ColleenD

I like to make a pseudo chai tea at home with pumpkin spice, equal or sugar and milk. I would like to make it more like a latte and was wondering how well frother gadgets work. Any advice? Thanks.

My boyfriend and I stopped in Friday night. We had called ahead but didn't get an answer so we just decided to try our luck and see about eating at the bar. It was very busy, but we managed to get two seats at the kitchen counter. It was cool because we could watch everything going in and out of the enormous brick oven. We had the pizza with homemade porchetta. It was amazing--definitely the shizzy, to quote Vadouvan. As much as I liked that, I liked the candele with wild boar ragu even more. We also had the grilled chicken with porcini sauce, which was great, and the white beans, which were...white beans...good but I just don't get all that excited over them. Definitely looking forward to a return trip to try a few more things.

Just wanted to say thanks again, Dorie. The chocolate crunched caramel tart was a HUGE hit! Since my mom is a total chocoholic, it was really a great dessert to make her birthday special. I made the crust and ganache Fri night and the caramel Saturday and put it all together. Fantastic! And really not all that hard..so next time I won't be so nervous. My only dilemma now is in choosing whether to make this again or try something new!

Dorie- Thanks so much for the quick, very helpful reply! I knew I could keep the ganache overnight, but wasn't sure about the caramel. So, that is what I'll do--make everything tonight, but assemble it tomorrow. You hit it right on the head--I'm a beginner so I don't want to be too overwhelmed tomorrow. I can't wait to try the tart. Thanks again.

I want to make the Chocolate Crunched Caramel Tart for my mother's birthday. I would need to make it tonight, though, for tomorrow's dinner. I'm nervous because the recipe says to make it the same day and the instructions also call for it to chill 30 minutes and then rest at room temp. til served. Do you think the tart crust would get soggy if I make it tonight or would the texture be off if I keep it the the refrigerator overnight? Maybe this question belongs in the baking basic thread! Thanks for any advice.

I tried using peanut butter, even homemade ones but they didn't turn out. But I get decent ones using the PB flavor from LorAnn Oils. And they're quite good covered with chocolate. ← Thanks, JustKay. I'll look into the LorAnn oil. I think I'll try to make Nightscotsman's recipe in chocolate or vanilla to start. I attempted the vanilla marshmallow recipe from "Baking From My Home to Yours" last weekend, but they were not as fluffy as everyone's pictured here. Dorie's recipe uses egg whites and I don't think I beat them stiff enough.

I tried using peanut butter, even homemade ones but they didn't turn out. But I get decent ones using the PB flavor from LorAnn Oils. And they're quite good covered with chocolate. ← Thanks, JustKay. I'll look into the LorAnn oil. I think I'll try to make Nightscotsman's recipe in chocolate or vanilla to start. I attempted the vanilla marshmallow recipe from "Baking From My Home to Yours" last weekend, but they were not as fluffy as everyone's pictured here. Dorie's recipe uses egg whites and I don't think I beat them stiff enough.

I am so disappointed to read your review! I have a res for tomorrow with some friends. Maybe I'll change it. If we go anyway, I'll post a report.

I saw someone had asked about making peanut butter marshmallows, but didn't see any replies. Back in the fall, I ate at a restaurant in NYC and some peanut butter marshmallows with a toasted panko crust came with my check. They were amazing! I didn't find any recipes when I googled this, but discovered that there is a peanut butter extract by Watkins--has anyone tried this? Or is there another way to get the peanut flavor--I am assuming real peanut butter is too oily for marshmallows. The Watkins stuff looks like it is only on line. It's kind of a bummer because it costs more to ship than the price of the extract.

If your wife likes chocolate and hazelnut, you should definitely get a cake at the Night Kitchen in Chestnut Hill. They have the most amazing Praline Cake--super moist chocolate cake with hazelnut buttercream. The sides are decorated with chopped carmelized hazelnuts. I've never had their other things but the web site shows some beautiful cakes. http://www.nightkitchenbakery.com/

I just bought Droste at Whole Foods on Callowhill this past Sunday.

I just bought two tickets to the Cheese by Hand class for my parents for Christmas...I'm thinking of calling back, though, because I think they may need some supervision! It's not til 1/26, but I'll post their thoughts afterwards. Cheers!

Candy- Your cookies are gorgeous! The mittens sound adorable, too. Will you be posting them on your blog?

tamiam--how did your cake turn out? I made that, too, hoping for a big hit. The caramel and peanut topping was delicious (my caramel also took longer to darken). My cake turned out too dry, though. I couldn't find an 8" springform pan. I thought a 9" springform would be OK if I shortened the cooking time from the 40-45 min called for. I checked it at 30 min and it was still gooey. At 36 min, I took the cake out. The knife came out clean, but showed some moisture. I want to try again with the proper 8" pan, but am wondering if I am expecting something too "fudgy". Done right, will this be more cake-like than brownie-ish? I hope you got your hero's welcome!

I am definitely a chewy, even gooey chocolate chip cookie lover! Inspired by Ling's gorgeous pictures in the Dessert thread, I made the dough for the cookies from the Macrina Bakery. It is chilling now and I will bake them later this week and report back...

Thanks to the egulleters (egulleteers??) for steering me towards Blue Hill. I was in town last week and had a fantastic meal there Tuesday night. Besides the unbelievable food (some of the best pork tenderloin I have ever had), I wanted to mention the outstanding service. I had originally made a res for Monday night. Shortly after I called (the same day), the restaurant called me back and said that they were sorry but they realized they couldn't accommodate me on Monday. Fortunately, I was in town for 2 nights and was able to get a res for Tuesday. Shortly after we sat down, the maitre d' came over with 2 glasses of champagne and thanked us for being so flexible with our reservation. I thought that was really generous and classy. Certainly a smart way to generate a lot of goodwill with a thoughtful gesture. I am sure most of you will not be surprised as the consensus seems to be that customer service and attention to detail is a Blue Hill forte. I look forward to going back!

Had a great meal at Perry Street last night. No misses. We were offered a creamy white beet/horseradish soup for an amuse bouche. We had the king oyster mushroom and avocado carpaccio and homemade mozzarella with basil, quince and pomegranite as apps. Followed by the beef tenderloin with butternut squash dumplings and grilled chanterelles and the crispy rabbit with soybeen puree and a chili sauce (think this is right--my friend doesn't get into the fine points of the menu quite as much...). Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. We skipped dessert, but the peanut butter marshmellows with a toasted panko crust that came with the check were outstanding. They made me want to dig into the recipes on the marshmellow thread in the pastry forum.

Wow, Dora! They look great! What are the flavors?

Made my first macarons last night. Lesson learned: read the forums more thoroughly before baking! I used David Lebovitz's recipe from his blog. I left my egg whites out on the counter for about 8 hours, used almond flour that I also ran through the food processor with the powdered sugar. I did not let the batter rest before baking, but dropped the pan on the counter a few times before baking. They turned out pretty well, but I'd like them glossier and smoother. I think my first mistake was not mixing well enough... Second mistake: I piped in circles (from a makeshift plastic pastry bag ). I guess when I get the consistency right, I can pipe in mounds and let the tip sink. All in all, it was a success--they tasted great, especially the ones that I had enough patience to let sit overnight! I'm going to try Pierre Herme's recipe next. Thanks for the tips! PS-sorry if multiple photos or no photos--had a little trouble with that.

I will be in Chicago this weekend for the marathon and was thinking about going to mk Sunday night--mainly because their desserts look so indulgent and I figure I will deserve one Sunday night! The reviews here are mixed. Does anyone have any recent experience to share? Any other recs for an out of towner who likes grilled meats and vegetables, interesting salads and fresh pastas (and amazing desserts...)?

Those cookies look so good. I think this might be the recipe; Olivia's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies From Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery & Café Cookbook, Sasquatch Books http://www.parentmap.com/aug_04/0804_1.htm ← I've become obsessed with this forum! I promise to post a picture of something soon to contribute! Ling--those cookies look unbelievable! I have never made chocolate chip cookies with part shortening--how does that change the texture or taste versus using all butter? Thanks.

I've been following this thread because I will be in NYC next week, but have to narrow my choices down to two! I love great salads, and grilled or roasted vegetables and meats, and fresh pastas so I was thinking Blue Hill and Babbo and sitting at the bar, if possible. But this requires me to be antisocial as a few colleagues want to eat at Mr. K's one night..sounds like maybe I should tell them about Grand Sichuan? I haven't seen much in the threads lately about Davidburke and Donatella--this was recommended to me as well--thoughts? Lastly (if you're still reading)...anyplace I should go for an exceptional chocolate/hazelnut dessert? Thanks!