Darienne

We can do the later weekend. Not as well, but it's doable. We wouldn't be staying in a hotel as we have to bring our two dogs. Don't worry, they won't interfere at all. We'll have to find a dog-friendly motel. And we can stay further afield if necessary. ps. If things are going to change, they should be settled ASAP so that we can book our accommodation. Thanks.

I didn't think of a tea ball. Good idea. I had an extra salt type shaker and thought that might work. But a tea ball might be better. Thanks.

The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession by Adam Leith Gollner...fascinating stories of fruits I have never heard of. Had no idea that there were so many different fruits in the world. This is the one food-oriented non-cookbook I am reading. I love reading cookbooks. I have a good number that I have not managed to read through from one end to another. And I borrow cookbooks from our two local libraries to thumb through them and read the stories about the food. I do love a cookbook with stories. Another thing I do is to read cookbooks from one end to the other to my DH on our long trips across the USA. That's a good way to assimilate the necessary information in a new field of endeavor for me. I have read to Ed the entirety of Andrew Garrison Shotts, Making Artisan Chocolates, my first real chocolate book, Michael Recchuiti Chocolate Obsession and Peter Greweling, Chocolates and Confections and that is one HUGE book. He likes to listen and I learn by reading.

Putting the squares into cocoa...bad idea. Too much gets on and too much work taking it off again. How exactly does one 'dust' with cocoa? Yes, to meet us and all the others...so exciting! I might even bring a box of finished Enstrom goodies. By then I would have it perfected for certain.!

Sorry, I did not get back at once. Just so overwhelmed by the fact that we might actually meet. 1. Yes. except that next time, I'll flip the entire thing, scored, before I break it to wipe it more easily. 2. I am going to this afternoon. 3. Yes 4. Finely chopped almonds. Don't have to be roasted or roasted slightly. Yes, I have made it a few times, and each time have done one additional mistake. * Earlier, we did not score it, but broke it after the chocolate was put on. The chocolate did not stay well. * Then we scored it, dusted with cocoa...Kerry's suggestion...and the chocolate stayed better.Then we broke it easily and some of the chocolate stayed and some didn't. Used too much cocoa on one side. Hard to remove excess 'dust' on such a big surface. * now I have scored it, broken it, and then discovered that flipping it and de-oiling it would have been better before I broke it...which it does very nicely. * now I am going to put it right into the cocoa, and then into a sieve with vigorous action. * then a sort of footing...not a really careful one as in truffles. * and then dipping. I haven't decided whether to go to the nut stage or not.

The most incredible news on a new topic from Lior (Ilana)Ilana in Madison. She will be in Madison Wisconsin in July/August. What if she could get a short flight to Ann Arbor and attend the Heartland Gathering? That would be wonderful!

If you have never tried them, you just have to. I am NOT a chocoholic (contrary to the beliefs of some) nor a candy freak...but...that toffee is SO good. Too good. I'm giving it all away tomorrow. I'll find the URL: Enstrom's Toffee Recipe The only change I make is to use tempered dark chocolate instead of chips and to dust with cocoa. Oh, and this time to score and break into pieces. I've been to the Enstrom's factory but they weren't making when we were there. Oh, and it's very expensive to buy...very...and not that cheap to make with an entire pound of butter per batch.

Thanks Heidi and djyee100 for all the information. We live near a small...east central Ontario to be exact...unexciting city. The very phrase: east central Ontario breathes stability and lack of excitement! Never a kumquat to be had. Now that's a level of excitement. Still starting the next time we are in the city, I am going to note which brands are available in which stores...buy one of each...try them all. Maybe I can find some of the better brands. I am trying to replace dairy with coconut milk where I can. On the other hand, next time in Toronto, I'll no doubt find exactly what I need.

Thanks. I'll report back on how it works. Last batch made was dusted in cocoa powder, but I wasn't careful enough on one side to dust it lightly enough and the chocolate didn't adhere well. It will be easier to remove any excess cocoa this time.

When you say it freezes well, Heidi, do you mean the leftover that you don't use that day...or something made with coconut milk...? What do you mean by many a soup has been saved...forgive my lack of understanding...saved from what? Not good enough to eat? Some cooking problem? Thanks.

Back to making the Enstrom Kopy Kat Toffee. Made the toffee. Poured it out onto a silpat lined rimmed cookie pan. Scored and wiped the excess oil out of the cracks. Broke the pieces very nicely. Uh oh. The silpat was slick with butter and so were the backs of the individual pieces. Probably should have flipped it first and wiped it and then broken the pieces. Eventually the pieces will be laid out and brushed on one side with tempered chocolate. Then when the chocolate is hard, I'll dip them, chocolated side down, into the chocolate bowl. But what to do next with the greasy pieces? Wipe each individual piece? Wipe and dip into cocoa or cornstarch or a mixture and then shake excess off in a sieve? Other? Thanks. (BTW, you know how it tastes. )

Kim said: "topped with salmon roe (or those bubble things the molecular chef types make)." Which one is exactly right? And what are 'those bubble things'? Thanks.

Lovely breakfasts all. Can someone please explain exactly what I am looking at? Thanks.

You are, indeed, the Chocolate Doctor!!!

How long do you suppose that liquid coconut would keep in the fridge? Can opened, leftovers put into an air tight container?

There is nothing quite so humbling and enlightening as to be incapacitated for a new months to realize how casual the able-bodies are in their attitudes towards being able to move freely and do just about anything you put your mind to without thinking about it. Or maybe it was just me. This morning, after having declared my intent to re-organize the downstairs freeze on Jan 27, I actually donned my gloves (thanks to the eGulleter who suggested gloves for handling those plastic milk crates) and began the process of actually 'DOING" it. And it was easily done in a few minutes. I was stunned by the amounts of some stuff. It's still not finished, but it's well underway. And the good news is that I appear not to be incapacitated any more. It doesn't get better than that. (And stop buying nuts until you use the stuff in the freezer. And butter also. Idiote.)

It wasn't hot at all. Just lukewarm. And as mentioned in my last post, it is still shiny, which it shouldn't by all rights be, and the dark brown is dull. Learn, learn, learn...

Thank you DerekW. Shall use it tomorrow in my smoothie. Made cornstarch-based Lebanese Milk Ice Cream yesterday. It called for half heavy cream and half full milk. Used one can full fat coconut milk (well, I guessed that it was full fat) and one can of what I assume is half fat coconut cream. Plus other ingredients, some of which I had on hand...others the usual types of substitutions. Delicious pronounced by DH. I am trying to cut down/ get away from cow's dairy products again (along with wheat for starters). ps. Which supermarket chain exactly is the Great Canadian Superstore? Loblaws?

Thanks for putting it into a useful perspective.

The Lebanese Milk Ice Cream is made...well, sort of, but it is delicious. Instead of milk and heavy cream, I used full-fat and half-fat coconut milk. I had rose water, but no orange blossom water, so I used orange zest. And instead of sprinkling the pistachios on top, I mixed them in. Of course, I always add PaulRaphael's additions: corn syrup and a dash of salt. Very good. Brought to mind using this coconut milk base for the ricotta ice cream recipe that I found...oops...photocopied the one page out of a now unknown Italian cookbook. The inclusions are basically those of nougat and it is SOOO good and so colorful. Oh, nougat and then some. I made it at Thanksgiving and Christmas and it was well received in the extreme.

Well, actually I really was being 'silly', as in the emoticon for 'braz' Oddly enough, the white non-tempered parts of the marbling are still shiny...it the dark brown which looks a bit tatty. Very curious.

I am hanging my head in embarrassed shame...

I did check them once, several days ago, and they looked fine. That was the only time they were disturbed. The dark chocolate was tempered in the Revolation I...but it embarrasses me, now that I have asked for advice...to remember that we only melted the white and did not temper it. Ooops. That might be the answer. Still you are suggesting that properly tempered and stored, they should still look glossy quite a long while. Oh well, I'll chop them up and Ed can eat them as time goes by with his peanut butter or something.

Now I know that this topic has been dealt with before, but after going through 19...count'em...19 pages of topics with 'chocolate' in the title, I could find no reference to simply how long a chocolate might last before it begins to look like the ones I was about to bestow on our butcher today. And now am not going to. Barbara, confectionery partner, and I made simple marbled dark and white chocolates on February 4th. The leftover lot has been sitting in a dark, cool, airtight container since that day. It is now the 13th. They are not moldy or with bloom...they just look really old and tired and the gloss is gone! I need some storage info, please.

Can anyone tell me about Club Soda? I have a can in front of me, 355 ml(12 oz. USA), says Ingredients: carbonated water. And the Nutrition Fact say 0% of this and that, HOWEVER, 1% sodium. It's not President's Choice, but Compliments, another Canadian in-house brand, about the equal in terms of cost and quality. Can I make my own somehow? Buy some gadget and do it? Is it cost-effective? get rid of the sodium? ???? How bad for you is the commercial product? Thanks