gfron1

As an owner of a little market I've been afraid to read this topic, but as it turns out we're doing pretty good In response to the paying by credit card comments, as a small shop, everytime you swipe your card, I pay 25 cents US and a small percentage of the cost of the product. I'm sure bigger stores get better deals from their credit processors, but if you bought a $1 candy bar (which don't exist in my store), it probably cost me 50 cents, and a swipes takes off let's say 29 cents, then the remaining 21 cents is lost to overhead. So that's the reason to pay cash or check whenever you can. My peeve as a shopper is when the register person sneezes or blows their nose and then without cleaning their hands picks up my food and shoves it in the bag. I know its not the worst thing that's touched my food, but still, do I have to see it (insert puking emoticon here).

But wait!...I now serve coffee at my store out of corn cups. If I put a bit of salt and butter on them, they'd be yummy. So why not cardboard buns...try it, you might like it.

In a recent topic someone talked about grinding nuts to make nut meals. They said it wasn't fine enough to use as nut flour, but useful.

I've been stewing over this topic and am taking a leap this weekend. I'll be teaching a cooking class that focuses on vanilla. For the salad course, I'm creating a neopolitan salad that will do as someone up above suggested, grating the chocolate on top of the salad, along with strawberries and a vanilla vineagrette. I'll let you know how it is received.

Has the wedding happened yet? Any results/disasters/successes?

Do a search on in the forum and you'll find a number of sources. I use Chef Rubber. Here's the main thread. Another more recent. And another. One specifically about sourcing. And another on sourcing. Another You get the idea...

This area feeds the nation when it comes to chile, so there will be plenty. We typically roast through early October, but fresh is available through early December and on.

Casa de gfron mail order service. Seriously, I don't mind mailing to folks if they need them - they're as available as dirt around here. Its simple to mail the fresh ones since they're hearty. Roasted would be an interesting trick - roast - shove in bag - pack in box - race to FedEx...I bet they would arrive warm Just let me know, but I would wait until September when the good ones start coming out.

That really is amazing especially considering the book. Although if you had cooked your way through a really bad book that might have been an even more amazing accomplishment

Wow - time flies! Thanks for the update. Looking forward to seeing what's next.

With harvest starting in just a few weeks (early crop), the news is starting come out about how things will be this year: Las Cruce Sun-News says a 5% loss. KRQE says there's a new disease called Curly Top. We started getting our monsoon rains (some are debating that these aren't the monsoons) daily for the past two weeks. I'm in Silver City which is directly West of Hatch and Northwest of Deming and Las Cruces - the three major growing regions. If we've been getting rain, its a good chance they are. Rains this late are dangerous to the chiles, so its always a mixed blessing up here in the high desert. Because you're all sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the new crop, I'll keep everyone posted as things emerge Also, the Hatch Chile Fest is coming up over Labor Day weekend. I'll do a detailed report - if anyone is planning on attending, let me know and we can eGulletize the weekend!

Thanks - I did find it a couple of weeks ago, and have my juniper starter going. There's quite a story behind it (think bears, lightening storms, and Native American spirits - but that'll come later). I'll be posting once I get closer to actually using it.

...when you have desserts for breakfast more often than not only because you were waiting for the perfect lighting to take a picture. Really, I need to time things better so I can use the evening light instead, but work makes it tough. That's okay, I don't mind dessert in the morning.

Blackberry Fool - blackberry puree in whipped cream on a split croissant square. My spouse loved this because it wasn't too sweet. Really nice taste, and once you get past the croissant dough making, its very simple. I put too much blackberry puree in the whipped cream so it is a bit runny.

I may get the percentages off by a bit, but you'll know what I mean. I first tired the 70.5% which was too bitter for my project, and settled at the 63%.

Its one of my standards and is ultimately the one I used in my ongoing curry marshmallow project. I've always enjoyed it.

Okay, I was trying not to invest in another chemical for my kitchen, but I guess I'm off to place the order. Thanks for the extra info (I should always trust Kerry...taking note).

I already feeled pinned to the mat on this one so I'll have to break down and get some Utz...after all, who doesn't love a grandma?! But...and that's a big BUTT, I'll have Zapps on my mind with every chomp of grandma in my mouth.

I made a meringue with cocoa using Julia Child's recipe. I added a drop of peppermint extract after I formed soft peaks, but before I added the sugar and cocoa, and killed it. It deflated and refused to rise again. I went ahead to bake it to see if this might work. The taste was good, but if I go this route I would need to make it a bit thicker obviously. Its still not the maltball texture I wanted, but its a reasonable facsimile. So, how can I get the extract in without deflating? My next try will be a dacquois which may be a good choice with the flour. The subtle difference is that these other recipes are basically sugar and when sugar gets moist is gums/clumps/goos, which a maltball does not. I'll send a final product to whomever gets me where I'm going (such a frivolous but fun use of my time ).

Wow! All of those pics are so inspiring! Thanks for putting them up.

If there's a potato chip that would bring my dukes up for a good rumble, Zapps would be it! They may be fried in peanut oil, and not lard, but there's something about their thickness, and you know them good ol' boys is drinkin' down at the warehouse, and that adds that special sumthin'! I'll have try your Gutz chips someday when I'm either bloated or desperate, but until then I'll do my part to support the swamp rat eating community. Come to think of it, if I ever fly east of the Mississippi, I'll re-route to Philly and you can treat me to a bag. BTW, if Abita beer is the perfect beer complement to Zapps, what is the beer complement to Utz?

I bought it through Cheeseworks West in San Fran. I really want to try it with peaches - it seems like a perfect marriage.

Here's my seafoam: I didn't realize what would happen until it was too late, so I added the soda and it foam up very quickly, then I added the extracts, which knocked it down some, but it re-rose enough for me to find out that this is a tooth gunker-upper. And since the sponge candy looks similar, I'll pass on that today and go straight to a dry meringue.

That is the company on the label. I bought it and the taste is not as strong as the smell. Mine is very soft/runny and smooth. I don't think its over ripened bc the taste is good without being too biting.

I have a folksy Talk About Good (I think is the name) cajun cookbook from the Lafayette, LA women's club. I always open it and make whatever I want and then say it came from the cookbook. Not that the book isn't good, but its Cajun food and whatever I make is going to have more butter and Chachere's than they call for anyway!