nightscotsman

For an amazingly dense, rich, deep flavor in a sweet sherry with a finish that goes on forever, you have to try the "Emelin" from Lustau. One of the most complex things I ever sipped.

Is Ron Paul still open on 23rd? They might be more of a prepared takeout-foods deli, though.

Git yer Australian camel offal here.

I remember a recipe from one of the Moosewood cookbooks that I used to make quite often a long time ago. It included muenster cheese in small cubes and choped dates, and the dressing had orange juice and orange zest in it. Really tasty, but a bit on the sweet side and quite substantial. I think that a firm blue cheese might make a nice addition to a more traditional waldorf. Personally I wouldn't add sugar, but then I also wouldn't use super-tart apples like granny smith.

Lately I've been seeing commercials for a "pancake cooker" that looks like two little non-stick crepe pans connected with a hinge at the far side. pour the batter on one side, let it cook, then close the lid and flip it over the cook the other side. I feel stupider just watching them demonstrate the thing. Oooh, now I can make one pancake at a time - thanks!

Just a couple of suggestions from a non-professional: 1) In the photo for the box of 32 truffles, the one on the left appears to have a piece of crystallized violet on top rather than a piping hole. At least that's what it looks like to me since it's the same color purple as the box lid. 2) Perhaps the truffles are all perfect and exactly the same size because they carefully chose from hundreds of individual truffles to present only the most perfect and uniform specimens. This is common practice in professional photo shoots. (By the way, the photos and packaging are beautiful) I haven't sampled her product, and I don't mean to disparage anyone's experience and expertise, but to judge the entire output of a reportedly well respected chocolatier solely from viewing a few tiny images on a web site seems a tad premature to me. (Her logo, on the other hand, could really use the attention of a professional designer. Please invite her to contact our office ASAP )

I just ordered some "black cocoa" from King Arthur to try out. Can anyone tell me more about it? Is it Dutched or natural? What makes it black? What should I expect flavor-wise?

Personally I've always ranked Ghirardelli at the same level as Hershey and Nestle - not even as good as Cadbury. By the way, who would you say is doing the best, most interesting filled chocolate work these days? I thought Maison du Chocolat was good, but Richart has the coolest stuff I've ever seen with some amazing flavors.

New menus for Seattle Central! These are for October 29, 30 and 31st for lunch 11:00-1:00 only. Square One Dining Room North African & Central Mediterranean Menu Salad Moroccan Orange, Cos & Watercress Salad with citrus cinnamon vinaigrette - 1.50 Entrees Includes choice of soup or salad Spanakopitta Spinach and feta pie with Greek vegetable salad - 5.50 Tajine d' Agneau Savory lamb & olive stew served with spicy harissa sauce - 6.25 Sumk Shwi Grilled salmon with green olive salsa and chickpea pancakes - 6.50 Kalamari Flash fried calamari with orange blossom fruit salad - 5.75 One World Dining Room French Cuisine menu Appetizers Soupe a l’Oignons Gratinee - $1.95 French onion soup with golden brown gruyere topping Soupe de Jour - $1.75 Please ask server for today’s selection. Salad Paysanne, Vinaigrette ala Moutard - $1.95 Duck confit, mesclun salad, and apples with mustard vinaigrette Entrees Includes your choice of soup or tossed salad. Salade d’Escalope de Saumon Chaude - $5.50 Seared salmon served over fresh greens with a vinaigrette dressing. Canard Confit, Haricot Vert et Poire Pocher au Vin - $6.25 Duck confit with French green beans and wine poached pear. Filet de Poulet Sautee, a l’Estragon - $5.95 Sautéed supreme of chicken served with tarragon sauce. Daube de Boeuf Grille a la Provencal - $6.50 Grilled top sirloin steak served with Provencal sauce. Escalope de Porc aux Pommes et Carvi - $6.25 Sautéed pork tenderloin with apples and caraway Saute Fin D’agneau au Basilic - $6.50 Lamb sirloin with pesto sauce Legume D’ automne - $5.25 Wine-steamed vegetables and tomato gratin. Mille-feuille de Fruite de Mer - $7.50 Seafood Napoleon: shrimp, monkfish and scallops between layers of flakey pastry. Poissons aux Olives et Herbes de Provence - $6.95 Papillote of sea bass and squid with olives and herbes de provence

Chairman Kaga?

I've actually read this is called a "Buckeye". http://www.digsmagazine.com/host/host_mart...tiniprimer3.htm

On the other hand, I think many people who order martinis would be too scared of appearing "uncool" to send one back. When I had a cocktail party a couple years ago, one person wanted a "totally bone-dry" martini - "just wave the vermouth bottle over the gin". I used the 3 oz to 1/2 oz ratio and he said it was best martini he had ever had. People don't know what the hell their drinking. Remember - dry vermouth is completely dry. Adding more won't make anything sweeter.

Put the Frank Lloyd Wright cake in a warm room for a few hours.

Coooooooooool! What are the schwags on the middle layer made of?

By the way I've read that the word "perfect" when used in the name of a cocktail is a bar term referring specifially to equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. So a "perfect martini" (as opposed to a "well ballanced martini) would use something like 2 oz gin, 1/4 oz dry vermouth and 1/4 sweet vermouth. A "perfect manhatten" would be 2 oz whisky, 1/2 oz dry vermouth, 1/2 oz sweet vermouth and a couple dashes of bitters.

One thing that the commercial non-stick sprays have all over those pump'n-spray oil canisters (when used in baking) is the inclusion of Lecithin. Nothing, I mean nothing is going to stick with lecithin. In fact, lately I've been using a product called "Cake Release" from Wilton. It's a yellow, flavorless liquid that you brush on the pan like melted butter and contains several typed of oils, corn flour and lecithin. Way more non-stick than butter. By the way, lecithin is derived naturally from soy beans and is used to emulsify chocolate. It can also be good for you.

French 75: 1/4 oz gin (I like Seagrams because of it's citrusy focus) 1/2 oz Cointreau 1/4 oz lemon juice Shake with ice and pour into chilled cocktail glass. Top with 4 oz of chilled champagne and garnish with a lemon twist. drink "quickly, while it's laughing at you" - Harry Craddock

I use canned white peaches and add a little lemon juice after pureeing to counteract the sweetness. I'm sure fresh would be better, but I've had no complaints. If you must use fresh, you might try lightly poaching them first. You could add lemon juice, but the amount you would have to add to keep the puree from turning brown might be overpowering.

I'm not a big martini fan, but here are a few tips that I've picked up: - chill the glasses in the freezer. - the classic, original (pre-WWII) proportions are: 2 parts gin to 1 part dry vermouth, but a more modern version would be 3 oz gin, 1/2 oz dry vermouth. Any less vermouth and you might as well just drink the gin straight. - I like Noilly Prat dry vermouth. - personally, I think Tangueray is too strongly flavored for a martini, but if you don't like Bombay Saphire, then I recommend trying Seagrams Extra Dry Gin. - forget James Bond - stir, don't shake. shaking will make it frothy and cloudy and the ideal martini is crystal clear. - pour gin and vermouth over lots of cracked ice and stir vigorously. - I don't like olives, so I can't help you there.

Don't be too hard on yourself. I like the Chocolate Bible book, but I don't think the recipes are written with quite enough detail and can be a little ambiguous. Good info on chocolate, but not the first I would turn to for a cake recipe. If you do try again, I would still fold in the eggwhites first. Otherwise, if you fold in the flour first the mixture will be too heavy and will deflate the whites. If you can bake one that comes out at an inch and a half I would declare success

I'm actually considering enrolling in the South Seattle CC pastry program. I'm currently on the waiting list for the semester starting in January, but there are a couple other schools I want to visit before deciding. I spent the day there a couple months ago observing and talking to the students and instructors. They have a very impressive program with a strong grounding in classical techniques. I also toured the pastry program at Seattle Central, but they seem to be much more focused on artisinal breads. A few tips on dining at the two community colleges: The service at South Seattle tends to be glacially slow, so plan plenty of time. The pastry program being very strong at South Seattle, do order dessert and do not leave without visiting the pastry shop. Dessert tends to be dissapointing at Seattle Central in my experience, but you can pick up some good bread (real cheap) at their pastry counter. IMO the savory menus are much more interesting and modern at Seattle Central, where I think the culinary program is stronger and more focused on cooking for fine dining restaurants.

One other variable you might pay attention to is making sure you cream the butter and sugar long enough. The final state should be very fluffy and almost white in color. If in doubt, beat longer. Creaming butter and sugar is one of the methods leavening a cake. Is there any baking powder in the recipe? baking powder does not last forever and will lose it's leavening power over time. If the expiration date on the bottom is passed, it might be time to throw it away and get a fresh can. You can also test the baking powder by sprinkling a bit in a glass of water - if it fizzes actively it should still be good. Wait a minute... I just checked the recipe I think you're using (page 82, right?). It says to place the almond paste, egg yolks, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together in the a bowl and cream them. This does not sound right to me. The ususal method is to cream the butter and suger alone (you could include the almond paste as well) untill light and fluffy, then adding the egg yolks one at a time beating well after each, then the vanilla at the end. The butter and sugar need to form an emulsion before adding the eggs or they won't retain their fluffiness. It also looks from the photos that the baked cake won't be higher than two inches at the most, so your layers should be very thin.

Lunch only, 11:00 - 1:00. I know, it sure would be nice if they served dinner, too.

Just thought I would post next week's menus for the Seattle Central cooking school. These menus are good from 10/15 - 10/24, Tuesday through Thursday. Friday is all-you-can-eat buffet day. For the "Square One Bistro" (prices include soup or salad): Parmesan Zucchini Cakes with Fresh Tomato and Olive Sauce Hummus and warm pita - $4.95 Grilled Duck Breast withHuckleberry Compote, Wild Rice Pilaf and Fall Greens - $5.75 Sake Marinated Mahi Mahi with Prawn Dumplings and Scallion Consommé - $5.95 Fresh Fettuccine with Sweet Corn, Pancetta, Tomatoes and Tarragon - $5.50 Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich - $5.25 For the "World Dining Room": Appetizer Cana de Açucar com Camarao Flambé shrimp on sugarcane spears with pineapple salsa prepared tableside - $2.50 Soup and Salad Sopa Azteca Tortilla Soup - $1.50 Ensalada de Jicama Baby greens with jicama, oranges radishes and cucumbers served with an ancho lime vinaigrette - $1.50 Entrées includes choice of soup or salad Ensalada de Jamaican Jerk Pollo Spicy grilled chicken breast served on a bed of baby greens with a sour orange vinaigrette - $4.95 Pato en Tacos Duck tacos with charred habanero salsa and a black bean cake with crisp plantains - $6.95 Chilahuates Banana leaf wrapped tamales with masa, black beans and vegetables served with tomatillo salsa and vegan green rice - $5.25 Sandwich Cubano Grilled sour orange roast pork, ham and cheese sandwich with yucca and plantain chips - $5.45 Tamal de Salmón Adobado Chili grilled salmon in cornhusks served with jalapeño corn flan - $6.45

It's right across from the Broadway Market, where World Wraps used to be.