gfron1

RESPONSES: 1. I followed the recipe up until the disaster, so the use of the blender was called for. 2. I posted in the more general Cooking forum because this disaster fits best here. BONUS: Which eGullet member can I blame for my disaster. More clues to come later.

Inspired by what I woke up to this morning I thought I'd begin a new game...Name that Disaster! There will be no rules (other than the Membership Agreement). Just post a picture of your disaster and see who can figure out what happened. I'll begin: Clues 1. This happened overnight 2. There are many visual clues in the picture besides the obvious 3. Before I saw this mess, I thought one of my dogs had made a mess (More clues will be added as needed) ...What happened!? Questions are allowed and remember...do not try this at home.

Go check out a topic I started and wrapped up just the other day...Lot's of very tasty ideas: HERE IT IS

Here are a couple of previous posts that you may find helpful: Breadbakers Apprentice Baking 101 The perfect place to ask questions like this.

I have a box of Kuchle Back-Oblaten that says wheat flour and starch.

I'm undecided. The package doesn't hold the cheese well. Its a waxpaper wrapping over a very liquid cheese (at least mine was). The smell was pungent, but not to the point of turn off (or turn on for you ultra ripe lovers). However, when I tasted it, the taste was suprisingly mild. Not bland or tasteless, just mild. I kept thinking that it would be perfectly complemented with a peach or nectarine, and in fact, it might turn into a unique cheese cake with that combo. I would buy it again.

I would just work in one or two Ts of espresso powder and go for the super jolt!

So many questions... First, my thought was that most people think - vanilla = dessert and vanilla = madagascar, but I wanted people to think about Tahitian and Mexican, and also extract, bean, paste, powder. So that was my starting point. The meal was really outstanding - I surprised myself. In fact, I've been joking all day that since 95% of what I make is sweet, the only way I was able to pull off this great meal is by using an ingredient typically found in sweet. None of the courses was "too vanilla" which was good. They wall complemented or built on the next...more by chance than planning. The questions/comments: "I wish I had been invited" I tend to make things because of a reason...so come to the mountains of southern New Mexico and give me a reason Drinks? We started with the croquito obviously, then I served some of the champagne that I used in the salmon recipe, and ended up with Tynant water because anything else was too much, plus, all but one course had liquor in it, and I wanted folks to get home safely. "interesting choice" This was the first dinner in our new kitchen (besides a marshmallow class for kids). Truth be told, I was hoping to be able to cancel because I'm really tired and have had a rough personal weekend, but since it happened, I was up for it and really had fun. The choice was made for the reason above - get people to think a bit differently about vanilla. Also, I got a great deal on vanilla based on fatguy's post about homemade vanilla when I bought a pound of organic Tahitian pods. "What happened to the lobster?" I live in the middle of the dessert...didn't seem practical in the end. Also, I know big city folk won't get this, but we had wild caught, no color added sockeye!!!!! That is a rare occasion! I was so pleased with everthing. Nothing could have been better, from the choice of recipes (many offered by eGers), the sous (Patrick A) and the crowd. What a fun day.

For a vanilla cooking class, I made a Neopolitan Salad. 99% Cluizel with fresh strawberries and a Sweet Vanilla Vineagrette. At first I forgot the chocolate and everyone said the salad was just okay, but then with the chocolate they were raving about it. You can see more on the class HERE.

For a vanilla cooking class I made Vanilla Risotto with Carmelized Pears. The risotto used violane nano rice. You can read more about the class HERE.

Thanks to all of you, especially merstar and dessertsbydesign. Here's what I ended up with for this all vanilla meal: We started with a Croquito (in RecipeGullet), then moved on to a slight variation to the melon soup listed above. The recipe called for Tuscan Melon, which I used cantaloup with a dash of almond extract. It was a huge hit.: Then we had dessertsbydesign vanilla poached asparagus with brandy sabayon. I had to make a number of variations. First, I used a very tender green asparagus instead of white, then I served it on a croissant that I cut and fried in butter to crisp. Fantastic! I can't imagine how good the original recipe would be. Then a neopolitan salad that came as a suggestion inspired by Jonathan Kaplan's comments in the 99% chocolate topic. Another hit. It was served with a warm vanilla vineagrette, fresh strawberries and 99% Cluizel bar. The entree was a wild sockeye salmon poached in a vanilla champagne sauce. I hate putting sauce on sockeye, but I wasn't about to use the farm raised, color added stuff available at the store. And finally, vanilla risotto with carmelized pears. Thanks again for all the help! And thanks to Patrick A (another eGullet member) who soused for me.

This is going to be a full vanilla meal - my version of a tasting menu, so while I totally agree, I'm going for vanilla and all of its diverse uses and flavors.

What a delicious slice of American Pie . . . I'm mean slice-of-life essay. Sounds just like our little town's July 4th parade. I actually like all the local color, and get a front-porch viewing from our store, which is right on the parade route. That said, I would never eat the hot dogs. You're probably right about them being in someone's freezer for years -- kind of like the fruit cakes they try to sell at our Lighted Christmas Parade. Thanks for sharing this story and showing the big city folk what they're missing!

Tell me more...sounds perfect for my fast schedule. And...welcome to the forum!

I'm wanting to make an appetizer that includes vanilla. The entree is a lobster tail with champagne vanilla sauce. I haven't had any luck finding something suitable. By the way...did I mention this is for tomorrow at lunch! AHHHHH!

Let's try it again. EDITED TO try a new version of the URL CLICK HERE and scroll down the page.

It started bubbling after two days (that was 12 days ago), and after six days I pulled the berries out since it seemed to be going well. I also started feeding it. After I pulled the berries I thought I had killed it since the bubbling stopped, so I ignored it for a few days feeding it only once more and its bubbling again just not as much. So now I'm just being patient...feeding it and loving on it. I'll post a full report when that first loaf is made. Thanks for tips!

For the record, the worm crawling out of the salmon that led to a previous topic only deterred me for a short time - I'm definitely not a fearful eater. But, I certainly do hold my fish up to lights and pick through it a bit - my rule is, if you don't see it it won't kill you (although clearly it can blind you). BTW, welcome to the Society Nika.

I will (I'm getting ready to start carrying Guitard). Is it bar, disc or block?

Looking forward to it because I have no idea wha a malasadas is. Please do post pics.

Let me offer a slightly different slant. If you or I did something this bad or worse, hardly an eye would be blinked. But, Mackey has the financial future of many investors and employees in his hands. If I do something stupid, only my spouse and I suffer. If Mackey does, then thousands are impacted. And while what he did seems insignificant, at the very least, he has shaken the certainty that a CEO needs to bring to an organization. And for perspective...I became an Executive Director (non-profit CEO) at 25. I held the top job wherever I was up until just a few years ago when I made the decision that I didn't want that pressure and responsibility anymore. I'm now in the second tier of my agency and very happy in that role. So when you say, "If you want to enjoy life..." I do and that's why I made the choice that I did. Mackey is not making that same choice apparently.

It showed poor judgment, lack of honesty and raises questions of his ability to have the confidence of others in his leading of a major corporation. Then there's the iffy possibility of his comments have an effect on stocks that he was preparing to buy - that's illegal. Nice guy or not, at that level you're expected to operate with a certain level of professionalism and maturity - that is now tarnished in his case. EDITED TO ADD: And this is why I am not the CEO of a major corporation.

But, just as we get on our 'fish is safe' high horse, I just want to remind people of a couple of previous eGullet topics that haunt me to this day: #1 #2 (scroll down to post #8) Both links point right to the post with a picture, but the whole threads are interesting. And one of my employees just returned from France. While there he had some mussels that allegedly caused a bacterial infection in his system. The French doctors missed it so it settled behind his eye and now he is permanently blind in that eye.

I've never made my own, so are you suggesting adding sesame oil? Or some other kind of oil?

Since each use calls for slight ratio adjustments, check out the manufacturer info or some of the previous posts listed here. There are many very talented people in the Society that have used SA. Good luck.