nightscotsman

Just the regular Guittard line - I think it's 60%. I haven't been able to find a place that carries the E. Guittard line at a reasonable price, yet.

Stopped in Trader Joe's last night and noticed they are now carrying large-ish bars of Belgian chocolate under their own brand called "Pound Plus". I'm not sure how long they've been around, but this is the first time I've noticed them, so I thought I would give it a try. I got a 17.6 oz (500 g) bar of the "70% Dark Chocolate" for $3.79. Ingredients are: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, and soy lecithin - cocoa solids 70% minimum. The back of the package reads: "Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bars are imported direct from Belgium. They are made exclusively for Trader Joe's in a small town outside of Antwerp by confectionary artisans known for producing perhaps the finest chocolate in the world. Each bar weighs 500 grams, 1.6 ounces more than a pound - hence the name Pound Plus." On tasting, the quality seems really quite good - strong, dark chocolate flavor with some fruity notes and a smooth texture. I didn't have any Valrhona around to taste it against, but it was certainly better than the Guittard I've been using recently, and a great price at less than $3.50 a pound. I'd be interested in finding out who is making this stuff for Trader Joe's.

Glad to hear mrs. tommy enjoyed Portland. If you do end up vacationing there, I recommend budgeting some time to spend in Seattle as well. Having lived in both (Portland 30 years, Seattle 9) I have to say that though Portland is very nice and has several unique attractions, Seattle is the prettier city and has more dining options.

I agree, the Japanese are the current world champions when it comes to packaging. One of my favorites is the cellophane wrapping on individual onigiri sold in train stations and convenience stores - the wrap is dual-layered in such a way that the surrounding nori is kept separated from the rice. To open it you pull a tab that runs around the center of the package and slide to two halves apart, leaving you with a rice ball perfectly wrapped in crisp, non-soggy seaweed. Just brilliant. Pictures of the packaging and how it unwraps here.

celeriac is an entirely different animal and I don't think it has the starch issues that potatoes do. I've had no problem making celeriac puree days ahead of time and storing in the fridge. Just nuke and stir when time to serve.

Here's a descussion we had in the past on screwtops and synthetic corks. The largest producer of synthetic corks is Supreme Corq here in Washington. If you send them an email or call to request to see their research findings on gas permeability and aging, I'm sure they would be happy to send you the password to the area of their site containing the data.

Strawberry Marshmallows These are a variation on a recipe from Martha Stewart. Discussed in this thread. 4 envelopes gelatin 1/2 c strawberry puree (frozen is actually better than fresh unless you have access to very flavorful local strawberries) 1-1/4 c water 3 c sugar 1-1/4 c light corn syrup 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp orange flower water (optional) powdered sugar and potato starch for dusting Line a sheet pan with a 1" rim with aluminum foil. coat the foil with vegetable oil or non-stick spray. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix the strawberry puree, orange flower water (if using) and 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over to soften. Put the sugar, corn syrup, remaining 3/4 cup water and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches the soft-ball stage (234-240 F). With the mixer at full speed, pour all of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl. Be careful as the mixture is very liquid and hot at this point and some may splash out of the bowl - use a splash guard if you have one. whip until the mixture is very fluffy and stiff, about 8-10 minutes. pour mixture into the foil-lined pan and smooth with an oiled offset spatula so that it's level with the top of the rim (it won't completely fill the pan). Allow the mixture to sit, uncovered at room temp for 10 to 12 hours. Mix equal parts powdered sugar and potato starch and sift generously over the rested marshmallow slab. Turn it out onto a cutting board or counter, peel off foil and dust with more sugar/starch mixture. Slice with a thin-bladed oiled knife or oiled cookie cutters. Dip all cut edges in sugar/starch mixture and shake off excess. Marshmallows will keep several weeks at room temp in an air-tight container. Variation - Chocolate Marshmallows: Replace strawberry puree and initial 1/2 cup of water in mixing bowl with 1/2 cup of cocoa disolved in 1/2 cup boiling water in a separate bowl. Soften gelatine in an additional 1/4 cup cold water in mixing bowl. Add cocoa mixture to mixing bowl and procede with recipe as above. This will produce a marshmallow with a strong chocolate flavor, but somewhat denser than the strawberry version. To get a lighter texture as well as a lighter chocolate flavor, reduce cocoa to 1/4 cup. Variation - Vanilla Marshmallows: Replace strawberry puree and initial 1/2 cup of water in mixing bowl with 3/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or the seeds scraped from 2 vanilla beans. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Fruit ( RG240 )

I think it varies between restaurants. I agree that Brasa's portions were a bit smaller than normal, but I still had plenty to eat and didn't leave hungry. On the other hand, The Georgian's portions were quite generous and didn't seem to vary from the same dishes on the regular menu. Nell's portions were OK, but I thought the entrees themselves weren't very interesting and seemed stingy when compared to their normal menu.

I was at Earth and Ocean for the $12.50 lunch on Monday (the lunch menu is almost identical to the dinner menu, by the way). I thought the venison stew, though not spectacular, was quite tasty with tender chunks of meat - I also really liked the bacon and dark bread garnish. And I loved the light and creamy carrot soup. I can't remember what the contrasting cream topping it was, but it worked well. I've written about my issues with the E&O desserts in the past (too sweet, overly garnished), but the little fig pastry things were good. Service was prompt and accomodating. That said, I had a dinner with friends at E&O last month that was fabulous (though a bit more that $25, natch). One of our party at the special of squab stuffed with foie gras and truffles that was just killer, and my entree of braised oxtail "sheppards pie" was richly flavored and deeply satisfying.

I love those cookie mushrooms and bamboo shoots - in strawberry, too! My favorite is actually the little tree stumps: chocolate roots and bark around the cookie "wood".

Maybe not, but I find that just a pinch of real devil in my devil's food cake adds much more depth and complexity than the artificial stuff. I don't make it very often though, since it can be time consuming and expensive to summon the Dark One every time you want to bake a cake (fresh being preferable to the extract, of course).

Yeah, Col Klink found some, actually. It really does taste like bacon. Why, I happen to have a bottle of that stuff right here [reaches around to wine rack]. It's a Mendoza Malbec from Altos las Hormigas. Argentinian. Mine's from 1999.

I love Oyakodon and Katsudon, but my favorite is Curry Katsudon. Ah, Japanese comfort food!

You can order the Italian version from Sam's Wine and Spirits here.

It really isn't. You only use a tiny bit of creme de cacao so it just adds a very subtle aftertaste. In fact, I like to add a bit more than the recipe calls for because I find it a little too subtle. I've featured the Floridita as a "Mystery Cocktail" at a couple parties and nobody guessed more than two of the ingredients.

The Aviation is my favorite cocktail since I discovered it in the book. Though I have yet to find a bar or restaurant that stocks maraschino, so I've given up trying to order it out. The few times I did ask for one I got a blank look and had to recite the recipe, and even then what I got back was pink and super sweet. Oh, another good one to try is the Floridita.

I Love this book and have been trying to promote it to friends for several years - including several links and posts to threads like this one. It's really a shame the book went out of print. Very hard to find now, although it looks like you can buy it direct from the author through Amazon. I agree the Nicky Finn and Petit Zinc are both worthy beverages. Do be sure to try the Champs Elysees as well, and the French 75 is as good a reason as any to always keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge.

OK, confession time: I invented, and insisted my Mom make for me, a sandwich consisting of white bread, peanut butter, salami or bologna, and sliced sweet pickles. The taste of these is still a vivid (and not unpleasant) memory.

Trader Joe's sells a premium pasta imported from Italy. I don't remember the brand, but it's made from Italian durum wheat and they use bronze dies and low pressure, then dry at low temp for three days. The surface texture is much rougher that other commercial brands. Comes in a hand-wrapped, yellow paper package with a cellophane window. About two bucks a pound. I don't tend to eat a lot of pasta, but I've been wanting to give this stuff a try.

Then what does that make Pokey?

melting chocolate. bringing butter to room temp quickly.

I would love to come sample your stuff Brian, but unfortunately I'm in Seattle right now. I'll be moving to Chicago this summer (to attend the French Pastry School - yikes!), so I might be able to make it out to the New York area for a weekend sometime. Who knows, I might even end up moving there after I'm done with school.

It could just be me, and far be if for me to disagree with the others, but I think the description is LUSCIOUS sounding just as it is. Is this description written of delivered by the server? I think it might be the delivery if that's the case. Oh, I don't disagree with you at all - I also think the dessert sounds really good. I was only refering to the menu description and how it would be interpreted by the general (non-foodie, non-eGullet, relatively innexperienced) public. For me, seeing "yogurt" as part of a dessert would make me think: "hmm, sounds interesting - looks like the pastry chef is using some creativity", and I would be more likely to order it over say, an overkill chocolate dessert. On the other hand I think many people would see "yogurt" and think: "sour, not rich tasting, nasty healthfood that's supposed to be good for you and I only eat that stuff when I'm on a diet". With that mindset, chocolate will win every time. Buttermilk doesn't fall into this trap because it has the word "butter" in it (of course), but also because people are used to seeing it used in richer foods like biscuits, pancakes, waffles and donuts.

OK, I'll throw a date out there: how about Thursday the 27th for dinner at E&O? I'm partial to dining at 7:00, but I'm flexible if others prefer another time. Let me know and I'll make a reservation.

No no no. They're on ice, so they are WINTER Olympic events. Can't wait to see Bivalve Boitano's quadruple axel this year. HA! That was funny! Now I have to say it: "What would Bivalve Boitano do?"