John DePaula

← If I were going to use the no sugar added jam I'd put it in the food processor with a bit of water, then put through the finest blade on the food mill to remove all the seeds. Your center will be sweeter than with puree. ← For my 2 cents, I'd say that I agree with Kerry with the addition of saying that I think it's going to be too sweet. Unless you're planning to use a 77%+ bittersweet... I think you'll get a better result by just cooking up your own raspberry puree with fresh raspberries.

I make a chipotle chili pepper ganache and I have to tell you, I put a LOT of chili pepper in it. I’ve always heard that eating something sweet can help to cut the burning sensation of chili pepper. Perhaps the sugars in the ganache mask the heat of the capsaicin. In other words, you may have to add more than you think you’ll need.

Well, I think I speak for all when I say we're interested in the small artisan chocolate makers of Chicago. Any recs?

I just have three words for you: BEAU-TI-FUL!

That's what I was asking. I was wondering if it would stay in temper if you let a pretty large batch cool in the pan, and if you had to do anything to ensure it remained in temper. My thought is to take the pan out of the melter for a while, then slip it into the fridge to cool under the theory that if left out the exothermic reaction of such a large batch would break temper. That's exactly right, David. Unless my kitchen is really cold, the chocolate will go out of temper by the time it sets unless I put it in the 'fridge to cool. ETA: I bought an extra pan for my Mol d'art melter, so when I have left over chocolate I just pour it into the parchment paper lined pan and refrigerate to cool. Then I let it come to room temp and wrap in plastic film. The next time I need to temper chocolate, I have a block of chocolate that fits exactly in my melter.

I don't have a lot of experience with the larger molds, but I'd say good air flow over the mold while cooling should help considerably. N.B. You don't want the air to be too cold - I think that he said about 10 degrees cooler than room temperature; otherwise, you may get uneven contraction which will lead to cracks.

Haven't you heard about their new series: "Sandra Lee's Semi-Takeout Fast Food?"

Neither do I, Kerry. Well at any rate, very very seldom... My sentiments exactly!

I think the House-made charcuterie at Higgins is superb and I've certainly enjoyed everything else I've eaten there.

Stunning, Vanessa, just stunning!

I'd never say "Non!" to a good French restaurant! I'm with you on that, Alana! Love NY style pizza but love Chicago style, too.

A friend, who has extensive knowledge of African cuisine, highly recommends this place for Senegalese food: Yassa African Restaurant 716 E. 79th St. Chicago, IL (773) 488-9630 Another friend wrote this review, from the Chicago Reader: ← You are Kidding! I thought it was such a long shot to find a restaurant from Senegal... Wow, THANKS! ETA: I just visited their web site: Yassa African Restaurant. How very, um, odd... They get so many complaints that they have hired a separate company to deal with them? Mystere et boule de gomme.

Speaking for myself, I love the Chicago-style deep dish pizza, so that’s a must for me. Also, I crave just about any kind of ethnic food especially Malaysian and Thai and Indian and Mexican. Don’t suppose you have any Senegalese (W. African) restaurants? One of my favorite dishes is Smoked Chicken Yassa. Usually I prefer a moderately priced place but occasionally something high-end is ok, too. Perhaps, I’d phrase it like this: if you were going to recommend two or three places for their outstanding value and quality, what would you suggest? Thanks in advance!

I found this link a while back and thought it might be appropriate here since the other site is taking so long to load: Seasonal Chef: How To Cut Open A Pomegranate

I ditto everything that menton1 has already said. Sarlat: wonderful. Rocamadour: not so much; too touristy. I visited some friends in Bergerac and we canoed up the Dordogne river - breathtaking beauty; lovely countryside; perfect for a leisurely drive. Sorry that I don't have the time right now to post some pix...

You could also use a small food-safe sponge paint roller.

Vantage House

Can you describe how you accomplish the filled caramel? Do you have the shells already poured when you make the caramel? I have been hoping to have a caramel-filled molded chocolate but the technique escapes me! Doesn't the caramel harden rather soon? Thanks for any information on this. ← I cooked the caramel to only 242 degrees, so it's a little softer than one you'd cut. Plus the Epicurious recipe is pretty soft as it is. When it's done, I let it cool a little, then pour it into a piping bag and let it cool some more there. You don't want to put it into shells until it reaches 85 degrees or so, so that you don't put your chocolate out of temper. It takes quite a long time for the caramel to cool to room temperature, so you can make the shells before or after making the caramel. Once it's ready, I just pipe it into the shells. You need to cut a large hole and it requires a fair amount of hand strength, but it goes in pretty well. Let it sit for at least several hours after that to smooth out and fill in all the cavities, then cap as usual. ← That's exactly right. The caramel, when cooled, is still pretty soft and you can then pipe it into the shell. This is how I make my Caramel Fleur de sel: Caramel Fleur de sel To speed up the process of cooling, which can take all day, I either make this filling first or I stick the bowl into another bowl filled with ice water.

Brava, Tammy!

Great find!

OMG, it's been so long I just don't remember. However, I'm pretty sure that I'd have followed the instructions on the insert pretty closely. FWIW, I was using Morello Cherry puree - not sure if that would have made a difference. Glad to hear that you've had success with the Pomona's. I may have to revisit that one. Thanks, Tammy.

Wow, Vanessa, those are some of the prettiest hearts I've ever seen! Brava!

Tammy, I'm very interested to hear if you get this to work with Pomona's. I tried it once and my Pate de fruit never set (it was the consistency of jelly). Perhaps more is needed, but I never wanted to risk it again since I didn't want to waste all of that puree again. Please do let us know if you get it to work. Thanks!

Well I always thought that by the time we retire, it’ll be just like on The Jetsons, ya know? You just pop a few capsules onto a plate and into the “microwave” oven, press a button, and BAM! A Michelin 3-star meal pops out!

Just keep practicing! I had to foil wrap 1000 dark chocolate solid hearts for a wedding last year. After the first dozen or so you get a groove! I might suggest molding just some plain dark chocolate in your intended mold (without color or fillings) to practice on. You can try a few times and then just reuse the chocolate later... Patrick ← Problem is ... once I have carefully wrapped a chocolate and smoothed down the foil, it spoils the look and sheen on the chocolate when it is unwrapped! My chocolates are properly tempered but it doesn't take much to mar that shine. Is this a common problem? ← It is. Some of the big guys foil wrap everything - and the bonbons don't look all that great once unwrapped... But hey, the foil IS pretty and shiny.