Dora S

Came across an online article in the BBC News about a gala dinner as part of the Epicurean Masters of the World II in Bangkok, Thailand which would cost diners 1 million baht or $29,000. The 11-course dinner menu will feature signature dishes from six three-star Michelin chefs from France, Germany, and Italy, and each dish will be accompanied by a different fine vintage wine. Crème brûlée of foie gras with Tonga beans Alain Soliveres 1990 Louis Roederer Cristal Tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belon oyster Antoine Westermann 1995 Krug Clos du Mesnil *** Mousseline of “pattes rouges” crayfish with morel infusion Alain Soliveres 2000 Corton Charlemagne, Domaine Jean Francois Coche-Dury *** ‘Tarte Fine’ with scallops and black truffle Antoine Westermann 1996 Le Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanée Conti *** Britanny lobster ‘Osso Bucco’ Jean-Michel Lorain 1985 Romanée Conti, Domaine de la Romanée Conti *** Risotto with white Alba truffles “Enoteca Pinchiorri” Annie Feolde 1961 Chateau Palmer *** Saddle of lamb ‘Léonel’ Marc Meneau 1959 Chateau Mouton Rothschild *** Sorbet “Dom Perignon” *** Supreme of pigeon en croute with Perigord truffles Heinz Winkler 1961 Chateau Haut Brion *** 1955 Chateau Latour Selection of fine cheeses *** Imperial gingerbread pyramid with caramel and salted butter ice-cream Jean-Michel Lorain 1967 Chateau d’Yquem *** Coffee or tea with Mignardises It was reported that profits from the event would go to charity. Is the price justified or excessive?

My family used to own a refrigerator with the following layout: Double-door top refrigerator compartment, middle drawer vegetable compartment and bottom drawer freezer compartment. It was really convenient! Unfortunately when we shifted, Dad decided to get a new fridge and so we got a side-by-side, which was a big mistake While it looks big on the outside, it is really cramped inside... (ended up getting a smaller fridge as well to ease its load...!) Bottom freezers are the way to go, as we don't open the freezer as often as the fridge. It is easier to assess your food stock in the fridge without having to bend down and peer in, which is the case for top freezer types...

Just wondering.. is it true that disk shaped onigiri are considered more 'old-fashioned' (less trendy?!) than the triangular ones? That's what I was told.. although I think they taste just as nice! One of my favourites would be tuna with mayo and sriracha chilli sauce.. absolutely delicious!

Mochi filled with chocolate and rolled with black/white sesame seeds? Or instead of rolling them with sesame seeds, you could serve them in a sweet soup. You could prepare the mochi in advance

Thanks for the link, Chad. Very informative reading! But what are the differences in wood type?

I have never come across such boards, would you have a link to a picture of one? I don't use a dishwasher, so I would be washing it the old-fashioned way anyway

I'm looking at getting a new wooden cutting board, preferably a large one that can fit over the sink. Does the type of wood matter, and what makes a good board? The ones that I have seen cost approximately $40 - $70. Advice appreciated!

Lemongrass makes a really nice and refreshing beverage! Just get a bunch of stalks, crush the bulbs with the side of a cleaver, chop them in half and let boil in a pot of water. Lower heat and simmer for approximately 15-30 minutes. Add in some knots of pandan/screwpine leaves for extra fragrance (optional) and finally add some rock sugar or white sugar (to taste). Let cool and sieve out the stalks. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice cubes and enjoy! Goes really well with spicy Thai cuisine and makes a good conversation starter at parties when people cannot figure out what they are drinking and yet enjoy the taste

Back in 2002, I bought my parents a bottle of estate extra-virgin olive oil (2001 cold pressed & unfiltered) only to find out recently that they have been keeping it in the fridge for the past 4 years It has not yet been opened so I was wondering if it was still edible... As it was not filtered, a layer of white-ish 'bloom' has settled at the bottom of the glass bottle. The tag attached to the bottle advised that olive oil does not improve with age so I was wondering if I should take it and use it, or toss it? Any ideas?

I've been making fruitcake for the past two years and I used to macerate fruits in the fridge for a fortnight (with an occasional stir). The result was good but I wanted to try something different this year. This time around I've left the mixture in a heavy jar sealed with plastic wrap on the countertop. When macerating fruits, should the mixture be left untouched for the whole duration or can I mix it up occasionally to let the fruits nearer the surface absorb more alcohol/honey? It's been two weeks since I started a batch and it smells heavenly already! I'm so tempted to stick a spoon in to have a taste!

You could rinse the clementines thoroughly with water and soak them in water with vinegar for 5 to 15 minutes. Use about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a litre of water. Rinse them with water again before use. Hope that helps!

Very humid unfortunately (~80% range)... I intend to to do all prep work in a/c in the future, hope that will help. Will try whipping the whites more stiff too!

Raspberry! My favourite! I just used a teaspoon to scoop on the buttercream so it was a tad messy but so yummy!

Here's what I made over the weekend... I have never tasted macarons before, so I have no idea if they turned out all right!!! I had a tough time getting them to dry before putting them in the oven.. left them out for more than an hour and even tried using a hair dryer but the second batch refused to form complete dried tops. When I took the macarons out of the fridge, the tops started becoming very damp! That is not supposed to happen, I believe..?

Is there a difference taste-wise between Swiss and Italian? According to this site, Swiss is less sweet than Italian. Could anyone verify this?

I made it as is without any liquors, so that would not be a factor. I am wondering if it would be possible to reduce the sugar syrup without compromising the overall texture/ stability? Also, which pastry cream buttercream are you referring to? I can't seem to locate the recipe in the book. I will give the classic/ neoclassic ones a try though!

Hi, I'm new here and I have tried searching the eG forums regarding this topic but without success. Is it possible to make an italian meringue buttercream less sweet? The recipe I am using is basically RLB's Mousseline Buttercream; it tastes light and yet luxurious and piped beautifully on cupcakes. Most of my relatives who tasted it commented that the buttercream was much too sweet! They liked the texture of the buttercream but not the sweetness. Is there any way of reducing the sugar in the recipe? Also on a side note, is there such a thing as an unsweetened buttercream? If so, could anyone recommend a recipe? Thanks!