KarenS

I was recently visiting and ate at a new place in Walnut Creek (I know, not quite SF). Va de Vi Bistro and Wine Bar (small plates, med. influenced, 100 wines and flights of wine tastings offered). It is between Tiffanys and Tommy Bahamas on Mt Diablo Blvd (downtown). The food was very good (it was very crowded- and quite a wait too).

Tart dough is not crisp and flakey (unless you are referring to puff pastry). The standard is sucre, which is like a sugar cookie- and meant to be sturdy- but tender and crumbly to the bite. A dough that shrinks is probably overworked;once you add the eggs to the flour you must pulse it (and never knead it), and mix it only to where it is combined.

On jams and preserves- use a large shallow pot, so that your fruit and sugar is not more then 4-5 inches deep. You want a lot of surface area, so that the cooking time is not so long. In the restaurant, I use a pot that is 30 inches by 8. It is stainless (good color), and with a heavy core bottom (even heat). Taste your fruit; you want aprox the same amount of sugar to fruit (you can use less- it won't keep as well). Stir until the sugar dissolves and then simmer until you have thick (stirring often to keep from burning) bubbles- your inserted spoon will have thick "drips" that will barely fall from the spoon.

Behemoth, you will get much better volume with room temp egg whites. There is no need for a chilled bowl.

On making hollaindaise (or whipping anything over a water bath). The best advice I ever got was to keep your arm from the shoulder to the elbow in contact with your body. You are forced to use your wrist only and your arm does not get tired (I can whisk for a very long time)-picture your arm in contact with your body to your waist.

Steve is right that it is in "the Russian tea cookie family". In my hotel baking days I made massive dough batches. Spago also makes large amounts at a time. I always used very cold butter on low speed. If the butter is too warm, or if you cream too much air into the dough- the cookies will spread (or puff up and fall).

A diabetic would not want to be eating butter and cream cheese either- those are major calories!

hah! I was shocked, not hocked

My brother, sister and I had the permanent job when we were growing up- of doing the dishes. One would wash (clean sink, hot water and soap), one would rinse (running hot water), and one would dry and put away. Glasses first, then plates/bowls, then silverware, last was cooking utensils, containers and pots. We filled the sink a second time after the silverware. We would then clean the counters and sweep the floor. I remember getting our first dishwasher (it was the kind that you screwed the hose to the faucet). We were so happy (though strict rinsing was enforced). As preteens and teens we had scheduled washing days. Weekend nights there was heavy bargaining and trading (sometimes involving the family car and who was going to use it). My mother never did dinner dishes. My father never did dishes period. We were compensated with an allowance. My peeve is people who wash dishes with old sponges and rags- yuck! I am a brush person. In Belgium and France is the first place that I experienced the "no rinse"- just dry the soapy plate. I was hocked- I was more bothered that my Belgian friend told me that his parents would think I was weird if I took a bath (no showers) more often then every five days!

Blanch the artichokes. Split and submerge in a pan o chicken stock, red wine , caramelised shallots, herbs, etc...Braised, they are very good.

I am still with the cake that we make (I did post the recipe). I must add that I layer it with an equitoriale ganache (4 layers), and soak the cake with a tahitian vanilla bean syrup. Sinclair, I tried yours- too fussy, with the wrapping- and overall not worth it. I say yours a 3.5. I use Valrhona cocoa, and for the ganache- equitoriale (58 %)

I glaze over buttercream everyday. I really have never used ganache. I use a 3# bittersweet choc,2# butter, 1c corn syrup, 1/2c cognac (or another liquor). I don't like the gloss of ganache. I glaze over buttercream for a nice smooth finish. When your cake is chilled and ready -it is pretty easy to do.

Wendy, I would not hire a server that did not think that they were expected to do a good job everyday. I f you aren't motivated to do your job- well then you should get a different one. It is a very rare occurance that a cook will get a bottle of wine or money for making 100 orders. I believe that the treatment of the front and back of the house should be consistant. Remember, most servers make far more money then most cooks.

If I make a french meringue I use room temp whites, start whipping on low with a pinch of salt. When the whites are almost at soft peaks, I gradually add the sugar. -starting on low is a way of unfolding the bands of proteins in the white "prepping" them to hold air. - adding the sugar (superfine) towards the end helps stabilize your foam before adding the sugar -if you add sugar to the whites too quickly you will lose volume (you can actually disolve the meringue) Those are my reasons for the way I do it!

If I want to see a dessert menu at the beginning of my dining experience- I'll ask for it. I like "end of meal menus", one that has desserts, cheeses, coffee drinks, dessert wines, and liquors. I don't like (as a Pastry Chef), verbal specials; they don't sell. We do a printed specials page every day. That gives me the opportunity to describe the dessert. In my past I worked at restaurants that had "dessert trays". I really did not like making them (or seeing what they looked like an hour later). I am opposed to dessert sales "contests"; how about servers just doing their jobs!

I really enjoy making fruit tarts. We sell about 12 ten inch tarts in our espresso bar every day. I make assorted fillings-creme fraiche, buttermilk, rum, brown butter, lemon, almond cream, hazelnut cream, and use whatever fruit is "good".

They do melt. To combine with a batter though- you would have to stir it. There are good choc chips, and there are cheap choc chips. Yes, cheap choc chips contain much lethicin.

Mango season in Hawaii (June, July), white pineapple, lychee and rambutan, tomatoes, sweet corn, Maui onions, Sunrise papaya, Thai watermelon, peas, asparagus, cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. Everything is better when it is in season!

Castor sugar is superfine sugar.

I shake them very well in a china cap(sprayed), or pasta/ fryer basket and strain off all the excess caramel- then I spread on silpats with my (sprayed) offset

I have a few comments. Technique is very important in making a cake. Letting the mixer run will create tunneling. After adding a hot liquid to a batter with baking soda, it must be put instantly in the oven (Wendy, the hot liquid is to activate your levening). How you add your dry and wet ingredients can toughen the cake. A too hot oven will make your cake dome. Average cocoa will make an average cake. Cheap vegetable oil will make a heavy cake. Low protein flour will make a more tender cake. This is very similar to what we did in the "Baker's Dozen" group that I belong to. While the book was being made we would all take one recipe and bring in the results. ALL were different. (I can't remember how many differences we had in 1c of brown sugar- it was astounding).

Wendy, Sure, I'll try baking your recipe! I love new things to try. I have been searching for the "perfect" vanilla cake for years!

Wendy, I never spray the sides of a cake pan- I always make sure they are clean and dry, the cake will hold on and lift better. Here is my favorite choc cake (yield is eight 9 inch rounds): 12 whole eggs 10 1/2c sugar 1/4c vanilla extract 4c (valrhona) cocoa 3# 7oz ap flour 6T baking soda 2T kosher salt 6c buttermilk 6c freshly brewed, hot coffee 4 3/4c vegetable oil Whip sugar and eggs with vanilla until pale and thick. Sift dry ingredients. Combine liquids. Add dry and wet ingredients to the egg mixture, start and end with the dry. Pulse your mixer on and off to combine, do not leave the machine running- you will overmix. Ladel between your parchment lined pans (make sure that the sides are clean and dry- not greasy). Bake at 325 convection or 350 conventional until the cake springs back to touch in the center (or test with a skewer). This is a great cake; people love it.

I use choux dough piped through a star tip. It works really well.

Funny that I should read this- I just caramelised mac nuts for a dessert for a party of 540 last night. The tricks are to have your nuts hot and toasted. The caramel needs to be very dark (to the point that it is a thin liquid). I then stir the hot nuts in and immediately strain through a large china cap or fryer basket (spray them well first with pan spray). With a sprayed spatula, spread the nuts on many silpats- keeping them as seperate as possible. I break them up and freeze them as soon as they are "just" cool. If you want them coated in tempered chocolate- later bring them to room temp and dip them with a candy tool or a slotted spoon/ skimmer etc...