Kerry Beal

They are going to be gorgeous - thanks Rodney! Recycled the cones into a center today - don't think they will make the cut for the show.

That's my main milk chocolate these days. Viscosity great for moulding and dipping. Make most of my ganaches with it. Flavour good.

Must confess I haven't had a chance to taste the bacon yet. It was a rush tonight as Alleguede was coming over to help me with my prep for the Luxury Chocolate Show that Anna and I will be doing on Sunday - so I kind of bunged everything in jars and mylar to be checked out later. I did taste the ganache - crunchy but way too thick - I think in the future I'll make one with a whole lot less fat in it and spread it much, much thinner. I made a bark with neutral pop rocks and FD'd jello - I should have broken the jello into smaller pieces for the bark. Alleguede is a jello tart and he really enjoyed the FD'd version.

Finally back at it. This batch took quite a while to dry - then I prolonged the time further because I had to work and didn't have time to unload this morning. Mustard pickle and kimchi. Jello -batch plain, batch with sour cream. Bacon. Ganache. Butterfat from ganache.

Good idea - shall try some blanched and some raw - both salted so it can be eaten as a snack.

Big bag of kale dropped off to me this morning at work. Trying to decide if I should blanch it or FD it raw? Thoughts?

I have it - lovely pictures - a lot of errors due to translation. Some interesting recipes though I haven't made a lot of them. Some interesting decorating ideas. A lot of recipes call for anhydrous butter.

I suppose you could use a piping bag to make little mounds that you could roll between your hands to get rounds.

I think starting with a tart pan like this would avoid the need to smush the pie. You could simply cut into strips crosswise and you'd be ready to freeze dry. Given the sweetness - I'd probably go with a bittersweet chocolate and I'd likely do a drizzle of bittersweet on the undipped half as well - although a white drizzle would give nice contrast.

Not I - not a fan of pumpkin truffles!

Try with mescal?

Try this one. I'd bake in 6" tall pans.

Preserved veg sitting on counter at my house - so no longer MIA!

Fog was gone when we got to the other side of Espanola - just past the paper mill. I certainly have no shortage of pans and tools - though I'm more inclined to avoid using them all at the same time! Likely because I don't have all those people behind the scenes to clean up after me. He did have what looked like a Miele steam oven behind him that he was using to steam some eggplant - don't have one of those in my house - only when I'm up north!

One more idea - can you cut your baking soda with some powdered sugar.

I think it's a bit of a crap shoot.

So we headed out this am about 8:20. It was lovely and sunny when we left the island - as we came down the hill in Espanola with a cop on our tail we drove right into thick fog. So thick that I didn't see the stop light until I was under it - fortunately it was green! Decided a stop for a quick breakfast that could be eaten while driving was in order. Bacon and egg McMuffin and hash browns for me. Sausage and egg and hash browns for Anna. So I get home - hubby and child have been eating tuna fish sandwiches or yogurt for most meals since they ran out of the food I left for them. But they are watching Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver teaching basic cooking techniques. Hubby says "there are a whole bunch of things Jamie isn't showing" "one of the shots the stems are on the tomatoes, the next their gone - he doesn't show removing them" "no way you could make that in 15 minutes when you don't have all the tools and pans he has in his kitchen". Always wonder when he watches these shows why he doesn't show any interest in cooking!

Indeed we invested in the Purefizz. I do have a shitload of Isi's and Isi knockoffs at home. Only one is stainless.

Me too!

It's actually beautifully warm out there right now - I didn't need a coat when I went out to drop goodies at the hospital. Still not sure I want to move things that shouldn't be refrigerated into the car until the am. So I put the fixings for a Little Italy with bourbon in a mason jar before I packed up the booze. Forgot to leave out picks - so watch out for your eyes with the 10 inch long skewers. Dinner? Well let's see - there are some potato chips, some kimchi, eggs and cheese in the fridge, remains of the ice cream...

Years ago I used a lot of safflower - now I use sunflower, grape seed, rice bran, peanut and olive (no virgins harmed).

It will be riding home with me to finish it's fermenting in warmer climes.

Yup - long way around - takes about the same in time - but no break to read!

Nope - went back to that same place for lunch - and both got matched chopsticks.

I think I'm a few years away from beatification yet - still need to take the ferry to the island as my water walking skills are underdeveloped! If you use the water that you've cooked the ginger in to add the sugar to - then you might not lose the flavour that has been leached into it. Unlike pre boiling steps for things like orange rind which gets rid of bitterness where you need to toss the boiling water. The steaming (or boiling) is to cook and soften the ginger - otherwise you get rather firm little nubbins.