DanM

Amazon has a markdown center that is always filled with good deals. They currently have a Circulon 10 piece stainless pot and pan set for $100. I recommend adding a Lodge 8" cast iron pan to your list. They can be found for about $20 and are very versatile. +1 for shopping at restaurant supply shops. Commercial tools will be cheaper and better built than fancy consumer products. Dan

I have always been partial to pasta salads for lunch. A particular favorite is small pasta of any shape, a hand full of basil and mint diced, onions, fresh mozarella, roasted peppers, grape tomatoes, capers, lemon zest, and olive oil. Easy to make and very kid friendly. Clementines are in season and are kid friendly given their size and lack of seeds. Trail mix works well as a snack. A many layered bean dip with cut veggies is another option. Good luck on your son's first day, if it has not happened yet. Dan

Although I did not have my camera handy, I did make a nice cheese burger pizza on Tuesday. A mix of cheddar and scornoza was spread on the crust (no sauce) topped with fake beef crumbles and caramelized onions. After it came off the grill and it cooled a bit, I added shredded lettuce, pickle slices, and tomato slices. It was quite tasty. I have a new experiement that I think David Ross will enjoy. I won't be able to get to it until Monday, but it will be fun. S'mores pizza! I plan on using a rich dough for the crust, probably my tried and true sticky bun dough. Then it will be topped with hashahar Israeli chocolate spread (think nutella, but better), mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and gram cracker crumbs.

I all I have to say is that the Minnesota State Fair just rocks. Literally dozens of foods can be had deep fried... and served on a stick. One exemption is the squeeky fresh deep fried cheese curds. Okay... now I am hungry!! Dan

Now THAT, Sir, would make for a good spin-off show to watch (unlike FN's cheesey 'challenge' shows). I'd love to see the likes of Charlie T, Susan Wallace (a magnificent P-chef here in DC) and Elizabeth F go head to head. ← Or how about Francois Payard, Jaque Torres, Bo Friberg, Gina DePalma, Fancisco Migoya, etc... Given how often the chefs on the show choke when it comes to dessert or pastry work, this could be really cool. Dan

This is really turning out interesting. Would it be too much to ask for a Top Chef: Pastry Masters series? Dan

Eggy in the hole around here. At special request, I start the sandwich by making grilled cheese, cut out the center, and then add the egg. Nothing better than a fancy egg and cheese sandwich in the morning! Dan PS, Fat Guy... nice plate!

I am sure I am not the only one that is evaluating finances trying to find ways to save money. I was surprised to see that my wife and I are averaging $400-500 a month in groceries here in CT for the two of us (and a few baked goods for her coworkers). I have no basis for comparison, so I was wondering what others are spending, how many they are feeding, and where they are. Thanks Dan

I'm a lover of molasses. Its great in muffins, cakes, and the occasional batch of beer. Dan

Ugh.. You will need to strap me to a chair and prop my eyes open a la Clockwork Orange to make me watch these people if they get a show... Dan

+1 for using KAF White Whole Wheat. I use it in most of my pastry baking as an alternative to AP flour with no noticeable side affects. I have even used it for croissants with no problem. Dan

Thanks again everyone for the help. We stopped by and munched our way through the place. My absolute favorite was the apple dumpling at the Dutch Eating place followed by the pretzels. I'm sorry, I just prefer the traditional German pretzel over the Penn Dutch version. Dan

Even better! I just received the monthly newsletter from the local home brewing club with the following bit of harassment over a blood orange hefeweisen and a ginger saison that I brought to last month's meeting for peer review. Too funny!

When your home pantry is filled with cambros, delis and portion cups and there are hotel pans of various sizes under the oven. I plead guilty to both. Dan Oh, and as a baker... showing up at my in laws for Thanksgiving with scale in hand.

Writing that your deserts, baked goods, etc... are baked fresh. This is often a cop out for frozen crap trucked in from a factory instead of taking the time to make it yourself. Even worse is when they claim something is made fresh in house when it is CLEARLY came off the back of a freezer truck. Dan

I am mildly curious what type of impact this show has on the careers of the contestants. I would not be surprised if some of a people who crashed and burned in the first round or made a really stupid sanitation mistake might lose his or her job over it. Dan

I use cornstarch for my pies. Rose Levy Beranbaum has a wonderful table in the Pie and Pastry Bible that shows how much sugar and cornstarch needed for 4oz of 15 types of fruit as well as a table that shows how much fruit, sugar, and starch is needed for a typical pie. These two pages make the book worth wile all on its own. Dan

I am planning on ordering this book tomorrow. Does the book include formulas for frozen custard? I looked through the index on Amazon, but did not see it mentioned. Thanks! Dan Edit... I have been scanning his blog. This guy is a nutjob and I love it! The pop rocks filled space invaders truffles are just too awesome for words... so is the beer I am consuming, but that is a story for another day. Dan

Hence the reason wifey and I use alcohol swabs from the medicine cabinets on jar lips. I have 4 lbs of fresh strawberries to process. It will be a busy day tomorrow!

A question for everyone. Should the bread or bun be toasted and buttered, or served fresh? Dan

David. The roasted lobster with coconut red curry just might work. Maybe use naan or other Indian style bread for the crust? Going back to your marguez sausage pizza. How much ground meat did you use? As soon as the rain stops falling around here, I will definitely be grilling pizza for a few days. Dan

Thanks for all of the advice so far. It appears that there is a pickle shop. How are the pickles? Thanks! Dan

I don't want to take over this thread, but it is similarly related. Would it be acceptable for a new team member to work a little slower over the first few days to make sure the work is done correctly? I would personally prefer to get things done right the first time and take my time doing it. Dan

Next week I will be volunteering at the James Beard house as a student chef. I figured that this will be a good opportunity to get in a little practice and learn some new techniques. I was told that the typical work will be prep and maybe some plating. My main concern is that I studied baking and pastry in culinary school. I was not taught knife skills, meat fab, etc... that I might have to do. The volunteer coordinator at the James Beard Foundation assured me that I will be able to be of use. Given that i am paying approx $35 round trip train ticket from New Haven, CT to volunteer, I want to make sure that i will be of service. What do you think? Thanks, Dan

David, Once again a masterpiece. I am addicted to apricots, so as soon as I find decent ones around here, I will have to give it a try. I will probably slice my apricots after grilling, but that is a personal preference. I also think this would work very well with figs. Dan