curls

@Jim D. could you please provide a link to the video.

Finally joining the party! Tonight I made Scarlett's chicken and rice. I have been intrigued with this recipe ever since I saw a episode about this recipe. Doesn't look like much but it is wonderful! Planning to have some of the leftovers for lunch tomorrow (I think they will reheat well). I did follow some of the modifications that are in the recipe that is posted on her PBS site (http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/scarletts-chicken-rice/)... included an onion, bay leaf, and thyme (these are not in the book recipe).

@kriz6912 beautiful work. Thank you so much for posting your videos; very helpful to see the techniques behind your creations.

Wish I had started sooner like keychris and kriz6912! Some of my Easter chocolates... hedgehog - peanut butter, painted bunny - caramel, bunny - coconut. Still need to make large hollow bunnies & eggs.

Does it have to be steak... would you be willing to enjoy other parts of the cow and have a nice pot roast or brisket? Just trying to think of cuts that are braised or do best with long cooks. So a very tasty piece of shareable beef dish that would not be pink (or red) in the center.

Yes, I know! Hoping JMA still has a bunch of Sosa products so I can try them out during the eGullet Chocolate & Confections workshop and figure out what to order from Albert Uster. Those freezed dried caramel bits are on my AUI shopping list.

Agreed, not acceptable. Thankfully this has not happened to me & the majority of the molds that I buy are Chocolate World molds that I buy through Tomric and Chocolat-Chocolat.

Wow, now I want to try the Sosa. Freeze dried caramel. :-)

If you just take this class -- http://www.melissacoppel.com/workshop/viennoiserie-with-a-focus-on-laminated-doughs/ -- with Daniel Alvarez you'll learn how to make the Apple Carré and many more viennoiserie. Per this item on So Good magazine's website -- http://www.sogoodmagazine.com/pastry-blog/pastry-chef-articles/the-dough-specialist-daniel-alvarez-in-the-new-atelier-melissa-coppel/ -- Mr. Alvarez is planning to publish a book. Perhaps the recipe that you are looking for will be published.

@Jim D. I have linked to two posts from Wendy DeBord (a former eGullet member) with methods for determining the cost of your ingredients and the cost of your recipes. I have used her strategies for calculating the costs on some of my recipes (planning to figure them all out at some point!). Her site is geared to baking (not chocolates) but much of it is still applicable. http://www.fearlessbakers.com/how-to-cost-out-your-ingredients/ http://www.fearlessbakers.com/how-to-cost-out-your-recipes/

Who are the lucky master class attendees?

From the set of bonus recipes when you ordered directly from Rob... brownies. Sorry it is not a better photo but these are wonderful! Looking forward to sharing with with the folks at work.

When grocery shopping and saw turkey necks and backs for sale at a good price. They came home with me to make turkey soup! turkey parts in the Instant Pot with an onion, bay leaf, carrots, garlic clove, peppercorns, and a healthy pinch of salt. Let it cook on the soup setting for an hour & it went into keep warm mode for about an hour and a half more (was running errands while the IP was doing its thing). soup after its initial cook, then I removed the solids and let it boil on the saute setting to reduce. Separated the turkey meat from the bones and added it back into the reduced soup. Looking forward to turkey soup for lunch a couple of days this week.

@Choky no idea how large your planned operation will be... but curious about what other equipment you are considering... continuous tempering unit? cooling tunnel? packaging plans?

Joining in - I don't heat my moulds. @Choky are you just curious or are you having some issues with your chocolate that you think may be helped by heating your moulds? We might be able to give you a better answer if we knew more about your question. :-)

Thank you @pastryani! I did use white chocolate with red cocoa butter - add enough and you don't wind up with pink. Just saw that keychris answered too... and guessed correctly.

Valentine's Day is almost here... time to fill the heart moulds!

Looking forward to seeing everyone again and meeting some new folks too! Will need to start thinking about techniques & flavors I want to experiment with. Dinner at Lotus sf Siam!!! This is just about perfect... think you can convince @Alleguede to come to Vegas and bake for us? Missing the spread he put out in Toronto!

Tried their Swiss fondue -- quite tasty!

Hmm... they might be better off keeping Tysons and closing the Galleria store. Sur la Table is in Galleria too (I like their selection better than the current Williams Sonoma offerings). Would be nice to see a kitchenware store at Mosaic.

Thanks for the heads up! Did you pick up anything?

Very nice article. I like the plan for your new restaurant and look forward to having dinner at Bulrush! (A trip to St. Lois will be a lot easier than one to Silver City... of course, you may be booked solid.) Best of luck to you Rob.

Kerry, do you add any sort of booze to this fruit cake? Should it be eaten right away or is it best with some aging?

Today's work: chocolate dipped candied orange peel & almond clusters. Today's fun: chocolate dipped pretzels & almond bark.

Kerry those are shiny & gorgeous! What did you fill them with and how large is that mold?