Kerry Beal

It was indeed wonderful to see all my eG friends again and to add some new ones! Need to find my notes from the last Niagara workshop so I can begin planning for next year.

Last post about my Washington trip - it was an exceedingly long drive back yesterday - construction caused quite a delay - and the air conditioning on the car seems to have given up the ghost - so it was an exceedingly long, hot drive. So today I'm finally getting around to posting these last meals. This little fellow moves around the lobby at the whim of the desk staff - we decided he should see the rest of the hotel. Chocolot has a picture of him closer to the breakfast bar. Breakfast at the hotel before leaving - again decided that a toasted english muffin with a handful of the cheese used in the omelettes, some ham and bacon and some scrambled eggs makes a mighty fine meal. Lunch was Wendy's - slim picken's by the time I was hungry. A grilled chicken sandwich, caesar salad, unsweetened ice tea and a small Frosty.

Dinner tonight with the gang from the chocolate workshop at Four Sister's Vietnamese - here.

For dinner tonight we went back to Four Sister's Vietnamese restaurant. One of the sisters is a florist and provides the lovely flowers for the restaurant - peonies appear to be in season right now. There were 9 of us - we ordered the dinner for 10. This was the table before the food started coming! Squid Papaya salad Tamarind soup Pork rolls Shaky beef Chinese Broccoli Pepper chicken Caramelized fish Shrimps with ginger and lemon grass Rice of course Dessert

Bob - you swinger you! Breakfast at the hotel this morning - I suspect tomorrow morning's breakfast might be similar. Experiments in pre-crystallizing ganache - the mango ganache on the left was pre-crystallized using seed from the EZtemper - it was able to be cut and dipped by just after lunch. The other ganache had to be taken home by one of the participants as it had not firmed up by the time we were ready to leave. Meltaway flavoured with ginger - also pre-crystallized - after a brief repose in the fridge it was cut on the guitar and rolled in powdered sugar Peanut butter gianduja. A few of the items produced.

Yup - just an electric griddle and an electric catering warmer. It did maintain a reasonably constant temperature - but the adjustment is fussy. I suspect they have warm and cold spots like any warmer though.

Some pictures about the making of the laminated candy. Our dinner at the school - beans on toast. Salad. Smoked cornish game hen with red Bhutanese rice. Galette with grand marnier soaked chantilly cream.

Report starting on the 2015 workshop here.

Hope someone can post pictures of the chocolate 'show and tell' as I didn't get any.

Well the gang is all here in the Washington, DC area (actually in Fairfax-Merrifield, VA) ready to get started tomorrow. Today a limited number of us got together in RobertM's basement chocolate room with Mark Heim (retired Research Fellow from Hershey) to talk about and make nougat and caramel. On the way to dinner in Occoquan we stopped by Potomac Chocolate's basement bean to bar chocolate production facility. Quite fascinating just how much equipment you can get in a few square feet if you plan carefully. I believe he said he was making 65 lbs of chocolate per week. Convection oven repurposed as a roaster - drill from Home Depot being used to turn the cage. Cooler for roasted beans - note the fan. Winnower fashioned from a Champion Juicer. Melanger. Newly manufactured conche.

Breakfast at the hotel - very nice as before. Dinner at The Bottle Stop in Occoquan. Must have been hungry as I didn't get a picture until after I'd eaten the first little lamb slider. Stopped in at Mom's Market to pick up a few things - it's a nice organic grocery store just down the street. Decided we needed a little help carrying the things we were carting in from the car. Imagine the look on the desk clerks face as we rolled on past him in the lobby on the way up to our room.

Tomorrow we start at the school at 9am. School is Culinaria 110 pleasant street Vienna va 22108

Dinner tonight at the Four Sister's vietnamese. Summer rolls Raw beef salad Variations on Bun - the last a bit out of focus I see.

After lunch we headed to Albert Uster. Their cows - outstanding in their field. Some Pain Chocolat they were testing out. We got a tour of the facility again which is always fascinating - picked up a few items for the weekends events.

After our tour of the big old house - we headed off to Ace Beverage and spent a while poking around among the dusty bottles to see what we could find. I left with a bottle of Salers and a bottle of Dorothy Parker gin that I've heard FrogPrincesse praising on eG. Lunch was taken at Wagshal's Deli. I opted for Birch Beer and a Cuban. Might be a Reuben. Don't know if I ever knew what this one was. Corned Beef Gyros

So the hotel that RobertM picked for us provides a nice hot breakfast bar. We decided to take advantage this am. You have to make your own toast - apparently you need to warn people about even the most obvious things. We toasted some english muffins and removed them with the wooden tongs provided - no cheese available but a slathering of cream cheese, a nice slice of ham and some scrambled eggs made a perfectly acceptable breakfast sandwich. RobertM, Chocolot and Curls (and Curl's hubby) awaiting our presidential appointment. Imagine our disappointment as we saw the helicopter (look carefully it's there) removing the first foodie just after our arrival.

Interesting - signed up - now to make sure I'm not doing something else at that time!

Indeed - would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow?

Headed off first thing this morning, driving to the Washington, DC area to attend the 2015 eG Chocolate and Confectionary Workshop. It's a long drive for me - so of course sustenance is required. I recall that somewhere on eG I had seen it mentioned that Cracker Barrel is a reliable place to get a meal while travelling so I waited until I found one and stopped. Opted for something called Uncle Herschel's Favourite - a little of everything with your choice of meat - I chose the pork chop. Suspect it was sous vide - very tender! Grits, gravy, biscuits... I quit early! Met up with Chocolot and RobertM - we headed out to Magnolia's at the Mill in Pursellville. A shrub with white wine for me. I had the boiled sea food dinner. Chocolot opted for the Ethel the free range chicken with house made parparedelle (?sp) Rock fish with lemon risotto for RobertM

Ok - now I'm hungry again! Looks like a wonderful food trip.

I suspect you are correct! Looks like a Ladies Who Lunch opportunity. Nice find Jess!

Welcome BR. If it works for you - you should join us this week for the eG Chocolate and Confectionery Workshop. We can teach you lots!

Ashley - I'm in!

You can pre-make shells ahead. A little more care is required if they have fully released to prevent pop outs - but I don't hesitate to make shells days to weeks before I fill and back them off. I do own a whole lot of moulds. For demos I do at the Luxury Chocolate Show I prefer moulded ahead - they are fully crystallized and contracted and pop out easily.

Sadly nothing - I'd eaten on the way to the shop.