Kerry Beal

The class size is 3 - he was kind enough to include me as a 4th cause he thinks I'll be low maintenance (he'll be sorry!). I contacted him back in September after hearing that he does classes in Michigan which I figured was a reasonable drive for me - he's booking so far in advance these days - that March was about it. Wasn't thinking the weather was going to be so nice this time of year.

It will likely be through a PayPal link - I'm still looking for a 'round tuit' - hoping by the end of this month I'll get things sorted.

Attendees jbates Chocolot Pastrypastmidnight MelissaH* tikidoc Chocomonster Sue PEI and Jane Gwbyls Desiderio curls JoNorvelleWalker (we will find a way) Haley Diana D DayGameCandy Marmish +1 (Dani) Miriam G (tentative) david.upchurch SweetandSnappyJen Valerie B Audrey Brown Anniebakes jedovaty (tentative) patris and Chris Metztli *God's willing and the river don't rise

I won't - but @Alleguede will be. I'm off doing a course with Luis Amado - feel free to follow along - here

Had to stop and worship. Last time I was here was 2010 with the Heartland Gathering. Got me thinking about Fat Guy and a few others who aren't around any longer (some still alive just not around). I've decided I don't like fennel on my bagel. Costco has booze here - really honking big bottles of booze. frozen yogurt with strawberries Last thing I did before I left the house this morning was to bake a loaf of Forkish bread - it's a Pain de Campagne with only white flour since I forget too get whole wheat yesterday. Stuffed it, still hot, in a paper bag. Grabbed a serrated knife and a flexible cutting board and hit the road. At Zingerman's I had picked up a couple of nice cheeses, some french butter and some iberico ham. @Gwbyls had picked up some fabulous pastries from Bread and Bar. Cup of tea, a Maximilian Affair from a bottle in my purse - we were good to go. Still awaiting the arrival of @YetiChocolates - @jbates has headed off to South Bend to fetch her back.

Insanely busy would describe it best!

While @Alleguede is off representing EZtemper in SFO at the Craft Chocolate Experience (a new show ganged with the Fine Chocolate Industry Association show) I am headed off to Stevensville, Michigan with 3 other eG friends to learn from the master - Luis Amado - in his home studio. I had planned to fly given the unpredictability of the weather this time of year - but given the favourable forecast I decided to drive. Another 4 hours to go (it will be longer as I’m sure I’ll pass thrift stores and American Costco’s) but I stopped for a quick breakfast on the highway layby. A&W serves a regular breakfast instead of only breakfast sandwiches. Now back in the car with a large Tim Hortons steeped tea with 4 milks!

Are you going to the Craft Chocolate Experience in SFO this weekend?

Attendees jbates Chocolot Pastrypastmidnight MelissaH* tikidoc Chocomonster Sue PEI and Jane Gwbyls Desiderio curls JoNorvelleWalker (we will find a way) Haley Diana D DayGameCandy Marmish +1 (Dani) Miriam G (tentative) david.upchurch SweetandSnappyJen Valerie B Audrey Brown Anniebakes jedovaty (tentative) patris and Chris *God's willing and the river don't rise

Sounds like you are well into chocolate geekery! Yes - there are people who combine the two methods - having no idea that they are two methods. It will give you tempered chocolate, but it's slower so why bother. Tempered the conventional way - I have always told people that when your chocolate becomes over tempered (as pastrygirl discusses above) you can push dark up to to 34.5 and milk to 32.5. The differences in temperature between chocolates seems to allow for the eutectic effect of the milk fat on the cocoa butter in milk and white chocolate. One of the pieces of the puzzle that isn't clearly out there in any of the literature is the temperature at which the various crystals form - instead you can only get information about the temperature at which the various crystals melt. Once you have tempered chocolate (ie chocolate with and ideal number of form V crystals in it) - letting it cool down to the temperature where form IV crystals should form doesn't usually result in untempered chocolate - you can reheat it back up to the working temperature without seeing it go out of temper if that makes sense.

It’s because when you are tempering by other methods the tempering curve is necessary - with the EZtemper silk you have about 15% form V crystals so it’s the perfect seed.

Sounds quite plausible to me

Tell me more - I'm sure we could sort something.

Steve, TCF sales in Texas sells the Dedy-120. Perhaps drop a line to Tom and ask him if he could copy it for you.

Yes we are home - back to the grind - dealing with all the stuff we left behind

I've made it salting sous vide before cooking.

My thought too - but texture was nice, flavor was nice.

“So are you keeping the processing to a minimum to preserve the flavour - or do you simply suck at tempering?” You might also also suggest he needs some cooling after pouring his molds.

actually the curry was not horrible either.

The plane we flew in was the same that we flew over in last week. It's an old one - and we discovered today that means no WiFi. We had about 10 min in the lounge in Amsterdam by the time the automatic passport reader rejected me and spit me out to the line to get stamped by a real person. We saw lunch being brought out just as we left so it was slim pickens. Lunch was an app of pea puree and smoked salmon. Green thai curry. cheese to finish (there was dessert after that but I passed) Then a bit before landing - another meal - chicken ham with orzo. Two big honking chocolates in that box. I bit into one - and rejected it. Flight attendant tried to give it to me when she took the tray - I said no - and she dumped it back into a container full of the boxes. Going to be a bit of a surprise if someone gets that box!

So well tempered chocolate will be in form V - poorly tempered might be form IV.

Well - if you've just tempered it and a day or so later it looks dusty - then its essentially the same process but with form IV converting to form V.

Attendees jbates Chocolot Pastrypastmidnight MelissaH* tikidoc Chocomonster Sue PEI and Jane Gwbyls Desiderio curls JoNorvelleWalker (we will find a way) Haley Diana D DayGameCandy Marmish +1 (Dani) Miriam G (tentative) david.upchurch SweetandSnappyJen Valerie B Audrey Brown Anniebakes jedovaty (tentative) *God's willing and the river don't rise

Clearly not handled well! It is either old or has not been stored under ideal conditions. What you are seeing is form VI transformation. Cocoa butter crystals are always striving towards reaching form VI which is their most stable form. The form V crystals in well tempered chocolate eventually transform and work their way through the surface of the chocolate and recrystallize there giving the chocolate a dusty appearance.

The cocoa pod?