[Chocolate Mousse: Recipes, Questions]

hi everyone! i'm making chocolate mousse tonite for dessert, and while i was looking through recipes, i came accross something that said that there are six different types of chocolate mousse. i know that one is a bavarian mousse, and it uses gelatain to stabalize. the second is a french mousse, with eggs, and beaten cream. i also know of one one type of mousse that involves the combining of chocolate and creme anglaise, but i can't tell you the name. what are the other three types of mousse?

thanks for the help.

[Stupidly Easy Bread]

I really like The Bread Bible. Here's a very basic recipe (not from the bread bible) using active dry yeast.

i too love the bread bible. i adore rlb, and have never had any of her recipes fail on me. the recipes in the bread bible, however, are definitely not for those looking for simple bread recipes.

[Gremolata question]

hi there.

this is an intersting recipe, as traditional gremolata contains no more than parsley, lemon peel, and a little garlic. sometimes, either mint leaves or olive oil is added, but that's about it.

i would say that a bunch of parsley is probably equal to around 1 cup once you pull the main parts of the stems off. i've never really seen a bunch any bigger than that. frankly, i don't think that amount of parsley is that important, whether its a cup or a cup and a half. this recipe doesn't mention the food processor, and when i make gremolata with my knife and cutting board, i spare myself the frustration by microplaning the lemon. (and, technically, the term zest refers to the use of a grater to remove the citrus rind.) lastly: mushy horseradish, most definitely.

enjoy!

-honorspianist

[Had wisdom teeth pulled!]

While I feel for your pain - and the post-wisdow situation you find yourself in - I think, first off, a dictionary might help.

I have hungry, too.

'i have hungry...' i think that sounds cute, owzer. i'm very sorry about what you're having to go through.

anyway, why not try some of the wonderful squash that's beginning to come into season? i love roasted squash drizzled with dark grade b maple syrup or some fine sugar tossed with a bit of molasses. you can try soft-cooked scrambled egg, as that would be easy to chew. but, perhaps that's to come a little later in your recovery. you can try all sorts of creamy desserts like ice cream or pudding, and the temperature might help to dull the pain. prehaps someone else might have some better suggestions...

feel better.

-honorspianist

[Food Periodicals]

i used to enjoy cooks illustrated as the recipes always seemed so promising. a cheesecake baked 40 times? now how can that possibly be bad? well, i have had massive failures with this and many other recipes from the magazine. the dishes are either so spectacular you never forget them, or they are awful--institutional food would taste better. i agree that the recipes do repeat themselves often, but i actually find the process and analasys interesting, even though i too am a professional.

just my $.02

[Cocktails with desserts]

I've been told that cocktails with sweet desserts are tricky as you need a very sweet cocktail. Otherwise, tasting the cocktail after having a bite of the dessert will make the cocktail taste more bitter (or less sweet) by contrast. I'm not sure of how accurate this really is.

i'm not sure of the accuracy either, but what you say is logical and makes sense to me. i never like to serve cocktails with desserts because i think it's kind of an overkill. i think there should either be dessert, or a nightcap...but both is just too much--much too sweet, in my opinion.

-honorspianist

[Which tequila to use for mixing]

i, too, would have to agree that 100% pure agave is the best for margaritas. it is definitely worth the price. i've got a quick question: which do you prefer in your margaritas? grand marnier, cointreau, or regular triple sec?

yum...this is making me thirsty. too bad summer's just about over.

-honorspianist

[Stupidly Easy Bread]

bread baking really isn't so difficult once you get the hang of it. it can be such a fun and rewarding process. a really simple bread recipe is alton brown's from the fn website. i've made it a couple of times. it has only flour, water, yeast, and salt, and produces a very fine product.

whatever recipe you do choose to bake, please respons with the outcome.

-honorspianist

ps

unconundrum, that really is a lovely boule--beautiful color and blistering. may i ask what (if anything) you use to glaze the bread?

[Making Gin from Vodka]

wow! i think you're lucky. my favorite vodka infusion is with vanilla beans. i buy vanilla beans wholesale, and so i use a jar with a flip-up lid (the one that has a clasp on the front) with vanilla beans, and then i pour vodka all over. you can use the vanilla beans for cooking, and the vanilla extract that's made is, in my opinion, the most pure vanilla i've ever used, as far as flavor goes. you can also use the vodka as a good substitute for eau de vie to make some good old fashioned 44.

-honorspianist

[Starbucks to raise prices]

yep...i can see starbucks doing that. they continue to open lots of new stores, one of which just opened by my house.

to be blunt, though, i think their coffee tastes kind of burnt. am i the only one who thinks so? coffee is something i'm really particular about, so, i much prefer a homemade cup.

davydd, i remember my grandpa telling me of those days when you could get a paper, a cup of coffee, and a shoe shine for just 8 cents. boy have the times changed!

[basic MUST HAVE baking pans]

hi there.

i'm new here, and have been lurking around the boards for a while. i really love this place! there is so much to learn and you all seem like a wonderful group of people.

i've been baking for a while, so my cupboards are packed. i use most often:

one each of 'jumbo' muffin pans and cupcake pans

three or four half sheet pans

3 cake pans (9 inch)

1 springform

2 pyrex pie plates

1 loaf pan

i have tons of little tartlett pans, brioche pans, and ceramic things of all sorts. i bake a lot of bread, so i also have my la-cloche, which i absolutely adore...

i like the dark muffin, cupcake, and cake pans because i like a nice crust and a little bit of browning on my cakes. same thing on the pyrex pie plate. i really find the pyrex to do a much better job at the browning.

-honorspianist