 hours. Trying to decide if I'll roast further in the CSO or IP for stock.

Cleaned out my little freezer in the chocolate lab. Cold enough to put everything outside on the front porch. Very quick thaw with the dog dryer. So left out of the freezer 6 containers of puree from which I will make pates de fruit.

Think you might be forced to do the endless experiments.

Looks to me like the inside is all buckled as if water got into the insulation layer.

15C is above the dew point - you can leave them in there indefinitely.

Pulled out what I thought was 2 chicken breasts to sous vide to add to the chicken rice soup I'd made. Turned out to be half a turkey breast. Didn't have anything to illiterate with it except perhaps Turkey with temperature.

Not yet

I have a 10 ml bottle of Rose Otto that I bought probably 15 years ago - think it may have cost me ∼$200 - hesitate to think how much it would cost these days (actually just looked it up $268 so not so bad). I make up a 10% solution in jojoba oil and use that to flavour Turkish Delight. When they distill rose otto - the water portion of the distillate when it is done is rose water. I'm thinking that when I finish boiling pate de fruit using the Boiron recipes - I add the tartaric acid solution and about 15 ml of alcohol. Perhaps you could use good quality rose water as part of the alcohol component - would be a whole lot less expensive than the rose oil. I know that a few years back I found food grade violet essential oil from somewhere in the south of France - but not able to find it now. Course you could make your own by distilling it from the dried flowers.

Yup - me neither.

Food did nothing for me - hubby was happy with what looked like a delicated steak for $25. Didn't drink any wine so paid no attention to the prices. Tea selection also kinda sucked.

We are now the proud owners of a new recliner for hubby - and are checking out Jamie's Italian at Yorkdale Italian steak frite for hubby polenta 'fries' gnocchi tom sauce

Remembered this time

There would have to be chocolate all around the cookie - if the cookie is placed on top of the coconut filling it would soften.

No dinner for last night to report on - reservation didn't come through for Alo and probably just as well as we didn't need anything more to eat after our late lunch.

I believe that - although pretty similar - there are some differences that keep the argument alive! Here Serious Eats discusses it.

Ok then - that's a little different than what I was picturing! Cutting a number out of a whole almond might be a bit challenging so the cookie idea would work around that - but a cookie will soften under the influence of the coconut filling. Could you take some of the coconut filling, add a couple of drops of bitter almond oil and shape that into your number to put on top of the filling (if the shape is more important than the almond crunch)?

Are you whittling into an almond shape? You can get some very tiny almonds and splitting them in half along their natural cleavage line usually works reasonably well.

Well then - good thing we didn't head off to find it in the am.

I didn't know they had a shop downtown - I'm picturing Yonge and Eglington. Tonight last dinner in city. Breakfast tomorrow - perhaps lunch.

I'm confused why you wouldn't just put an almond on the top of the coconut filling like the almond joy does? Can you give us a picture of what you are trying to accomplish or what your attempts have resulted in?

Nothing much more planned - though we wanted to check out the Art Shoppe tomorrow but I can't find evidence that they still carry any Art's and Crafts furniture.

Very satisfactory - much better than Patria and a hell of a lot cheaper!

A Montreal smoked meat sandwich from Zupas for lunch stopped in for a little visit with Stephanie at Roselle - got some caramels and hubby got a cookie.

Me too - kept thinking it would be much more fun with you cause we'd buy stuff!