Kerry Beal

Luis - is that the one that chills too?

4.5 kg

I'm sure I will - there is usually one or two in the trunk at any given time - and this year I don't have to bring everything I own to the workshop (it's already there)!

For anyone who hasn't done so - our blocked group of rooms at the hotel expires on the 20th of April. After that date rate and availability can't be guaranteed.

Definite RobertM Sue Casey Chocolot curls MelissaH Gwbyls tikidoc Robyn sarahdwyer Dilittante + 1 YetiChocolates Beets3 +1(AB) jim loellbach kimberly m omar c Chocolatespassion +1 lambrecht gourmet chocoera Ashley Waters TandemChocoPC patris and Chris mkayahara Matthew Hayday Bernie Lurking waiting to decide DianaM Morato for Sure dilittante +1 chocolot YetiChocolate Gwbyls RobertM lambrecht gourmet chocoera Beets3 +1(AB) Ashley Waters TandemChocoPC jim loellbach Tikidoc curls

Suspect it should be fine - did you get the invite?

Dallas, I couldn't be more thrilled that you're thrilled!

Definite RobertM Sue Casey Chocolot curls MelissaH Gwbyls tikidoc Robyn sarahdwyer Dilittante + 1 YetiChocolates Beets3 +1(AB) jim loellbach kimberly m omar c Chocolatespassion +1 lambrecht gourmet chocoera Ashley Waters TandemChocoPC patris and Chris mkayahara Matthew Hayday Lurking waiting to decide DianaM Morato for Sure dilittante +1 chocolot YetiChocolate Gwbyls RobertM lambrecht gourmet chocoera Beets3 +1(AB) Ashley Waters TandemChocoPC jim loellbach Tikidoc

Lots of interest! Quite thrilling - and I must share - Peter Greweling just left with one! For those not involved in the chocolate end of things - Peter is a God! He thought it was interesting that I spelled his last name correctly - I said that was because at least twice a week I typed it out when I recommended his book to someone.

Looking out from our booth at the PMCA - these 3 students from Ryerson University (about 40 miles from my home in Ontario) showed up. They had been invited, as many promising food science students are, to the event this year - it is an industry that supports it's young. The young man in the middle was dressed as a candy cane. Dinner tonight was at Rice and Noodles finally! Grilled chicken summer rolls. Some sort of grilled chicken for Rodney. Bun with grilled pork and spring rolls for me.

When I make baked beans - I cook the beans first - then they get baked with the remaining ingredients - ditto the ones I do in the slow cooker - so I guess the pressure cooker has the same issue.

It was the Grille in the Marriott here. They were not quite as horrifying as they sound. I often find arancini kind of dry and boring - these had all the food groups!

Master Class Friday - limited to 10 Robodoc000 Chocolatespassion lambrecht gourmet

Wandered down to the hotel bar this evening - asked the waiter to get the bar tender to make me a Brother's Perryman - neglected to tell him that it should go in a rocks glass - so I lost a lot in the transfer. Rodney had some variation on a Tom Collins with gin, cucumber, grapefruit and soda. Not particularly well balanced. Not at all hungry but the food smelled good so we decided to have what they were calling Philly Cheesesteak Risotto Croquettes - a rather posh name for Anancini stuffed with meat, cheese and grilled onions. They were served with horseradish aioli.

I've been coming down to the PMCA for a number of years - I've come through blizzards through the Alleghenys - I've had torrential rain falls - it's a bit of a crap shoot. Most years when it was in Hershey they'd already started to plant the crops and you have the smell of chocolate and shit from the manure in the air.

Little envelope on the upper right - go to 'compose new' - put my name in To - don't forget a subject.

Can I get everyones e-mail address via PM - we need them so that Cacao Barry can send you invites to Morato? Also cell phone numbers that you will be using in Canada if possible and proper names would be helpful! I'll send you back my cell number in case you need to reach me after your arrival (or before).

Nope - no garlic sauce. He did seem to enjoy that fried ice cream.

After a bit of Tuesday Morning, Outlet Mall and thrift store shopping we decided to hit Rice and Noodles for lunch. Wrong! Good God fearing town as this is - Rice and Noodles was closed on Sunday. Almost all our other top picks were also apparently closed - but we lucked upon Sukhothai. Crispy rolls with pork. Penang Curry for me. Rice of course. Sweet and sour chicken for Rodney. Sticky red rice with mango for dessert. Deep fried ice cream.

Think I can almost see that from my room - what's it noted for?

Nope - not this time - offered Rodney the option - he demurred. However at the grocery store today - I asked the girl in the deli counter to let him taste some sweet and some regular Lebanon bologna - she gave him the Kunzler brand as that was her favourite. He was inspired!

Big fan of purple martins! Didn't realize they needed conserving thought.

Breakfast this morning at Barbaret - a pastry shop recommended by Lancaster Mike and right next to our hotel. Cedric Barbaret (the newest Cacao Barry ambassador) and his wife Estelle are the owners of this charming french pastry shop. Rodney and I each had a Croque Monsieur, I had a raisin snail and cafe au lait in addition and of course Rodney had to evaluate the Pain Chocolat. While our food was heating we took a quick run downstairs to check out the production facility which was wonderfully bright and complete with every piece of equipment that we both covet. This table is a huge granite slab on top of 3 separate stainless tables - there is a chocolate temperature fridge under one the the tables and storage under the others.

@Alleguede and I have come down to Lancaster, PA today to attend the PMCA (Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners Association) meeting and exhibit the EZtemper at the trade show on Monday. An early stop at McDonalds for what passes for breakfast - they were not amused apparently when the hash brown was returned to be properly cooked. We detoured to Erie, PA for a quick (5 hour) consult with a chocolate company that needed a little help with some issues. It was a great opportunity to look around and see how they do things. Quite fascinating was their cluster maker - the pictures don't really help to understand it - but the tempered chocolate and nuts are pressed into a series of rings that are under the metal piece you can see and then compressed air is applied to the overlying metal piece which caused the clusters to be ejected from the rings onto a plexiglass sheet. In the molding room they had this box of beans (not Rancho Gordo) into which they stuff the top of 3D chocolate molds - effectively supporting them upside down while cold air is blown from above. They also had a series of boxes on the wall that looked like dumb waiters - but that had screened shelves in them and air conditioned air blowing into them from above to cool whatever was on the screen shelves - elegant in it's simplicity. We stopped in Erie to go to the politically incorrect Chick-fil-A - I'd mentioned it to @Alleguede in the am and he was quite anxious to give it a try. A very long drive ensued from Erie to Lancaster and a search for milk for my tea was not productive in a walk around town - so we had to hit the hotel bar to get it. So hey - if you are in the bar to get milk - you might as well get a negroni too! So tea and a negroni and good soak in the tub to end my day. Life doesn't get much better than this! Waiting to hear back from Lancaster Mike - hoping to get together tomorrow for a meal.

Yeah - Lancaster Mike texted me today to tell me that it will be snowing there tomorrow. There are red buddhas too - appears I didn't take a picture of those. I had leftover red after splattering the frogs so used it up on the buddahs. Next time I do them I'll go for a more stone/jade effect I think - but I'll have to figure out how to do that.