LoneSavant

I could use a few bits on inspiration for my new pastry gig... I'm doing the desserts for a sister restaurant of where I already am the pastry chef. I keep my desserts in the classic european style-- Dobostorte, Panettone, etc., with a little nouveau flair. Going into December, I'm adding a bit of holiday flair to the lists, but this new restaurant is giving me trouble... 1) It's a sortof "Global Fusion" menu, heavily asian-influenced. 2) I only come in once or twice a week, so everything must be pre-preparable. 3) It's the holiday season. 4) I'm a pretty hardcore traditionalist, so obnoxious efforts toward fusion drive me crazy. 5) I don't think I could pull off a wasabi-galangal fruitcake. Any ideas to get my imagination going? Asian-spiced traditional holiday desserts? As a jumping-off point, the one I'm planning on doing is a tea-poached pear, roasted and served with a 5-spice sabayon. And then...?

Pastrygirl: Now THAT's a cool idea! I do have an ISI, and LOVE making sabayon, but wrote it off completely as I'm not going to trust my babies in the hands of some college-student line cook. Any other info regarding how you did it? Or is it as simple as it sounds? Marmalade: I'm leaning more and more toward using xanthan, at least as a trial. I'd assume I'd use approx the ration as to one would put in an ice cream base (about a teaspoon of gum for a quart, in my recipe). Would you use more or less, considering on the desired result of the product?

I've got a plan for a dessert to put on my menu next month, and it involves a side-shot of syllabub (or sub. eggnog, depending on reliability of recipe...). My problem is this: as the Pastry Chef, I'm not there for service, so whatever I make needs to be *relatively* easily (and quickly!) constructable by a *reasonably* well-trained line cook. Also, because they *barely* pay me, I don't come in every day. Therefore, anything I make MUST be storable for AT LEAST the weekend (3-4 days). SO...I could use some ideas/information on a syllabub-like concoction which won't break over long storage (like a custard), won't deflate after an hour or so (like a true whipped-cream syllabub), and is totally delicious. I've thought about using a stabilizer, but xanthan tends to make things slimy, and I've not much experience using many others than 'the basics'. Worst case, I'll just do a really delicious milk-punch, topped with whipped cream-- but I'd love to hear some other ideas!

I use a convection oven at work, which will also ratchet up cook-time--the recipes I'm looking to scale are basic yellow butter cake. I know I can achieve a thin layer with using a genoise, and in a pinch, i'll just do that; i'd just prefer the effect of a tender grandma-style butter cake.

I have a few recipes of great sheet cakes that I'd like to translate into a featured dessert for my cafe this week.....however, my recipes bake the cakes only as little as a 9x13x4 pan, and they get at least 4" high. Can I translate a basic butter cake recipe to an inch-thick sheet pan without major changes? Obviously it will bake faster, but will I need to lower the oven temp. to avoid overbaking? Any tips from more experienced patissieres on changing size and shape of my cake batters?

I start as the head pastry chef of an upscale wine-bar/restaurant soon, and am working on the menu....and could use a little advice from my elder patisssiers.. I'd like to do an individual to-order Tarte Tatin, but the time- and effort-factors are in question (by me). I thought about disassembling the dessert into three components: a poached, sliced apple, a dark caramel syrup, and a disk of pastry dough, and then to-order, glaze the tartlet pan with caramel, line the apples, top with pastry, and give it 8-10 in the oven. Thoughts? I'd IDEALLY like to use raw pastry dough, however I'm worried about bake-time...I'd thought about using pre-baked pastry disks, but at heart, I'm a devout traditionalist, and can only adulterate the original recipe so far... Thoughts? Ideas? Advice?

I adore Panther Creek- remarkable wines, and much more "off-the-path," making it a little less touristy than some of the others...

Yeah I've used both chestnut and buckwheat- - -the chestnut is great as a BACKNOTE ONLY; using all chestnut honey (frankly in just about anything) makes it taste like cat sweat. Depending on what I'm using it for, I actually prefer to reduce the honey in lieu of the burnt sugar syrup. Honey is great in the more dessert-style, but when I make Pain D'epices, I keep it notably less sweet. When its "borderline-sweet," its great both in a thin layer at the bottom of a creme brulee, OR as the bread in a smoked chicken and leicester tea sandwich...mmmm...

I'm working on a batch of Pain D'Epices, and have recently come across some new ideas/information regarding TRADITIONAL recipes, of which I was curious if any of you had opinions/experience. Several articles talk about resting the batter- some overnight (gluten-relaxation, basically), but some as long as two weeks, causing mild fermentation. Any thoughts? Have any of you tried the slightly fermented style? I use an old-world rye flour & anise recipe, for the record... Many recipes use brown sugar, all use honey, but i've come across a few that use burnt sugar- - -will this change the structure too much due to the lack of glucose from a honey-substitution? Any other fun tips/tricks/stories regarding your traditional Pain D'epices?

This is the third fall in which i'll be making my set of liqueurs, and with each year of practice they get better! A few points of inquiry though... I made a limoncello last time that was tasty, but rather than the fresh, bright, green-gold color it should have been, it turned an almost coppery-gold, and, while still enjoyable, it acquired a heavy, almost cooked-flavor. Not the best, but not a failure. In practice for the future, anyone have tips on what may have happened? Could I have left the macerant in the alcohol for too long before filtering? Also, I made a quince liqueur that turned out 'okay,' but uninteresting. Quince-y enough, but with a strong vodka taste and no complexity. Has anyone had experience in modifying liqueurs post-aging? I'd rather not dump it out, i'd prefer to take the mediocre quince schnapps and re-macerate it with other, more interesting notes, and come out with an eventual success. Thoughts?

If I want to try a big, junipery gin - what should it be? Definitely Old Raj- - -on the higher-price side, but it's the equivalent of being hit in the jowl with a 30mph pine cone. What is your favorite gin for a G&T? I like my G&Ts with extra lime, so Rangpur makes a great one (plus its affordable). What is your favorite for a martini? When its the taste of the gin you're going for, I love to use Magellan- - -pale blue, iris-flavored, really light and interesting. What is your favorite for a gimlet? Again, Rangpur--the lime really stands out. Otherwise, Beefeater, as its on the sweet side. What do you like for Aviations? In an odd twist, here is where I like to use Hendricks- - the cucumber is subtle enough and the botanicals in Hendricks are pretty gentle as to make a light, well-balanced cocktail. My two personal favorite gin drinks are the classic French 75 (made using Quintessential), and a gin cocktail (whose name escapes me) made with Magellan, 1tsp Parfait Amour, 1tsp Pernod, and 2tsp Lillet (or white vermouth).

I love tarragon and dark chocolate-- my favorite use is in an infused ganache, used to fill a pasta frolla. Also, as a quick dessert, chop up strawberries and/or peaches, toss them with a little lemon zest and some fresh basil, and dump it all over vanilla ice cream-- best summer sundaes EVER.

Well, I've listened to almost every archived episode of Lynn Rosetto-Kaspar's The Splendid Table about a dozen times online while doing housework, and now I'm curious about other programs... Anyone have any recommendations of good radio/podcast shows for gourmets? (something that can be streamed online)

Thanks, Abra!

Hah...yeah, but...that's the easy, sensible way to translate...who needs that?

I agree with Anna-- My French is "okay", but not nearly good enough to figure out the recipe...to me it looks like "something something cook the berries something something lemon something something in a pot" so...if anyone could paraphrase it in english--heck, even Italian--I'd be grateful.

Years back, my aunt made jams from an older French cookbook, and one in particular--"strawberry jewels"--was outstanding. It was made using whole berries, uncrushed, unchopped, and the method of preserving ensured that the fruit stayed whole and reasonably firm within the brilliant red jelly. The only things I remember about the process was that the fruit was macerated in sugar in the refrigerator for some time, that not very much (though enough to make a gel) heat was used, and that the jelly made was reasonably soft--almost like very thick honey, and wasn't meant for long-term keeping- a few months at best. The name was given because the jars of preserve were beautiful--whole small berries floating in clear red crystal. I havent a CLUE where she got this from or how she did it. Every recipe i find cooks the fruit to oblivion, mashes it all up, or both, and none of them can preserve the taste of fresh strawberry that my aunt's had. All I have is the recipe name--"Strawberry Jewels"--and looking under that online only gets me a hundred recipes for awful little cookies. Anyone have any idea what I'm going on about??

The last ravioli I made were filled with shredded beets (both gold and red) and goat cheese, and sauced simply with butter, balsamic vinegar, and fresh lemon thyme. One of my favorites (though a special-occasion treat) is to fill each raviolo by hand with a small raw egg yolk, and sauce it with a little black truffle (or truffle oil) and some fresh parmigiano. Bloody transcendant.

I don't think anyone has mentioned this one: Woman On Top, with Penelope Cruz Not a "Good" movie--in fact, it's kinda silly, overall--but its so CUTE, and the food scenes are great, and for just a fun, no-brainer summer watch, it's a great flick.

I thought that my dark soy brand might not be the best...it always tasted a little harsh... Do you have any brand recommendations?

I like using a rub of pasilla chiles, cinnamon, brown sugar, and tomato paste for pork-- it's great on a good bone-in chop over some polenta with fresh corn kernels stirred in...

Pad Se-Ew is probably my favorite thai dish EVER, and I've made it several times, and it's NEVER as good as when I have it at our local thai joint (which won't tell me how they do it...). When I make it, it's always a little too salty, never sauced enough, not as deep in flavor, and lacks that great toasted quality of the restaurant version. Any of you have any tips or tricks or favorite recipes?

Those are some tough hosts. Pinot Noir/Burgundy with the duck crepes, I think. I'll stick with the Rhone for the pork shoulder unless it was smoked somewhat and then I'd think zinfandel. The others are tough. Citrus (blood oranges, lemon gelee) is hard on reds. Let's hear it for Asian beer. ← Verrrrry interesting... Just for arguments' sake, which beers would you pair with what? (I'm a big beer fan, but not versed in asian beers at all)

Oh by the way... To make things even more frustrating, my hosts greatly prefer reds over whites--I told them that with at least a few of the courses whites would be all but unavoidable, but overall I need to go red-heavy with the menu... I thought about sake for the first course (with the soup) and a Madiera for the last dessert, but i'm not 100%.

Working as a private chef, I have a dinner coming up for a new client who is requesting a modern asian-fusion tasting menu. I am a devout traditionalist, with a background in french pastry, and hands-on study in Italy...to me, fusion cooking is blasphemy. Like asking Van Gogh to try using an airbrush (not that I'm that good, or airbrushing is that bad, but you get the picture...). Regardless, I've come up with an Asian-French menu that I'd love a few reviews on, and more than anything I'd love some wine-pairing suggestions. I've got my own ideas, but I'd love to hear a few others! THE MENU (for 15) Cold bisque of chinese chives and chickweed with Sake creme fraiche and radish sprouts Lobster fritters on green tea soba (cold mirin dressing) Warm spinach salad with black sesame and blood orange segments Crepes with fresh plums, honey, and roast duck Pork Shoulder with dark soy, shiitake mushroom, and fried shallots Demitasse of Lemon gelee with lotus root Green tea tofu cheesecake with candied hibiscus petals and melon seed brittle Five spice flourless chocolate cake with caramelized banana and cashew gelato