carol lang

Today was to have been the day to re temper my friend's chocolate bars. It has been cancelled til Thursday. I asked what kind of bars she has , she told me they were Holy Cacao, a bean to bar place in Israel. I looked them up and they do 100% cacao. Does that change any of the instructions that Kerry gave me? I did a practice run with some 64% Guittard and it was great. Thanks in advance for any comments

Thanks Kerry, I will let you know how it turns out

I have had an unusual request. A friend has a few high quality chocolate bars which have bloomed. I don't know the brand. She has asked if I could remelt and mold them. First, can I do this and second should I do it. I am open to all suggestions. My concern is that in re tempering the chocolate, the bar of course will be different than the original. Another concern is what tempering method to use. Thanks for any help.

How long is colored cocoa butter good to use. Is there a way to know that the colored cocoa butter is no longer usable. I have some Chef Rubber bottles for more than 2 years (maybe 3) and I am wondering wether to chuck it all and start fresh. Is there a taste test? Any way to know? Even if it tempers properly, I wouldn't want to spoil my hard work with "off" tasting cocoa butter. The cocoa butter has not been stored under ideal conditions, My NYC apartment temperature fluctuates sometimes unfavorably. Any advice is welcome

I emailed Notter when I tried the Key Lime recipe and received the following reply: "Thank you for question. Step 4 should tell you to add the soft butter. Sorry about this mistake, didn't catch it." It is most likely the same for the same for the Mint Praline.

Those a beautiful!

Kerry, I am enjoying reading about your culinary experiments.

The caramel apple caramels are beautiful. What color green did you use, do you blend it yourself?

I have some leftover ganache in a sealed pastry bag. Can it be left at room temperature or must it be refrigerated. I plan to use it the next day to fill shells.

As Kerry said, NY Cake has ingredients and chocolate. 56 West 22nd St. http://www.nycake.com

I like the changes. Love the colors of your banner. Your chocolates look great on the two levels.

It looks like you all had a great time and learned a lot. Thanks for sharing the pictures of the event, I really have enjoyed them.

Thanks Kerry It will help in making my decision.

I am looking to buy a compressor for my Badger250 airbrush. I have narrowed it down to the Badger Cyclone - a diaphram type and the Iwata Smart Jet- a piston type. Is there a benefit of piston over diaphram when airbrushing cocoa butter? I have a 50% off coupon for Michaels on the Badger but would be willing to spend more for the Smart Jet if there is a difference in quality of the work. I would appreciate any advice from the experience of others.

The photos look great! The chocolates are beautiful. What kind of camera are you using?

Your presentation looks beautiful. The chocolates look lovely. I really like your colors.

A few photos from the show. I only managed to be in one.

Thanks to all your advice and ideas, my first big selling event was a success. I was at ChocolateWorld Expo in Westchester County, NY. I will post some pictures soon.

I was there on Friday. Yes, the show was much smaller than usual and that was disappointing. Bill, it must have been very exciting for you to be at the New York Show. Your booth looked great, the chocolates look amazing. Also it looked to me that you had quite a crowd of admirers. I bought a box of 20 and some Pate de Fruit. The chocolates taste as good as they look. The flavors come through beautifully. I haven't picked a favorite yet, I like them all. I am also enjoying the Pate de Fruit. It has been so wonderful to have watched your progress on eG and to see how well you are doing. You are an inspiration.

I love the pictures, Steve. The tiles make the chocolates look great. Your set up seems very organized and trouble free. How long did it take you to design such an attractive, yet uncomplicated "store". I know it would have taken me tons of hit and miss before coming up with such good ideas. Thank you so much for sharing

Ruth, Your booth looks beautiful. The colors are so vibrant.

Lebowits, Thank you for an incredibly helpful post. It is so kind of you to share your hard earned experience. My December event will be indoors and the sponsor provides an 8" table and a 6" table. I have to get my own table drapes and runners etc. It sounds like you have a very attractive arrangement for your chocolates. You have some great ideas.

I am in NY and I have my permits and insurance, labels and everything else needed. I rent a commercial kitchen for production. This is a food show and sale and the sponsor has spelled out the requirements very clearly. It is a very important point that you have raised and I thank you.

Lior, Ruth, Karen I don't know how I can thank you enough for all your help. My fears are turning to excitement. You have given me a focus for my timeline. I know this is going to be hard to do but I feel much more confident, thanks to all of you.

Hi Lior, Thanks for all those tips, they will help me a lot. I am excited about doing this event but it is also a bit scary because it is something new.