John DePaula

I use a refractometer but am confident enough to go by temperature alone if necessary. I don't know of a refractometer that provides both Baume and Brix; however, the calculation is fairly easy: Brix / 1.85 ~= Baume.

A much better result can be achieved with sanding sugar. The larger grains don't melt as much as granulated sugar does. ← And it looks much prettier - reflects the light better - sparkles in a way that granulated sugar can't. ← I guess I didn't say it very well but that's exactly what I meant. Thanks, Kerry!

A much better result can be achieved with sanding sugar. The larger grains don't melt as much as granulated sugar does.

The options at Pastry Central and Design & Realization definitely look different - at least, from the pix on the web site.

Does anyone have any current suggestions on buying a guitar candy cutter?

Thanks very much for the photo and the information, but exactly HOW does a ballotin box differ from some other box? The photo does not show if the lid is part of the box, or separate, or what? Thanks ← For a ballotin, the lid usually folds over to close the top. It's a soft sided box. You can store them flat until you need one, then fold it up to assemble.

I think the frames for the 5mm base and the 7.5mm base are different (although I might be wrong), you would think a 30mm frame should fit both bases (at least the wires should). But it's weird that they are hitting on both sides - that just doesn't seem right! And Luis - pictures please! - could you post them in the thread about Morato's book Chocolate? ← Here's a link: Chocolate Book by Ramon Morato

Where did you purchase the Dedy? What specs/options did you choose? Thanks.

← I would just add that if your dishwasher gets too hot, I think that would be a problem. My dishwasher allows me to select a "no additional heating" mode. So, I use a tiny tiny bit of dish soap and water that's only as hot as what comes out of the tap. Seems to work well for me.

Don't forget to pick up a role of Hydrion pH papers to test your concentration level. Too strong is not a good thing either.

Interesting suggestion! Love the idea of not having to use gelatin. Worth a try.

More like a strong jelly texture - strong enough to hold its shape, but only just.

I'm assuming that you don't want to incorporate it into a bon bon, so how about making it into a layered dessert with a sponge and maybe a mousse layer, finished with pate a glace. Like something dejaq would make. ← Sounds delicious!

About a week ago or so, I was making a big batch of Passionfruit Pate de fruit. When I was just about 15 minutes or so from reaching my target temperature, the power for the entire area went out. I was 4 or 5 degrees Celsius below where I needed to be. After about 45 minutes, it had cooled sufficiently that I didn't think this batch would be recoverable. So instead of dirtying up my molds, I poured it into a small sponge cake pan. It did set, but of course it's too soft. Finally, my question: what can I do with all of this extra passionfruit pate de fruit? I thought about making some mango sorbet and adding some a) pate de fruit cubes at the end or b) sticking some the the pate de fruit in a blender with the mango puree and adding sugar syrup shooting for a target BRIX of, say, 29? What do you think?

From JB Prince (where I bought my molds):

I have a Polder digital and it's pretty accurate. My least accurate was the Taylor analog (old fashioned) candy thermometer.

I think it depends on the water in your area. Paris has high calcium in the water; Portland, not so much. Like Kerry, I wash in hot water with a tiny bit of dish liquid, then allow to air dry. Afterwards, I have to polish with a cotton cloth. TG, Paper towels? Doesn't that scratch them?

I suppose you could reuse it but not sure it would be worth the trouble to clean it each time.

Just FYI: The acetate technique begins at time index 1:16 / 9:54.

Here we go William Dean Chocolates. ← Wow, Gorgeous Work!

Anna, I really like the Lentils de Puy - the French green lentils mentioned above. I just happened to make some today which drew me to this thread. Since I don't often have much time to prepare lunch, this is a good dish since it's easy to prepare. I already had some cubes of homemade chicken stock in the freezer, and the last time I caramelized some onions in olive oil, I portioned some out into small containers for freezing as well. Add these two items plus a little water to cover and simmer. Some diced carrots would be a nice addition during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Delicious and healthy.

You can add it to chocolate or gianduja to give a nice crunchy textural element, plus it can add a bit of sweetness.

Hmmmmm..... I suppose the freight charges wouldn't be all that much extra from Quebec to Utah, as from Quebec to Ontario. Why didn't I think of that? ← And although it's not evident from the site, you can request ground shipping - very reasonable cost.

I'd recommend taking a look through the (rather long but useful) Chocolates with that Showroom Finish thread.

S/He used it in the Culinary World Cup competition, so it must not be too far off from the real thing. ← Although the recipe you've listed may be tasty, Alana's right: Corn flakes are really different from feuilletine.