Patrick A.

It is defatted pecan flour

Recently, I have been working on a project for a student group. They are trying to come up with recipes for desserts with pecan flour and pecan oil that are gluten free. We worked with a couple of recipes, but they turn out wasn't great. Most of them turned out very gummy. We added rice flour and xantham gum to help stablize the products. Does anyone have any ideas? The products have to be fairly stable, because they will be taking the pre-made products to Germany.

Kim, that is one amazing cupcake. My favourite - first rhubarb pie of the season. And homemade Walnut and White Chocolate Fudge ← What recipe did you use? I going to attempt to make a rhubarb pie. Never tried it before.

Ok, so I was asked this week to take on the task of coming up with a dessert for the Faculty Appreciation Dinner the students here at my college are doing. I need ideas. Me and another student are basically doing the menu. We met yesterday for about thirty minutes to brain storm on the dessert. She wants something light and airy that will finish off the meal. She suggested something with citrus, but she also wants to incorporate some chocolate. Now this dinner is for about 50+ people. There will be youngsters so nothing with alcohol. We are mostly paying for and possibly getting donations for this event, so it has to be inexpensive. Its on April 6th, I only have that day to prep everything according to the event planner. The main course is Pork, she plans on just simply grilling this with salt, pepper, etc.... very simple. My ideas are are either a mini lemon meringue pie cake or gfron1 give me the idea of a simple nepolian with lemon curd which I also like. Possibly a macaroon garnish. Square plate????? She needs my plan by March 30th so I have time. Anyone have any other ideas suggestions? If this was a normal dinner we have an unlimited budget.........but its not. Also, I was thinking of doing a mirror glaze or something exciting, but most of this people are should i say very "old fashioned", so my over the top ideas wouldn't pass. Thanks

Let's see, I cut myself every so often when I'm working in the kitchen. I usually don't notice until I get home or get lemon juice in it. They"re only minor cuts. I think I've cut myself to many times to notice right away unless its deep. As for burns....I've had my share. But no pain no gain......right?????

That sound like a good idea, but remember you will get shrinkage as with anything else.

Show me how to make the chocolate pasta.

So are you planning on doing this line style or separate stations? And when is it?

Well, i'm starting this topic to see what others think. I also thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss. Yesterday, i had a customer who's a regular at the place i work ask me a interesting question. He made a Kulula Chocolate Mousse and started talking about all the risks associated with raw eggs consumption. He and his wife were afraid about using the local eggs he got at the farms market, so he went to the local Albertsons and bought some commercial produced eggs. Does anyone think that eggs bought at the farms market are more at risk of being contaminated with salmonella as oppose to the ones bought at the store? From what they taught me at the program at school is that all eggs regardless of where they come from can be contaminated. We were also told that salmonella is from the egg shell and that every egg has it. Only with proper preparation can it be safe except for people with low immune functions like elderly and pregnant people. Does anyone want to add to this.

HaHa gfron1. Yup, i sure made a mess, but the jacket didn't stain. amazingly! The nice part was i had the younger members of class clean up my mess. They actual cleaned up all my messes in class when we cooked unknowingly As for cleaning....there are a few things i hate to clean since being an intern. cough... cough The worst thing to clean for me is.....hm.....would have to be carmel after it hardens.

Here's the semi-finalized entree and starter dish. Entree: This is a Chipotle marinated/glazed lamb (We actual trim the rack down to show skill) with a green bean and mushroom medley with quinoa with toasted pine nuts and red and yellow bell peppers. It also has a sauce from the pan drippings Starter: This is a avocado, black bean and corn stacked salad held together with mayo (We had to adjust this so it wasn't to overpowering) with a tomato, cucumber, red and yellow bell pepper salsa. We are having some trouble getting this to set up and not crumble when we move it. We will be practicing again Monday. If any one has ideas let me know. I have recipes.

Here is the finalized dessert. It basically the same recipe but i add a traditional powdered mole mixture (chocolate & chile and a couple of other things in it) to the ginger sauce. We add papaya, mangoes, dried cransins and cherries, and golden raisins, oh and banana. The white sauce is heavy cream, brown sugar, more of the mole, and coconut creme. The red sauce is basically a raspberry and blackberry sugar/syrup reduction ( I over did the water on this one ). It also has a mint sprig and sugar tear drops with a dried cherries. If anyone has any ideas let me know. I need some ideas for the sauce design, I've been told its to symmetrical. I was think I'd just do 3 lines instead. We are kinda tight on two burners, since i use them first for the sugar work, grilling fruits, making reduction, and making ginger sauce. Then the other use them. Here is the entree and starter. (Just thought i'd show them) This is chipote glazed lamb with veggie medley and quinoa This is a avocado, black bean stacked salad with a salsa And all of this is NM southwesternish themed. I have recipes if anyone wants them We are practicing again on Monday so I'll post more pictures soon

Here's our first attempts at our entree This one is lamb with a chipote glaze This one is pork with a ancho chile glaze. I made this one. Both have a black bean rice mixture and a sauted veggie medley.

Here's the picture of the teams first attempt at our dessert idea. It's a Grilled fruit Compote with a ginger glaze. They added angel food cake since we were experimenting. I didn't actually make this one, but another member of the team did. I've changed it up since this picture.

Sorry its taken awhile for me to get back, but thank you all for your help. Competition is in two weeks and we come up with a menu and are playing with ideas. I post picture as soon as i can. Again thanks for your help.

Sorry it's taken me awhile to get back to this, but Thanks you all for your help!!!!! Competition is in two weeks and we have started playing with ideas. i have pictures of our attempts up soon. and again thank you for all your help.

I'll be adding a few pictures once i get them on the computer of gfron1 and me spray painting our croquembouche. it came out really great.

The only guidelines we have are that we have to show we properly store everything. We can bring anything we need, but like sauces and stuff like that we have to make in the 60 min block. This year they are expecting us to make our own broths and stuff within the range that we can bring all ready prepared.. Sodium Alginate was another idea i had. I have worked with it before. I was going to try it with the dessert, but maybe i'll try it with the stater or entree. We have used a dutch oven last year. It went well with the judges.

The only feedback we got was that their products taste was fresher, is what the advisior found out. Most of the judges are chefs and culinary people from around the town and state. We prepared two servings one is for the judges the other is for a display. The dessert i come up with last year was a twist on an old family recipe. It is basically a Mexican bread pudding that i added a whiskey sauce and green chile, apples, dried fruits. We did bake it in a Dutch oven last year and that went over really well with the judges. We don't really have a budget, but we do have to price the items correctly on our menu. The San diego Competition was a few years ago this year its going to be in Orlando, Florida. According what they told us at nationals. I was going to experiment with avocados, At nationals they had a team do a avocado mousse it looked interesting.

The competition isn't until March but we have started trying to plan a menu. That recipe sounds interesting. I've made creme anglaise before iit may work.

A pressure cooker sounds like a good idea. I never though about making a cake in that. We'll have to try experiment with that. As for the other parts of the meal, we are still in the trial and planning phase.

According to the rules, we can't do any actual work in the mise en place just set up our workplace except in the 60 min time block or we're disqualified. This year they want us to make everything we take thats pre-prepared. If we can keep the ice cream cold enough it may work. The poached pears was one of the ideas i was playing with this year.

Ok, This is the first of a few topics I am going to start to help me and our culinary team here at Silver at Silver High. We are part of a national program called ProStart for more info heres the site http://www.nraef.org/prostart/ . Its in part of the NRAEF or National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Here's it site http://www.nraef.org/index.asp . The team last year, which i was a part of placed 2nd at state. The starter last year was a watermelon cold relish/soup. The entree was a ginger-pineapple pork chop with cous-cous and carrot bundles.I'll post some picture once i get them from our advisor. Here's the basic Set up This is Gadsden, NM at Nationals last year. We only have two gas burners and the two tables in a L shape as you can see and thats it. Nothing else. We have to bring all our supplies. There are four members on a team We aren't provided or allow any electricity. We have to do all our cooking on those two burners. We have to prepare in 60 minutes a starter, Entree (Protein, Starch, Veggie), and a dessert. They have to be plated on a standard white round plate. This year they made a new rule that we have to pick four knife cuts (you know a brunnoise, julienne, etc) and incorporated them into our dishes. Anyway, Here's my question that a ask those of egullet to help me with. In other words be our mentor chefs. Does anyone have any ideas for a starter and Entree that we can cook on a stove?????? I have some ideas that i am going to play with, but i would like to have more insight into what you think will work. Thanks!

Ok, This is the first of a few topics I am going to start to help me and our culinary team here at Silver at Silver High. We are part of a national program called ProStart for more info heres the site http://www.nraef.org/prostart/ . Its in part of the NRAEF or National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Here's it site http://www.nraef.org/index.asp . The team last year, which i was a part of placed 2nd at state. The dessert was a bread pudding with a whiskey sauce. I came up with the recipe for the bread pudding part which i have eaten several times. In this part of the U.S, it's referred to as capirotada. I twist ed the old version i grow up with and add some more dried fruits and green chile, which actually add a really great taste. I'll post some picture once i get them from our advisor. Here's the basic Set up This is Gadsden, NM at Nationals last year. We only have two gas burners and the two tables in a L shape as you can see and thats it. Nothing else. We have to bring all our supplies. There are four members on a team We aren't provided or allow any electricity. We have to do all our cooking on those two burners. We have to prepare in 60 minutes a starter, Entree (Protein, Starch, Veggie), and a dessert. They have to be plated on a standard white round plate. This year they made a new rule that we have to pick four knife cuts (you know a brunnoise, julienne, etc) and incorporated them into our dishes. Anyway, Here's my question that a ask those of egullet to help me with. In other words be our mentor chefs. Does anyone have any ideas for a dessert that we can cook on a stove?????? I have some ideas that i am going to play with, but i would like to have more insight into what you think will work. Thanks!

Oh, i forgot to mention i did it as a demo for the class i am in.