Lisa Shock

I wonder what the pup would be like if used in a rustic cake like applesauce cake or zucchini 'bread'?

Carnauba wax maybe?

I don't think that increasing the number of available stars is the best answer. IMO, places should be categorized and then rated within the category. As things stand now, a carryout only place has no chance at being 2-3 stars in the Michelin guide, because there is no real 'front of house' service to rate. Many review standards are geared towards fine dining, and, while it's a fair way to rank fine dining places it doesn't do places like Pizzaria Bianco here in Phoenix justice.

Rum balls are a bakery's way of making certain they lose as little purchased food as possible. The trimmings from cakes, broken cookies, unevenly edged brownies and other scraps are crumbled and then mixed with rum and maybe nuts. These are then scooped into balls and rolled in powdered sugar, or used and the filling for bon-bons.

Do you remember any show titles? I saw some of the Chef Jeff Project, and I've seen some of the PBS series Master Class at Johnson & Wales, but I suspect that isn't what you are referring to. Anyway, I'm just curious in case the show ever surfaces on Hulu or some such service. I agree that the formula is pretty well set now for these shows. Honestly, I am personally getting tired of it. I know that producers like it because it creates drama (who's going home this week?) and sets people up for conflict (who's cracking under pressure?) meaning that they don't need work very hard in the editing room; they have a storyline all set up for them. I don't have a new show concept to advocate, I'm just tired of the contrived challenges and phony 'drama'.

I like Saco Cocoa, but it's a blend. It's my husband's favorite for drinking and cooking. It's available at Albertson's and some AJ's in AZ. (AJ's also sells the Saco powdered buttermilk.)

Caramels, brittles and toffee may become rancid after 3-4 weeks, depends on the butter content.

I'd go for 5 pcs per person, based on the amount of time. People tend to eat about one per every 15 minutes, depending on how filling they are. Also, if it's a commercial event, rather than a family event, people make more of a point to fill up at the sponsor's expense. The one main difference between kids and adults is that most American kids don't like dark chocolate. So, if you serve mini-eclairs dipped in firm ganache made of high-quality chocolate, they will tend to take one bite and go 'ew.' So, I'd go easy on chocolate offerings in general. Kids will also be messier, so go easy on runny fillings and jams.

Have you been to Kappabashi, or are you just interested in eating?

Too bad they can't just follow some people through real culinary school. The BBC did a show like that a while back and it was pretty interesting.

Given the right tools, I can make creme anglaise in 45 seconds and angel food cake in a couple of minutes. I can make a bouquet of sugar flowers in well under 45 minutes. Modern competition-style patisserie is very inventive and not as time consuming as people imagine. Yes, a good loaf of bread takes time. But, a chocolate showpiece can be cast and assembled in under 2 hours.

Exactly! If you offer a dozen different items, people will attempt to try one of each. What kind of party is this, in terms of the time of day? If it's an afternoon event for an hour or so, an estimate of 4 pcs per person would be fine. If it's part of an informal buffet dinner that could go from 7pm til 2 am, with people drinking spirits, then, you'll need more. You'll also need to consider if the party will be sit-down with plates and silverware, or stand around mingling with everything being handheld -including drinks.

This is going to be great! (emailed the producers a suggestion for this back during season 1 of TC.) I imagine that they'll intersperse basic techniques like making puff pastry with pulling sugar for showpieces and making bread sculptures.

You could add it to cocoa butter with a little salt, then temper it, and make a savory confection, or a bon-bon -perhaps filling it with a savory ganache center....

Metal heats faster but also cools faster. In a traditional oven, with heat on the bottom this can mean that the bottom of something will cook/burn before the top gets up to temperature. (if the oven is not preheated) It's probably not microwave safe. It may be teflon coated, and, not suitable for high heat applications. If the teflon is scrached, toss the pan out -you don't want to eat that. Dark materials cook things faster than clear/light materials. I recall seeing some study back in the 1970's showing that smoked glass cooked a casserole 15 minutes faster than a clear casserole pan. Glass and ceramic hold heat better meaning that they work well for long and slow cooked applications. I prefer them for pies, they don't burn as readily. These pans also help a lot if your oven has cold/hot spots or any uneveness issues. They are also possibly microwave safe -check the bottom to see or run a quick test. Clear glass is pretty for showing off a finished product at a potluck. Multi-layer dips, gelatin delights, layered salads, etc, all get a bigger wow factor in a clear pan.

I have the Grand Diplome Cooking Course (20 volumes), 1971, edited by Ann Willan, published & re-published several times by both Danbury Press and Grolier. It is a solid series of books, my only criticism is that each volume represents a couple of meals, so the subject matter is scattershot throughout the volumes. It does have great photos and detailed diagrams, and takes the reader through the basics of French cuisine. (edited to add the date!)

Good point, part of the reason why I use a screen is the fact that I prefer dough with higher hydration levels. I like the bubbly crust.

I tend to make thick crust pizzas with a lot of toppings, so I use a pizza screen. I learned to do it this way back in high school when I worked at a pizza place. I build the pizza on the screen. I do spray the screen occasionally with non-stick spray, but maybe once a year or so following an intense cleanup where cheese stuck to it.

Some fruit can be good with both mint and chocolate. Red raspberry comes to mind immediately, but I know there are others. (grapefruit and mint is a classic...)

In some places, the staff might understand some English, but, judging from the number of times my husband and I wound up getting the wrong thing, it's not very likely. (He tried asking for what I was having once and wound up getting a fork and empty plate to share mine instead of his own plate.) And we can manage a bit of Japanese -well, my husband can watch the TV news and understand it. I have a friend who will take you around and help you figure things out. He just started a tour business, but he has lived in Japan for quite a while and is married to a Japanese woman. Try visiting: Nama Japan

Take a look at RLB's Cake Bible. The measurements for each recipe are side by side, so volume people have one column and weight-based have another column.

Are you looking for a classic version with all of the stringy portion of the celery removed? If so, a mandolin may be helpful in making the initial cuts on the top and bottom of the stalk (horizontally) to remove the stringy parts. But, that's only if the mandolin is easy to set up and you are dicing a lot of celery. Other than that, it's (in my experience) a knife skills speed test. You can also try using a peeler, larger, flatter stalks will be ok this way. Just take care to peel away from yourself and avoid injury. I like my ceramic peelers because they easily take on hard-to-peel items like this. That said, I am quicker with my knife, so... Remember that any time you will be straining the final product, you can leave the string part in and just slice the celery.

Try using puff pastry, it increases in size but rises differently than yeast dough.

If you have room in the fridge, pot de creme are made the day before in ramekins and chilled. While the most famous of these is creme brulee, you can make them with seasonal fruit/jam at the bottom or make them chocolate flavored.

Depends on how much sugar you cut. The soda is a mechanical leavener in this case, since the recipe is a riff on peanut brittle, it will cause the sugar to become foamy with air bubbles. If you use a lot less sugar you'll need less baking soda. If you cut the sugar by a couple of ounces, it probably won't need adjustment. The additional corn syrup goes hand-in-hand with the additional sugar. It's a fail-safe for the boiled sugar, to help less experienced cooks cook the sugar and not have it crystallize. I would reduce its amount by the same percentage that you reduce the sugar. I do have one suggestion, having recently made peanut brittle and done a little experimenting. Try putting some kosher salt, or other large crystal salt, on the product at the end. (or in the pan before adding the product) I made some peanut brittle with and without coarse salt and people really liked it and preferred it to the traditional batch.