KarenS

I read that the dinner already happened. I was going to suggest a salad of frisee, blood orange, and toasted walnuts, with maybe some red onion (and maybe a gorgonzola vinaigrette).

How about papaya brunoise and candied whole macadamia nuts (mixing lime zest in with the papaya w/ simple syrup and sea salt would turn it into a compote/ sauce).

You don't have to unmold it. I simply torch the pan (or put in a hot oven briefly).

We are not cave men (and women). We are not all Christians. The earth is extremely populated. The oceans are on the verge of being overfished. Our food is being contaminated with pesticides, toxins, and disease. Are we being good stewards? It seems to me that the sin is how careless (and profit motivated) agribusiness has become.

8 apples is a lot for even a 10 inch pie, I use 7 for a ten inch and bake the pie loosley covered for 40 minutes (I put it in the oven chilled). I cut pieces of 10 from a whole apple (i use all fuji these days, but would use galas as second choice). I use tapioca starch instead of flour (it thickens clear and is not "pasty" tasting). I use white sugar, salt, spices, and very often ,tart dried cherries.

Keep it warm and don't unmold it until you are ready

velvetta (one of the most horrifying "foods" ever) green bell peppers (let them ripen already!) fast food chains (salt and fat with a big side of sugar, no fruit, fiber or vegetables shoved down even little kids throats! the food is beyond terrible, bad for the envionment, our health, and did I mention that it is not a healthy thing to raise children on! ban the so called happy meal) Marjarine miricle whip (very yucky) wonderbread Wow, I love cilantro, asparagus, shellfish, raw tomatoes (which I will mix in to my poi!) Avocados are a gift from heaven!

John, re: the comment about people in third world countries eating more meat. We could help a lot by not eating grain fed beef (which cows are not supposed to eat anyway). The US wastes a lot of food- we waste so much by fattening cows on grain. Religon is also a persons choice. I certainly don't believe that we have dominion over all living things. Does it become O.K. to eat a cow if a Christian tells a Hindu that it is O.K. ? They think that the Christians are wrong. God judges us when we die. It is not our job to judge others. We share the planet with many species and we are poisoning most of their enviornments.

It cleans well (though too bad not self cleaning ). I got mine through Chefs Catalog (white, not stainless). I live in a small apt that had no oven- it has been great for me (got it in the fall).

I use silpats for tuiles and candy. I use parchment for cookies. Oh, bu the way- for the second bake of biscotti I use a wire roasting rack set on a sheet pan.

The type of white chocolate used will probably matter. They all melt so differently. I'm with Lesley though, a serving of hot and molten white chocolate would be too much for me.

I have the De Longhi convection/ rotisserie. I love it! You can fit an up to 12 # roast in it. The oven has many other functions too (Pizza, conventianal bake, defrost, etc...)

Stars on candy are transfer sheets (think of silkscreen- but with food dyes). Congratulations on your acomplishment! You now need to go work in a busy quality place! Multi-tasking and a sense of urgency are learned on the job!

I can't stand uncle bens!

I kind of ignore awards. I am much more interested in baking and growing my customer base. I'm with alanamoana. I've been sirached/ furitaked/ and blackened to death (not to mention creme brulee!!!) I know that this sounds funny coming from a Pastry Chef- I am tired of everything being sweet- the meat, the vinaigrettes, the salads. Cooks in Hawaii need to stop putting so much sugar in everything.

McDuff, boy can I relate to the glasses thing! I keep them on a shelf right above me while I am working. I need them to read recipes (and like to wear them when sectioning oranges etc..) I don't "wear' them because they get greasy- plus I am opening an closing the oven all day long. Contacts felt like they were going to melt to my eyes! I am a Pastry Chef now; in my younger line cook days I didn't need glasses like I do now!

smallworld, I cut a circle of parchment paper to fit and drop it on top. If I am poaching pears (or some floating item), I drop a small saute pan on top of the paper to keep them submerged.

I'm curious if the people who dislike seafood grew up in inland areas? I have frequently met midwesterners and Minnesotans that would not eat fish or seafood. I grew up in Northern CA where most people seem to like fish and seafood. I also feel that Californians seem to eat a lot more vegetables and salad.

My mom is an O.K. cook. She would always try new cuisines and experiment. I remember her chicken roasted in a thick layer of salt. No one could eat it (she did admit failure though). She is very frugal- we were always getting the bargain bin vegetables. The worse was the "sale" fish. It was never very fresh. I never really learned to love fish until I left home. My dad can't cook (I asked him how he managed to live so long and not learn how). When my mom goes away, he will microwave frozen burritos. I love to cook; my grandmother once watched me making marinara. She asked why I went to all of that trouble- she said that she just used ketchup!

Hhmm... I did not learn to like oysters or liver (and pate) until my early twenties. Both items I first tasted grilled- then I had sauteed Olympia oysters (yum). I then learned about foie gras (my very favorite thing now!). I never liked cauliflower- it was always overcooked with a cheese sauce. Now I really like it roasted with olive oil. When I was young I also did not like squid or clams (they scared me). I now love both! I did not like eggs until I was a teenager.

Dry butter is why croissants and puff are better in France. Plugra is not even close! Most dry butter is only 6 % water.

It's a toss up between tirimisu and creme brulee (and make it white chocolate).

People can certainly do what they want... I am a Pastry Chef and I do not develop desserts to be paired with coffee. Coffee is a very strong flavor and will overwhelm many tastes. My opinion is that coffee comes after dessert.

As a pastry person who chooses to wash her own jackets (the commercial laundry soap irritates my skin). I must say Tide with Bleach is the detergent of choice. It gets out chocolate, raspberry, strawberry, red wine etc... My assistant uses it too! (and we just recently discovered that). I also like those new clorox pens for cleaning tile grout, and the occasional "spot" on a white shirt. If you have louvered windows (lots in Hawaii). The new windex sheets are great, just wipe and no spraying.

I am not much of a beef eater- never have been and did not eat it at all for about 15 years. I did not miss it and would rather eat seafood anyday. I think that people should be wary of premade ground beef. One package of ground beef can come from up to 400 different cows! (this was mentioned in last weeks SF Chronicle, and also in Fast Food Nation). There is a scarey process called "advanced meat recovery". This is used to make some beef hot dogs. Meat is extruded from carcasses under pressure. The meat has been found to contain central nervous system tissue. I feel that if I want to eat a piece of beef, I will make sure it is from a reputable ranch (and hopefully range fed- that is what cows are supposed to do, not eat other cows). It is also better for our world!