Tri2Cook

I can't tell if that's it exactly or not... but if not, it's close enough. Thanks!

Dredging this one up because based on a quick search, it seemed the most appropriate place for my question. Does anybody know if the mold pictured below is still available anywhere? It used to be available on Chocolat-Chocolat, I had it bookmarked, but it disappeared from the site quite a while back. I went through every mold on the site (because I couldn't remember the number or maker and, like a dummy, deleted the bookmark when it was no longer valid), it's definitely not there. I'm not 100% sure I still want it, can't remember the size, but that may be irrelevant if it's been discontinued.

It looks like it was a good time. Really wish I could have been there. I know it's not the same as being there but it was still fun being part of things via the reports and pictures here. Thanks everybody for letting us tag along.

Kerry, you mentioned something in the planning discussion that I didn't see come up so far here in the report discussion. Since it didn't come up here, this is going to be slightly off of the topic at hand but the other discussion is now locked so I'm asking here anyway. Is there a mail order source here in Canada for those IBC Power Flowers? I'm curious about being able to easily create an infinite number of colors with white chocolate. Seems like there would be applications where that might be a better (and probably more economical) option than colored cocoa butter. Things like certain types of figure molding and stuff like that.

Thanks!

If you don't mind me asking, who makes those dragon molds? I really like those.

Wow! Everything I could have learned at the workshop would have been awesome... but that breakfast alone would have been worth the price of admission for me.

I honestly think the second most helpful thing for me was just diving in and doing it. I'd read as much as I could find from the books I have and the huge amount of information available here on eGullet, all of which is hugely helpful and gave me a feeling of confidence going in. But actually getting in there with the chocolate and doing it demonstrates in a very clear way exactly all of those things you read about. I mean, I'd read that chocolate work can be messy for the beginner but nothing made that more clear than the time I spent cleaning chocolate from the counters, microwave, floor, front of the dishwasher, etc. after a busy day of chocolate work. Nothing made Kerry's point about getting cocky more clear than a successful round with the dark chocolate, a successful round with the milk chocolate and diving into the white chocolate thinking "damn, I don't know what all the fuss is about" just to have it laugh at me and not cooperate at all on the first attempt. Of course, the most helpful thing of all for me has been endlessly pestering Kerry with questions that she patiently answers without telling me to piss off and figure it out.

Yep. I'm a beginner and it didn't take me long at all to discover those lessons. Especially the "get cocky" lesson. I'm not far enough along to have learned that lesson on my own but it's advice I plan to follow. For production purposes, I've already decided that I'm going to do most things in the same basic dome mold and just differentiate by decoration. But I think it's fun to have one or two each of a few other molds to play around with now and then or for specific occasions.

As Kerry said, I'll be happy to take a look at anything anybody brings in hopes of not having lug back home again. I don't have anything specific in mind other than it being related to chocolate molding and/or decorating. So if you bring it or are considering bringing it and nobody at the conference is interested, send me a message and I'll take a look. I really wish I could be there but a recent and unexpected family matter that I won't go into here in order to avoid sending this off topic makes this a bad time for me to be away from home.

I like chucks low and slow in the smoker but that doesn't involve a dutch oven and does involve more than 2 - 3 hours.

Nice. And I agree on the not sure I'll do it too frequently. With my amateur setup of equipment, trying to get all 3 chocolates melted, tempered and at working temp at the same time was a juggling act that I don't think will be repeated often.

Do you use your Instant Pot for caramelizing chocolate or a regular stove top pressure cooker? No particular reason for asking, just being nosy. I'm thinking a caramelized chocolate bark with some of that freeze dried corn might be pretty tasty, I might have to find out for myself. Trying to get my head back in the chocolate world and put that EZ Temper to some good use.

I'm using a Kitchenaid processor and stand mixer that are both well beyond the "got my money's worth" point. I think the mixer is about 17 years old and the processor is about 14 years old. In addition to a pretty hefty amount of home use, they both saw heavy duty for a 6 year stretch when I was doing a lot of catering. They both work as good as new so I can't think of a good reason to "update" to something newer. But if I had to, based on what I got out of the home stuff, I don't think I could convince myself to spring for commercial. The exception being, if I actually needed the size and power of some of the commercial units... but I don't.

Thanks! I know it wasn't me who asked but that's the type of mold I want to get for next year.

That has to be a typo unless they're using some proprietary or homemade jasmine water that is much less potent than any of the commercial flower waters I've used. That would more like homemade perfume than a sorbet base.

Thanks! I tend to be my own worst critic even when I'm comfortable with what I'm doing and I'm not in the comfy zone yet with this stuff... but I'm having fun. The collective knowledge in these forums along with a lot of patience from Kerry is making it a lot easier going than it would probably be otherwise.

Looks good... as always. Sounds tasty... also as always.

Had leftovers of each chocolate from making the bunnies in separate bowls so I decided to give the marbling thing a try. With mixed results, as can be seen in the picture. I was being so cautious about over-swirling the chocolate that I think I didn't swirl it enough. But I kinda got a feel for the basic idea so maybe they'll turn out better next time.

Bunny love... I've pretty much given up on being able to take quality pictures that show things at their best, I just don't seem to have the knack, so this will have to do. They're nice and shiny in person. Did 2 dozen of each. That's the entire extent of my Easter work for this year. It was a fun learning experience... with a couple of mildly frustrating interludes and enough helpful advice from Kerry Beal that she should probably start charging me consulting fees. Dark = Coffee Ganache + Dulce de Leche Milk = Salted Caramel Ganache + Soft Caramel White = Peanut Butter Ganache + Raspberry Jam

Maybe that's just a regional variation of Porn & Chicken?

I don't get the reasoning behind wanting a specific "test dish" when checking out a new restaurant. If I go to a restaurant I've never been to before, I look at the menu, order what sounds good to me and eat it. If it's good, yay. If it's just okay, I may or may not come back again and give them another shot, if it sucks, I'm out. I can judge if the food is good (to me, which is all that matters if I'm the one eating it) or not without having a prearranged test in mind to judge by. Using something I like as a test dish is irrelevant because I'm not going to order something I don't like.

Eggs turned out really nice.

That's awesome... and my curiosity is sated.

I'm not a food scientist and won't pretend to be but I've stored crisp topping in the fridge for a few days many times. Cookie doughs too. I've never had any of it go soggy. Generally, if anything, they come out of the fridge feeling more dry than they went in. The sugars and flours absorb some of the moisture already present in the mixture and that's pretty much it. If it pulls any out of the airspace in the storage container, it makes no noticeable difference. Maybe eventually it will go soggy but I'm betting by that point it's for reasons other than the hydroscopic properties of the ingredients.