FrogPrincesse

I really don't know why everyone seems so negative about this. After a few drinks, the idea of a giant peppermill seems perfectly logical! Here is a prime example from Mister Parker Restaurant in Palm Springs. Satisfied customers Would you accept pepper from this man?

I loves me my Montreal smoked meat, so I'm intrigued. What else is on there? The most traditional topping for the Alsatian flammenkuche (tarte flambee) is creme fraiche (fromage blanc also works fine), onions, bacon (diced in lardons). I am sure it would also taste good with diced pastrami.

Overmixing as in dense/tough cookies? I have not experienced that. With typical cookie recipes, most of the mixing happens between the butter and the sugar, a step greatly facilitated by the stand mixer. The flour is usually added at the end and there is little mixing required at that point. For the pie crust, I was very worried about overmixing and really did not think that it would resemble what I make by hand. However by stopping as soon as crumbs were formed and finishing by hand, I got results I was very happy with.

I just bought a Kitchenaid stand mixer a few weeks ago. I do quite a bit of baking and, while a handheld mixer is fine for cakes and whipping egg whites, I got really tired of creaming butter and sugar by hand for cookies. Now I can make large batches without any pain. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the first pie crust I made in the stand mixer - it had a great texture, very flaky. I don't regret my purchase. I use the meat grinder attachment so it's multi function. And I plan on buying the pasta roller & cutter attachments soon to replace my old pasta machine.

I've tried more recipes from Ready for Desserts since my last post. It seems to be my go-to dessert book at the moment. Chocolate Port Truffles These were a departure from my usual truffle recipe because they were a multi-step affair with several very messy steps (at least for me) especially the rolling and dipping part. But it was really worth the (minor) trouble. They were intense with a wonderful texture. I served them at the end of the Easter meal. Blondies (which disappeared before I could take a picture). Similar to the brownies, in that they are really fast to make. I did not let the batter cool down properly before adding the chocolate chips, so they bled a little into the cake. But that did not really matter, there were still distinctive chips in the end and the blondies were delicious. Flo's Chocolate Snaps This is a simple butter cookie flavored with cocoa powder. They were a little less snappy than what I would have thought based on their name, not that it really mattered. They are great with tea. It was my inaugural recipe for my new Kitchenaid stand mixer! And the best for last... Chocolate Crack Cookies These have to be amongst the most delicious cookies I've had a chance to try. They have a light and crumbly texture thanks to the almond powder, and an intense chocolate flavor, almost like a brownie. They really deserve their name. It's my new favorite recipe from the book! Edited to correct typos

The shortage is no longer an issue as far as I know. It was linked to a problem with their bottle manufacturer if I remember correctly.

I will be in Copenhagen next month, so it would be great to get updated recommendations. Of course it's already too late to get reservations for Noma. But are there any other places that I should make sure to visit? So far, my tentative list contains, after studying the various discussions on eGullet: Relae Kodbyens Fiskebar Paustian Bo Bech Aamans We are not looking for super-high end. For dinner I am looking at menus around $50 - $75, maybe slightly more for something that is really remarkable. Thanks!

Sunflower oil was my go-to oil in France. When I moved to the US a little over 10 years ago, I switched to canola oil as it was more readily available and was also neutral in taste. I later did some reading about canola oil, and found out that the vast majority of it is genetically modified in the US. It might be a cultural difference, but I was not really comfortable with that idea, so I stopped using it altogether at that point and started using peanut or grapeseed oil instead as a neutral oil. Otherwise I use a lot of olive oil. I occasionally used rapeseed oil in France ("colza") but never cared for the smell. As far as I know, genetically-modified canola oil is still banned in Europe.

When we go to the liquor store our 5-year old daughter is usually with us. I don't really see an issue either. She calls it "the bottle store".

Thanks Erik, it's good to know. I won't hesitate to open that bottle now. I was concerned that I would not be able to store it properly as I am starting to run out of space in the fridge with my expanding collection - currently three different kinds of red vermouth, three kinds of white vermouth (which each have a purpose), and Bonal...

Do you need to store Averna in the fridge after it's been opened?

I have a few stainless steel appliances (oven, warming drawer, dishwasher). I also have a large kitchen island with cabinets that have stainless steel doors. I agree that there is some maintenance needed and I was a little surprised in the beginning, but now I just use barkeeper's friend once a week and I am good to go. Also we try to use the handles as much as we can on the cabinets to avoid fingerprints!

Katie, I considered using Fee Brothers Old Fashioned bitters, but decided to use tried and true Angostura bitters after smelling the cocktail. They went very well with the herbal flavor of the Bonal. Orange bitters sound like an interesting idea as well. I used a rather small amounf of maraschino liqueur (less than 1/4 oz) so you may be able to skip it. Another option might be to replace the maraschino with Cointreau and to use orange bitters.

I just tried the above Martinez variation with my recently acquired bottle of Bonal Gentiane-Quina and it's very good. I used a 2:1 ratio and a lemon twist and it does not taste sweet.

San Diego, amateur cook

I never paid attention to this until this thread. My heavy cream from Trader Joe's is 40% butterfat and contains carrageenan (percentage unspecified). I am located in California. It also has a disclaimer that it "contains MILK"!!

I am in the same situation, and expect my set next week!

I made the chocolate financiers (almond cakes) from The Sweet Life in Paris, Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City. The book is a hilarious read by the way, with great, and unfortunately very correct, observations of the typical tribulations of living in Paris. I started with my prep at about 10:30 pm, and by 11 pm we had a batch of delicious little cakes. Financiers can be a little dense or dry but these were neither. I love chocolate and I preferred these to the traditional version.

I make my own formage blanc and use it in fruit smoothies. I can also be drained, seasoned with salt, pepper, herbs or spices and used as a dip for crudites. In France, fromage blanc is sometimes be used to make souffle, cheesecake as noted by djyee100, and tarte au fromage blanc which is a tart served with berries. I imagine that you could also use it instead of creme fraiche in a vegetable gratin , although it's not traditional, or as a topping for flammenkuche.

Same here. Hopefully Fat Guy was wearing something else than his infamous fish pants!

I meant, of course... duck prosciutto!!

I've been hosting the Easter family meal for a few years now. I love it as lamb is more fun for me than turkey. Last year I served an herb-stuffed deboned leg of lamb; in the previous years I made a 7-hour leg of lamb, and many other leg of lamb & rack of lamb variations. I was considering lamb shanks this year, but got a specific request for rack of lamb and am happy to oblige. I haven't finalized my menu yet but here are my ideas so far: Small nibbles- smoked trout with golden beets, duck carpaccio I will serve a punch of some kind with this. I just put my hands on a few bottles of Batavia Arrack that I will put to good use. Ravioli - TBD. Last year I did Babbo's mint love letters with lamb sausage, and I would like to make ravioli again (feeling ambitious!). The main course (by popular demand) will be a mustard-crusted rack of lamb, very traditional. The side vegetable dish will be based on whatever I will receive in my farmers' market bag that week. Maybe some sautéed artichokes, baby potatoes & leeks. Dessert - most likely a baba au rhum and something with chocolate (truffles?). I cook lamb quite frequently but never the shoulder, so I won't be able to help you FoodMuse.

This is fantastic. Thanks for documenting your trip so thoroughly with these amazing pictures. This brings back wonderful memories. I've been to Kiosko Universal a few times (and sat exactly where the lady is sitting in the second picture), and would love to have these beautiful razor clams again.

Got a few things at Hi-Times last week...

I'm on a roll... I've made two more batches of the brownies, the chocolate pot de crème, and the Bahamian rum cake. The prep for Robert's Absolute Best brownies takes less than 20 minutes, only uses one pot, and bakes in ~ 25 min, so it's my new go-to recipe for last minute dessert requests. The chocolate pot de crème is another recipe that takes less than 20 min to prep, and bakes in about 35 min. It's all about the mouthfeel - a thick chocolate cream explosion. The Bahamian rum cake is a little more involved but really worth it. It's very moist and has a delicious flavor from the rum, coconut milk, and shredded coconut. Edited to correct the image link