Shel_B

A lot of people around here want convenience. Also, many people are not "cooks," and lack the skills or the equipment to cut up a chicken, or even do other basic cooking tasks.

We have a few good poultry stores in the area, and, as you say, they'll cut up a chicken at no additional charge. However, their chickens cost more than supermarket birds to begin with, and they offer a wider variety and quality range of chicken than you'll ever find in a supermarket. When I'm serious about the chicken I use, I'll gladly pay the $$$ and get exactly what I want. Unfortunately, such is not always possible in other areas ... although, I've been into at least one supermarket here that will cut up a bird for their customers, also at no additional charge.

Recently I came across Trader Joe's Honey Sampler on the shelf at the local TJ's. The sampler contains some of my favorite honeys .... Tupelo, Acacia, and Orange Blossom.

I contacted a couple of sellers of high quality vanilla beans, and thus far received a response from one of them. "Bring the custard mixture up to 160-170 degrees. Remove from heat, place in vanilla bean and scrapings. Let cool to room temperature, remove vanilla bean. Leave in vanilla caviar. Finish recipe. " As suggested by Elsie, I was concerned that too high a temperature might not be a good idea, perhaps damaging or destroying some of the flavor and aromatic compounds.

FWIW, in the past, I've made panna cotta for pot lucks and other situations where I did not use a mold. I made the dessert in a large container and let people scoop out just what they wanted. While the technique may not be ideal for every situation, it is an option for some.

Ohh, that sounds nice. Please let us know if you find it. I'd like to find a source for a satisfactory guanciale

I like panna cottas for easy desserts that are well received.

Toots and I will most likely have dinner at my place. I'll fill the space with flowers, make her a nice card (actually, it's already done, just has to be printed), and prepare something that I know she likes and that will be a little special for her. I already know what the dessert will be - a toasted almond panna cotta. Neither of us are big drinkers, but there is a nice bottle of French Champagne here that I may break open - we'll see. After dinner we'll probably watch a movie - perhaps a romantic comedy ... can't do that in a restaurant!

TJ's Organic Sriracha & Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce: I saw this for the first time this morning and decided to give it a try. I often add garlic, hot pepper flakes or sauce, and other ingredients to prepared BBQ sauce, so this seemed like a reasonable purchase. When I taste it, I'll post my comments. If someone has already tried it, let's hear from you ....

You know, my first reaction was to dismiss your suggestion, thinking "That's not how you make a custard." But then, the more I thought about it, the more intriguing the idea became. So, when I get a chance, probably at the end of this month when I make some more flans, I'll give it a try, and meanwhile, I can say with all certainty, I will be thinking some more about this idea of yours. It's interesting in part because it's a different (to me, at least) way to make the dessert, and I also like thinking about how this can be adapted to my needs. Thanks! OK, back to the kitchen .... my garlic is ready.

When making custards, the milk is infused with vanilla seeds and often the pod, What might be the best temp of the milk to give the best extraction and infusion? Might too high a temp damage the oils and flavor essences of the bean? Too low not provide enough extraction?

First, allow me to thank everyone who gave me advice about making custards and about making the crème caramel. Your input was very helpful. This shot shows the caramel just after having been poured into the ramekins. I used 6-oz Anchor glass cups because they were the right size for small, individual portions that I'll use for an upcoming dinner, plus I like the idea of being able to look through the glass to see how the ingredients look at various stages of preparation. This shot shows the finished, plated flan, which is about what I'll be serving for our upcoming dinner. The plating looks pretty good, although suggestions on making it a little nicer would be appreciated. And here's the portion cut open. It looks like there are no air bubbles, runny liquid, or signs of overcooking. What's needed now is a better balance between the sugar in the custard and the crème caramel. I used a little less sugar in the custard than usual because of the caramel's sweetness. However, I may have cut back just a little too much, so the flans I'll make for dinner will have a little more sugar, or I may adjust the caramel in some way. Also, I may want to add a little more vanilla bean ...

Today I learned that the vanilla seeds that are scraped from vanilla pods is called caviar, and mine are sinking to the bottom of my custards. Up until recently, while learning custard-making techniques, I've use vanilla extract, but now I'm using vanilla beans (what a flavor difference!). Is it possible to get the "caviar" to disperse throughout the custard, rather than sinking? I know it won't add much to the flavor of the finished custard, but it sure would look nice. Thanks for any suggestions ....

Porthos ... my experience is that a fuller fat milk will provide a tighter sauce, all else being equal.