Darienne

Thanks. Duly grabbed. My friend went to her local Dollarama and they were already gone. Next question: what would anyone dip in 82% chocolate????

prasantrin's post: FWIW, flour in the US is different from flour in Canada, period. That's probably one of the reasons you're not getting good results. If you head down to the US in the near future, I would suggest picking up some flour there (particularly whatever flours Shirley suggests using), and trying the recipes again. You'll probably see a difference in the final product. I found this answer from presantrin very interesting. I did not know that American flour would differ from Canadian. However, living as we do in both Canada (outside Peterborough, ON, 100,000 environs)and the US (Moab, UT, 5,000), I have found the following...this may pertain to Utah only, or even just Moab only... * cane sugar comes in regular large bags in Moab, both white and brown. In Peterborough, it comes in tiny expensive bags. Also little Moab carries more speciality baking sugars than we have in Peterborough. * American butter tastes different from Ontario butter. Less salt I think. * baked goods in Moab are much sweeter than in Peterborough. Noticed this first when buying a angel food cake in an emergency. Was astounded at the sweetness thereof. * it's easier to find dairy products in Moab without endless 'non-dairy' additions. For instance, Cream of Weber cream contains:...cream! I have never seen anything like this in Peterborough. A local LCBO (liquor board) staff told me that items, like Bailey's Irish Cream, have a different formula when made for Ontario and the States. I wonder how many items there are available which might have a significant difference in outcomes in cooking and baking. ???

I am curious as to why Scharrfen Berger would have their chocolate in such a store. Hmmm....I wonder if they would reply to my question. If I find out anything, I'll report back. Very strange... Later in the afternoon: Spoke to two different people at Scharffen Berger who were somewhat taken aback to find out that the bars were going for $1 and they weren't near their expiry dates. The bars retail for $5 US which makes them...a bunch more Canadian and here they are, large as life, for $1. End of story for me. I'll just eat my bars and give them away in peace.

Like so many good and innocent folks before me, I have gone Amazon wild and ordered five books last night. "Truffles, Candies, and Confections: Techniques and Recipes for Candymaking" Carole Bloom; "Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor" Michael Recchiuti "The Pie and Pastry Bible" Rose Levy Beranbaum "The Cake Bible" Rose Levy Beranbaum "Chocolate Epiphany: Exceptional Cookies, Cakes, and Confections for Everyone" Francois Payard So it is too late.... However, I will go to your review and your photos and no doubt drool on the goodies. Thanks. I am dying to make the Chocolate Pastillas

I remember when lamb was inexpensive to buy. Ground lamb patties were the cheapest meat in my grocery at $.49 in 1960 when DH and I were married. We were both students and poverty stricken. And no one would ever have dreamed of eating a chicken wing unless forced to. And you could still buy fresh peas. And corn came in so many varieties, not just Peaches and Cream or some other sweet thing.

Looked through this thread for any reports back on Francois Payard's Chocolate Epiphany: Exceptional Cookies, Cakes and Confections for Everyone. Folks received it, but no one seems to have had anything to say about it. I am considering buying it...but this whole area is new to me. I am seduced by the photos...

Went back to Dollarama today and bought a bunch of 82% bars for friends...and, of course, myself. Very intense. The other bar was a 41% milk chocolate. Did not buy any.

Thank you, Carole and Dougal

Ditto for me. Fried dough has got to rank up there with chocolate. I love to stop at the Navajo fairs and buy Fry bread. The best fried stuff I ever had was many years ago at the Bufadora in Mexico, fried in an old cement mixer by a not too clean gentleman. Churros. With sugar on them. My Father and I ate the entire bag in ten minutes and didn't save one for my Mother.

Good idea about the fat brushes. They were just putting the chocolate out as we were leaving. Perhaps we'll go into town again tomorrow and get some. Would you like some?

In September 08 we rented a two-bedroom house COMPLETELY EMPTY in Utah...to which we are returning next week for another three months. Almost everything we put into it came from a yard sale, a second hand store or stuff that friends were jettisoning. Of course, all the kitchen things were second hand and my best buy was a large piece of polished marble for $2. When we return I'm looking for an ice cream maker. Time to learn how to make ice cream. Oh, also found a Chinese cap for $.25. And a set of dinnerware for $10. A small bamboo steamer for $3.50 (for ginger, of course) and a small crock pot for $5. Then a larger crockpot for $5. (Gave the smaller one to my landlady.) And a carousel, a beige one, for $1. And assorted pots and pans and baking ware. The guy who vacated the place left 3 pieces of that double-floored AirBake stuff. Like Christmas every day it was.

July 2009

It's been a couple of months since the BeaterBlades were mentioned on this thread. Has anyone bought one? Tried one? Liked it? I am still thinking about purchasing one for my 7 quart Cuisinart, although when making Montelimar nougat a couple of days ago, it did handle two lone egg whites reasonably well. Any comments on the BeaterBlade?

We were in our local Dollarama ...it sells EVERYTHING for $1 or it doesn't carry it at all...looking for DH's reading glasses...he eats them for breakfast. Imagine my surprise at the till finding a display of Scharffen Berger chocolate bars. 82%, 85 g (or about 3 oz), for $1. There were other Scharffen Berger bars, but I couldn't hold up the line at that point to take a good look. What is Scharffen Berger chocolate doing in a dollarama? I am not complaining...merely curious. The bar was good but 82% will never be a favorite of mine. DH and I munched it with pieces of Montelimar nougat which confectionary partner, Barb, and I had made on Monday.

The helpful tip that blew me away was the one on the Gianduja thread about how to skin hazelnuts. Changed my whole relationship to that little nut!

Went to Ruth's blogspot and read all. Great stuff...I felt tired along with you, just reading about it all.

Thanks. OK....our humidity is very high right now in the 90s. O, the joys of the Ontario winter. The other bit is that I did not do the cooking or the checking at the time. However, partner Barb is very careful...far more than I am. I guess I was curious as to whether overbeating could be the problem, because I do think it was beaten too long. Still I am interested in your humidity considerations.

Second time for Greweling's wonderful Montelimar nougat. Confectionary partner, Barb, and I made it last summer and loved it. Dipped in 70% chocolate, it was exquisite. This time seemed exactly the same...except that today, Day #2, the nougat is a tad tougher than I would like. Not beyond delicious, but I'm not thrilled with it. Could this be heating the syrup to too high a temperature...which I don't think we did...or overbeating the end product...which I think we did. Or any other opinions. Please. Thanks. (It will still be gone in a trice)

Thank you. Also googled 'ginger jam'.

I don't want to buy it...I want to make it.

A friend gave me a jar of TJ's Ginger Spread which I have shared with enthusiastic friends. Now I read that TJ no longer carries this product. I have tried googling a recipe for ginger spread but have found nothing so far. Any help out there for ginger aficianados?

The very day that home freezers were readily available and came with a freezer plan, my Mother bought one. I would almost rather starve than eat mixed frozen carrots and peas. Or mixed any vegetable combos. I love fresh peas but how often do you find them? Canned niblet corn is fine for soups, and such like. Our dogs eat canned green beans in emergencies when I run out of pulped veggies for them. I suppose we could do share-zies....

Maybe I can find help here. Where do I buy a Meyer lemon (and a Buddha's Hand)? We are setting off for Utah soon and will go the more southerly route. St Louis, Joplin, OKC, Amarillo, Albuquerque. Any ideas? Keep in mind that I am a flatlander Canuck and don't know all the American grocery stores. Thanks. Oh, I want to candy the peel.

I think my DH would suggest flipping a coin in this case. I can offer only sympathy. I went back and reread a couple of pages of this thread. More unhappiness I bet than on any other eG thread!

My family always ate canned asparagus. I don't I even knew that there was a fresh variety. And then one day, my DH introduced me to fresh asparagus and a whole new world opened up. We have some ancient patches on the farm, and the years when it rains a lot in the spring, we actually get tired of eating the stuff.