Kerry Beal

Cape Breton pork pies - did you ever just drag some memories from deep in the memory banks! I'm trying to remember if I ever did them while I was on one of my Manitoulin trips?

Polishing our M&Ms. An evaluation of each item. The final outcome.

I've been busier panning than taking pictures at the course. And a lot that I have taken have people in them so I'm not willing to post. It was wonderful to see a delightful fellow that I did the Wybauw course with in 2007 - report here. We are using the little pans that go on the kitchen aid that are made by DR in Canada. Maximum is around 5 lbs of product that you can get out of them. So while they are not practical for production they are great for working up a recipe. The first day we made some pretty lumpy product (too much cold air) and lots of doubles (adding chocolate too fast) - but by the second day we were starting to get the hang of it and most items were pretty round with a minimum of aggravation. So really only two pictures for you - Chocolot reaching in to the panner (you need to keep a hand on what's going on in there). Our hazelnut M&M like things - they have a hazelnut, milk chocolalte, sugar coating, more coloured white chocolate. We will be polishing them today.

Back to Lotus of Siam again last night - with 4 people you can have more dishes! Fried dumplings. Of course the crispy rice. Fresh rolls. And Garlic Pepper shrimp again. Crispy duck with drunken noodles. Fried rice with crab. Stir fried veg with pork belly chunks.

Last night's dinner at China Poblano - another Jose Andres restaurant in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Chrysanthemum tea for Romina. Assorted tacos. Siu mai. When PIgs Fly - steamed buns. Another unidentified taco. Jiaozi. A poor choice of a cocktail - mezcal, cynar, grapefruit, ginger beer - sounded like it should be good - tasted like cleaning fluid. Returned to the bar. Vegetable fried rice. Shrimp Mojo. Dan dan noodles. Golden PIgs - fried steamed buns. Lamb potstickers - stuck on you. After a bit of a walk and people watching - we decided to hit Serendipity 3 for some ice cream. Ro ordered carrot cake sunday - not realizing it came with an entire piece of cake (actually only half a piece the server noted!) Alleguede had a cookie sundae with some long unpronounceable name. Frozen hot chocolate for Chocolot. Hot fudge sunday for myself. Gotta hit the sack now - will try to post today's meals in the morning.

I think it's a little more permanent than that - each retired container makes up a small store. Shared bathrooms and common areas. A bit of green space in there as well.

Day 2 in Las Vegas Chocolot and I headed out to hit just about every place we could think of - we were at Jinju's production facility, Chef Rubber, a couple of thrift stores (my tea mug had broken in transit), Ethel M chocolates, and I'm sure a few other places I've forgotten already. Oh yeah Lee's Discount Liquors. Breakfast was at Chocolate and Spice Bakery. An omelet and ham in a croissant. Had to try In and Out burger for the first time. Burgers 'animal style' with double fried fries for me. Root beer float. Dinner at Umami Burger - a Jose Andres restaurant in the SLS hotel and casino. Classic burger for me - parmesan frico, roasted tomato. Smooshed Potatoes to share. Onion rings to share. Jose Burger - pork, serrano ham and manchego cheese with piquillo pepper. Cali burger - avocado, caramelized onion. Two different ice cream sandwiches.

Chocolot and Alleguede from eG are with me in Las Vegas at a chocolate panning course in Las Vegas at Jean-Marie Auboine. Chocolot and I arrived on Wednesday (the course started on Friday). I picked her up at the airport - and shortly thereafter we headed off to Lotus of Siam for our first dinner. Crispy Rice. Larb - can't recall if we ordered pork or chicken. Garlic Prawns. Sticky rice and mango. After dinner we headed off to the new retail location of Jinju Chocolates in the new 'container park' that we had seen being assembled when we were down in May for our eG 2014 Chocolate Workshop. Thought the container park concept was a neat idea.

You need to pick a number and see were you are at. I have one of these but sadly it doesn't hold a steady temp. Melt overnight at a higher number - turn off when seeding - when it gets down to your working temp - turn back up just until light comes on. i usually then turn back until light just turns off.

Today's offerings - The mashed potatoes that weren't quite dry last run - and some chervil that was invading parts of the garden in which it was not planted! Sweet pickle slices - these are chewy, not crisp like the the dills - I guess due to the sugar content. Also some guacamole. A big old sour cabbage, cut into slices. Wanted bigger pieces than I would get with FDing a jar of the regular sauerkraut. I found the wine sauerkraut to be too fine once dried. Some mango chunks and a batch of modernist mac and cheese.

I think that the hole in the flat bone gives it away as pelvis - shoulder blades don't have a hole, pelvises do. It's the obturator canal and various nerves and blood vessels pass through it. The shoulder blade (scapula) bone is solid.

Would you be willing to share your proportions so those with expertise in this area can help you adjust the recipe? I suspect that the corn syrup doctor probably needs to be increased to prevent the crystallization.

Patience Grasshopper! Are you pre freezing the stuff you have waiting?

I'm storing some stuff in vacuum bags and drawing just enough of a vacuum not to crush. Stuff won't last years - but long enough for what I need it for. And welcome!

Started a couple of loaves of the Poolish White Bread. Were in their last rise, had the oven preheating - when I got a call from work asking why I was half an hour late. Well - likely because I had lost track of the shift I had today! So popped the loaves in the garage (about 5º C) and turned off the oven. Called hubby about half an hour before work ended and asked him to turn the oven back on. Cold loaves into preheated cast iron - 50 minutes later - I'm listening to them crack like mad. Of course it's too late at night to eat them!

Any of the prep items aluminum - measuring cups, juicer? Here is some discussion on Serious Eats.

I have seen refurbished units for less than $150 - sadly doesn't change my serious lack of counter space.

Fresh for sure. Bought one of those great big bags of russet potatoes from Costco.

I'm doing some experiments with blanched, unblanched and fully cooked. I think I would like the fully cooked green beans best.

I did pre salt - sprinkled it on while blanching - I've used too much on somethings before - but I didn't use enough this time I guess.

If I need the cheese to go in the oven and melt - I rehydrate - if not I sprinkle. So on cream soup I sprinkle.

Sounds like they are vacuum fried. And apparently that means fried under vacuum - requiring less heat.

Navy beans for me.

Welcome Tango Chariie - don't hesitate to ask if you come up with more questions. Cracked open Freeze Girl this morning with the following - Mashed potatoes Pineapple Green beans and dill pickles The gummy bears that tried to eat Freeze Girl - these suckers expand!

Ruth's book Candymaking has a recipe for mazetta - frappe without starch. Wonder if it would sub?