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tikidoc

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    Recommendations near National Harbor?

    in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

    Posted

    I’m going to be at a professional meeting being held in National Harbor this weekend, and would like to try to get in a great dinner Saturday evening. Does not need to be fancy (cheap is actually great!), just really good and close enough to the meeting that it’s not a huge hassle to get/park there. Love just about any cuisine except chain restaurants!

    Report: eGullet Chocolate and Confectionary Workshop 2023

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    13 hours ago, curls said:

    Someone at the workshop sandwiched a red berry pdf in between two cookies and ran it thru the enrober. Just wanted to say that it is one of my favorite chocolates that I brought home from the workshop. I think @Choco Monsterand @tikidocmade these. Simple but very yummy!

    Yup, that was us, but the credit for that one belongs to Gaylene - we used the leftovers of her pipeable raspberry pdf, which was amazing. The cookies were the thin lemon cookies from Trader Joe’s, which are one of my favorite store-bought cookies. We decided to use up leftover fillings on the last day, and we also enrobed some caramel on TJ’s speculoos (another favorite cookie), which were also nice.

    • Like 2

    Report: eGullet Chocolate and Confectionary Workshop 2023

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    I didn’t take many pictures, but a partial list of things I learned this year:

     

    1. Making colored cocoa butters. Looking forward to experimenting with this. I like color.

    2. Painting molds, and the tip of using nail art tools to do so. Opens a whole new world of decoration. Tools from Amazon already arrived, a big set for under $10.

    3. Bernie’s sponge toffee. Yum! Will definitely try this.

    4. Leaf croquant. Willow, Gaylene and I (I was pretty much a go-fer and observer both times) tried this several years ago in Las Vegas, and although the flavor was good, the texture was not right. Willow really nailed it this year. It appears that the problem may have been doing it on a marble surface last time, which lowered the temp too much/fast. It was done on the metal counter this time, and the ingredients stayed fluid longer, allowing for better mixing/lamination. I have granite countertops but plan to try it on a full sheet pan with a silpat, sitting on a wood cutting board. I’m thinking this one may also be do-able.

    • Like 5

    PLANNING: eGullet Chocolate and Confectionery Workshop 2023

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

    I may have an issue - put in the order today with the pricing he gave me for a 10 kg box a couple of weeks ago - now he's telling me he only has 4 kg bags at a much higher price. I'll see what comes of it.

     

     

    I’d be interested in some. Don’t need a lot, but I’d be in for up to a kilo, assuming it’s not going out of date soon.

    My Personal Canelé Rabbit Hole

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    On 3/12/2023 at 10:29 AM, Pete Fred said:

    No update for a few months. I hope this is down to the OP finally living their best life in canelé paradise, rather than descending into madness.

     

    Anyway, this deep dive was in my feed today. I'm not sure that it generates more light than heat, but somewhere in there might be the key that unlocks the puzzle for @JeffGCor anybody else who's struggling with this little pastry.

    I used this recipe. The flavor was a little sweet for my tastes but the family loved them. Might cut back on the sugar a little next time. Also the kids request slightly less dark. I like the caramel flavors, the kids prefer it a bit less pronounced. Overall, I was pleased though. No white asses.

     

     

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    • Like 3
    • Delicious 5

    Shortbread

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Just stumbled on this topic. Shortbread is one of my absolute favorite cookies. My go-to shortbread recipe comes from Food 52, which has a recipe that is from Bien Cuit. It requires an overnight stay in the fridge before baking. I tend to bake it on the longer end of the range given in the recipe because I like the slight caramel notes it picks up when taken to a slightly darker golden brown. When I have it, I use European butter. It is not a very sweet shortbread, which is a big plus for me, and I push it a little further into the savory with my own variation, adding a little finely chopped fresh rosemary to the dough, and a little sea salt in addition to the sugar on top, and sometimes using salted butter (in which case I cut back on the added salt).

     

    Bien Cuit Shortbread

    Ingredients:
    302 grams unsalted butter
    93 grams confectioners' sugar
    3.5 grams kosher salt
    302 grams all-purpose flour
    1/8 cup regular or raw sugar, for sprinkling

    Directions:
    Cut the cold butter and reserve at room temperature to temper slightly. Line a 13x9-inch baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.
    Mix the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and flour in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for a few seconds to combine the dry ingredients.
    Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed until a smooth dough is formed and butter is fully incorporated. At first, the dough will look extremely flaky and dry; let it keep mixing and it will eventually come together into a dough.
    Dump the dough into the baking sheet ordish and spread it evenly to the corners. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
    The next day, heat the oven to 300°F. Dock the dough every inch or so with a fork. Bake until the shortbread is golden brown, 60-75 minutes.
    Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the shortbread out onto a cutting board, and slice into 4-inch x ¾-inch slices. Sprinkle with raw sugar and transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

    Source: https://food52.com/recipes/81249-bien-cuit-shortbread
     

    • Like 4

    Bagels close to I95?

    in New York: Dining

    Posted

    7 hours ago, Annie_H said:

    Fantastic. I was hoping to get feedback and the time off/back on the highway. Bookmarked it for the holidays when/if we travel south. I keep wanting to visit the Balthazar Bakery in NJ. (no bagels). My family would prefer bagels but DH's family have the sweet tooth gene. 

    Oooh, Balthazar looks great too. May have to load up on our way to MA. We have a pretty big freezer at the vacation place, so will get 2 weeks worth of breads and bagels on the way. Our old usual spot for breads was Isabel Et Vincent in Fairfield CT but I always like to try new places.

     

    I definitely would stop at Teaneck again. Easy to get to, great bagels/sandwiches, and really nice people.

    Bagels close to I95?

    in New York: Dining

    Posted · Edited by tikidoc (log)

    Stopped at Teaneck. Was only maybe 5 minutes out of our way. After a weekend of making pastry, an everything bagel with lox and cream cheese was perfect. They were busy but efficient, and the staff is super friendly. Bagel sandwich was great, and I got a dozen to bring home for the family. This will be a regular stop on our yearly vacation in MA.

    • Like 2

    Bagels close to I95?

    in New York: Dining

    Posted

    Thanks guys! Looks like Teaneck is the easiest to get to. We go to MA every summer, so will save the others for next time. We have a lot of driving to do today (with a teen!) so I’m going to take the option that adds the fewest miles.

    Bagels close to I95?

    in New York: Dining

    Posted

    My daughter and I are taking a baking course today near Providence and will be driving home to VA tomorrow. We are staying just east of NYC tonight and would love to make a quick stop to bring home some good NYC bagels. Does anyone know of a place that is relatively close to I95? I don’t know NYC at all and want to be quickly on the way home. Outside the city but along the way is fine too - just want to get the real deal!

    Pacojet Competitor? The Ninja Creami

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    12 hours ago, palo said:

    Not that you would, but you can put a new plug on your old machine.

     

    p

     

    Splicing a cord is super simple, don’t need a new plug. And now I have a backup machine. But the fact that the lid sticks every time I use it has not changed, so I pretty much kept it to use short term in the event that the current machine dies, while a new one is on order. The Creami has pretty quickly become among the most used items in our kitchen. It has also helped get my husband to eat better. Other than the occasional apple, he rarely eats fruit, but now, instead of snacking on chips at night, he has a bowl of 100% fruit sorbet, and actually looks forward to it.

    • Like 3

    Pacojet Competitor? The Ninja Creami

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    Quote

    Well, I called Ninja today, and they confirmed I need my machine replaced...but they said the charge would be $21 to send it back.  That was a little frustrating, since I have been pretty darned diligent about following the instructions, etc, so I don't feel this issue is a result of the way we have been using the machine.  (seems like a defect to me....)  Nonetheless, I had initially ordered it from Costco, so I declined & will just do an exchange.  (Thank goodness for Costco's return/exchange policy.)  Hopefully things fare better with machine #2!

     

    I had a problem with mine (the lid kept sticking and it was very hard to remove the pint after spinning - I kinda had to force it to remove, even when I let it sit for 10 minutes as instructed in the troubleshooting), and they sent me a new one for $21. I got the original on Woot, so did not have the option of an easy return to Costco. Ninja had me cut the power cord to the old machine on a video call, then sent me a complete new set (not just the machine), so at least for the $21 and the hassle, I got an extra pint, spinning container, lid, and blade. So now I can have one lid/blade soaking while the other is in use. One design flaw is that the ice cream tends to seep inside the lid mechanism, and it’s a pain to clean, so I like to soak it to make sure nothing is dried in there. 

    • Like 1
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