nightscotsman

I'm assuming this was more than just chocolate mousse in a dome shape? Could I impose upon you to describe the composition and what made it so good? By the way, thanks for writing up your meal.

In my experience Canlis has excellent service. I have found that the employees are happy to be working there and it shows in their attitudes. From the reservations to the host and wait staff and everyone down to the valet is determined to serve enthusiastically. It is obvious that seeking out the anticipated needs of their guests is a priority. I agree. Best service I've had in Seattle. And the valet's are clairvoyant.

Normally I like grade B, but I only had grade A at the time. I think in this case the grade B might overpower the pineapple flavor, but I would still used it if that's what you have. Personally, I think the lighter amber varieties in both grades are too wimpy. I don't think we've done a maple syrup thread here. Why don't you go ahead and start one?

Sorry for taking to so long, but I've finally fixed the texture issues of the pineapple-maple ice cream. Here is the revised recipe: Maple Poached Pineapple: 1/2 a ripe pineapple 1 cup maple syrup (I used grade A dark amber) Cut off pineapple skin and eyes, slice in quarters lengthwise. Remove woody core and slice each quarter in half vertically. Cut each slice into 1/2 inch chunks. Bring maple syrup to boil in heavy saucepan. Add half of the pineapple and bring back to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep, stirring occasionally, until cool. Drain pineapple well and reserve liquid. Refrigerate pineapple and syrup separately. (if you like, you can use 2 cups of syrup and poach all the pineapple - it's really good over waffles or pancakes, or just eaten right out of the container) Pineapple-Maple Ice Cream: 1/2 coarsely chopped TOASTED pecans 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1-1/4 cups maple poaching liquid from above 1-1/2 cups poached pineapple from above Put poaching liquid in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce syrup to 1/2 cup then add cream. This may cause the syrup to solidify - just continue to heat and stir until everything is melted together. When mixture is smooth, remove from heat and add milk. Chill thoroughly. When you are ready to process the ice cream, cut pineapple into 1/2 inch cubes and put in a container large enough to hold finished ice cream - place in freezer to chill. Process the cream mixture in ice cream maker to the consistency of soft ice cream. spoon into container with pineapple, add chopped pecans and stir together. Freeze until firm.

Does this mean we're going to start seeing bottles of wine in the "health supplements" aisle next to the echinacea and zinc tablets at the drugstore?

Excellent! Thanks so much for the report. It's great to hear that the chef change at Taillevent seems to have gone smoothly. And I'm happy to hear you enjoyed Spoon - it was one of my favorites when I was in Paris for the first time last year.

I just checked my molds and they appear to be 3 oz (2 x 2 inches, right?). I would call the last batch of canele "mahogany" with a very crunchy crust. Even the next day, stored in a covered container they are still fairly crisp. If I wanted a little less crunch in the crust, but still cooked through, would I bake them at a higher or lower temperature? I'm not completely unhappy with this attempt - just fine tuning. Thanks to everyone for their help and encouragement! Glad you liked them, mamster. Now that I think I've solved my major problems, I will have to try Bau's chocolate version - thanks for reminding me.

Pineapple-Maple Ice Cream Maple Poached Pineapple 1/2 ripe pineapple 1 c maple syrup (grade A dark amber) Pineapple-Maple Ice Cream 1/2 c coarsely chopped TOASTED pecans 2 c heavy cream 1 c whole milk 1-1/4 c poaching liquid from the maple poached pinapple 1-1/2 c maple poached pineapple For the Maple-Poached Pineapple Cut off pineapple skin and eyes, slice in quarters lengthwise. Remove woody core and slice each quarter in half vertically. Cut each slice into 1/2 inch chunks. Bring maple syrup to boil in heavy saucepan. Add half of the pineapple and bring back to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep, stirring occasionally, until cool. Drain pineapple well and reserve liquid. Refrigerate pineapple and syrup separately. (if you like, you can use 2 cups of syrup and poach all the pineapple - it's really good over waffles or pancakes, or just eaten right out of the container) For the Ice Cream Put poaching liquid in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce syrup to 1/2 cup then add cream. This may cause the syrup to solidify - just continue to heat and stir until everything is melted together. When mixture is smooth, remove from heat and add milk. Chill thoroughly. When you are ready to process the ice cream, cut pineapple into 1/2 inch cubes and put in a container large enough to hold finished ice cream - place in freezer to chill. Process the cream mixture in ice cream maker to the consistency of soft ice cream. spoon into container with pineapple, add chopped pecans and stir together. Freeze until firm. Keywords: Intermediate, Dessert, Fruit, Vegetarian, Ice Cream Maker ( RG213 )

Thanks, lou - I appreciate it. I made another batch today using Nancy Silverton's recipe, and this time used beeswax mixed with butter and oil to line the molds. These are much closer to what I'm looking for. They didn't rise up out of the molds and the outside is a beautiful deep brown all over as it should be. Nancy's recipe uses mostly egg yolks rather than whole eggs, so I think that may have been the major difference. Also they are baked at a 375 instead of 400. The only think I wasn't quite happy with was the crust, which is quite thick and hard rather than crisp/chewy like the ones I had in France. I wonder if I baked them at the higher temperature for a shorted time I would get a nicer crust?

I love this too. It was pretty inexpensive too, right? Around $12 for a half bottle? Yep, very reasonable. I think I may have paid closer to $10 for the half bottle - maybe on sale? A pretty generic, cheap-looking label, so it's easy to miss on the shelf.

OK, OK, I caving. Please put me on the list for some, too. And of course I will come by to pick it up. Thanks!

Dead men tell no tales. KIDDING! Klink's smoked brisket is awsome. And like he says, the fat is really the best part. Last party he served some I just wanted to camp out by the platter and eat it by the handful.

You shouldn't have any trouble getting a table at most places with a week to a few days notice - maybe a little longer for weekends depending on the restaurant. All the $25 menus I've had have been very good values, though some are more generous than others. If you look above you can see a few of the ones us Seattleites are interested in. If you go here you can see which restaurants in the downtown area are participating. Depending on where you're staying, they should all be within walking distance, and except for the ones on the east side, the others would be within a short cab ride. As for other restaurant recommendations, you might want to check out previous threads here and here, as well as many other threads on individual restaurants in the Pacific Northwest Board.

I almost always take notes on a small note pad when I eat at serious restaurants. None of the waitstaff has ever mentioned it or asked why I was taking notes. Nor do I think I've received any special treatment because of it. I'm sure a published food critic would be more discreet, so I assume they don't think I'm a writer - just one of those weird foody people. I say: if they ask, just be honest and say you are enjoying your meal and want to remember the details. And ask for a copy of the menu when you leave, of course.

My brother drinks diet coke. Every morning. Warm.

The only bulk chocolate I've seen at Joe's was Ghirardelli. Maybe they carry a different brand at the one you go to?

The regualar Guittard is quite good, though not a really super premium brand like the E Guittard line. However, please do not use chocolate chips for your truffle fillings. Chips are formulated differently from couvature chocolate and the ganache wont set up properly. R Washburn: mind if I ask where you are getting Valrhona for less than $5 a pound? I've looked all over on-line and haven't found it that low. I would love to find a cheaper source.

By the way, I was informed that Earth & Ocean is not only participating, but they will be changing their $25 menu every week, including three new dessert choices per week. Here's my list (and I'm going to make it to more than one this time, dammit): Earth & Ocean The Georgian Room Hunt Club 727 Pine Nishino Tulio Nell's

Venturi Schultze is a vinyard on Vancouver Island in Canada producing balsamic vinegar using the tradizionale methods. You can get more information, as well as purchase bottles "blended from barrels begun 6 to 12 years ago" for about $50 Canadian, on their web site here. Has anyone tried their product?

Since it was winter and I didn't have access to good, ripe tomatos (and I didn't want to invest a lot of money into a recipe "test"), I just used canned, whole tomatoes, drained and seeded. They worked well, but I think if I made it again I would either chop them finer or just puree them, since the juice that remained in the chunks tended to soften the jell. And I would go really easy on the anise if you use it. I just put in a pinch or two finely ground and any more would have been too much.

I beg to differ. Unless it has been overprocessed and deodorized, coco butter does have flavor and aroma. Otherwise that fake "white coating" made with vegetable fat would be indistinguishable from the real thing. I'm holding a bar of "100% pure coco butter" right now and it has a woderful, subtly rich scent of chocolate. I realize many people don't consider white chocolate to be "real" chocolate and find it to be too sweet, and that's fine - personal preference. But to say it has no flavor at all is just not true.

Thanks for asking, lou. The pre-cooking sounds interesting. All of the recipes I've tried so far produce a very thin batter and require chilling for at least 24 hours. I baked the Herme recipe again last night, including chilling the molds, though I used a combo of butter and lecithin to coat them. Same problem, but still tasty (they are addictive). I will try to get some beeswax, though I doubt if that would make a difference since I'm not having any sticking problems. I wish I could actually watch somebody make these things. Oh, and I just checked Dorie's book and didn't see a cannele recipe. It would be great if you could ask her if she's made them and might have some tips. Thanks!

I very strongly second the nomination of Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century. You can sometimes find it used on-line, but it's usually going for more than the cover price. However, the book was originally a web site and most of the content is still available here. Also, be sure to read the Q & A with Dale DeGroff, wherein he answers this same question. The Savoy Cocktial Book is classic and nice to have, but the recipes are just listed alphabetically by name, there is no index by ingredient, and no descriptions or background on any of the drinks.

Smaller granules? Try superfine.