tikidoc

Beautiful, Chris, you bringing those to DC?

Well, if the General Assembly doesn't get done, give me a call and you can ride up with us...

What an awesome idea. I tend to make a huge mess, I think that would help. You could get this thingie at Michaels, I assume?

NICE! Your tines look thicker then mine. I went with the Oxo sized handle for comfort. I'm so using your idea of using a taut wire perched on the bowl to scrape excess off. Yea, nice idea. I'm tired of lots of chocolate accumulating on the side of the bowl. What do you have rigged up to hold the wire? Is this a standard chocolate maker's device I have just not been able to find?

I look at the Cooks Illustrated reviews but take them with a grain of salt and do research elsewhere as well, especially when it comes to kitchen machinery (rather than pans or gadgets). They make some pretty poor recommendations at times. They have highly recommended the Kitchen Aid mixers for bread baking, and if you either have experience with one of these mixers (post-Hobart years) or if you read any BBs for bakers, you will see they are not a good mixer for bread. Even doughs with fairly high levels of hydration can easily kill a KA. Ask me how I know this (2 mixers including a "Pro" 600 in 5 years, the Pro based on CI's recommendation). They panned the Electrolux DLX without giving it much of a chance - there is a steep learning curve to the mixer but once you get used to it, it is a great mixer, and will likely outlast a dozen KA mixers.

I respect the woman for overcoming agoraphobia to create her empire. I do not like watching her show because I don't like most of the food she cooks and her accent grates on me. That said, I think much of the criticism of her is unfair. She does not profess to make healthy food. Anyone with common sense would understand that you can't cook that stuff every day and expect to be healthy. And her diagnosis of diabetes is her business, not anyone else's. I don't think she had an obligation to announce it. What I find more interesting as far as timing is her son's new show on making his mom's recipe's healthier soon after the announcement of her diabetes. Seems he may be capitalizing on his mom's illness. But again, not necessarily anything wrong with that, but I wonder if that had something to do with the timing of her announcement.

From your initial post ("When I was really getting into confectionery last month"), it sounds like you are a beginner like me. The cheap set I posted is fine for a beginner, in my beginner opinion.

http://www.amazon.com/CK-Products-81-178-Ateco-Dipping/dp/B0000E2OF1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331209679&sr=8-1 I order enough from Amazon to pretty much always get free shipping. Note: If you want to make your own because you have fun making things, go for it. I don't have any suggestions to help other than be sure you use a lead-free solder. I make lots of things myself just for the fun and feeling of accomplishment. If you want to make your own to save money, I'm not sure you are really saving much, given that you can pick up a set of forks for under $10. I'm just a beginner chocolate maker but I have this set and they work fine.

Neat! I've always been interested in the vacuum coffee makers but have never tried one. I roast my own, I can try to bring a little fresh roast coffee with me. Oh good - you are coming in a car - so you can take it home with you! Uh oh, me and my big mouth!

Neat! I've always been interested in the vacuum coffee makers but have never tried one. I roast my own, I can try to bring a little fresh roast coffee with me.

I can probably bring some as well. I'll see what I have. I am pretty sure I have some Chambord, rum, and Creme de Cacao.

Kim - we are actually in Louisa county, but I work in Richmond, so that's what I list as home. We moved here from TN about a year ago. Obviously, there is not much for a food lover out where we live. Twenty minutes to the nearest grocery store. We do most of our shopping and eating out in Richmond. Jess

Kim, if you figure out where you saw it, let me know. I'm in the Richmond area too. Jess

Another singular/plural that drives me nuts. "Tamales" is plural for "tamal" not "tamale". I know, another Americanized thing but it still irritates me.

I'd offer to get more and bring them up if anyone wanted one, but I got the last compressor in town. I can check if there are more of the 250s around if anyone wants. I like the idea of breakouts too.

I can bring an airbrush/compressor. I hadn't planned on getting one yet, but our local Michael's is clearing out all their airbrush stuff (big time clearance), so I got a Badger Whirlwind compressor and 250 airbrush for a total of about $80. I have an artistic kid, so I figure she can get use out of it even if I find I'm no good at the chocolate decorating! For those in the market, you might want to check out your local Michael's. I'm not sure if they are all getting rid of this stuff, but I know all of them in the Richmond area are. Jess

Ditto.

Sounds good if we get there in time. What time is the meet and greet planned for?

Mette, there will be me and a friend in my car, and it's got room for four, so you are welcome to travel with us from hotel to college and back.

I picked up some of this recently http://www.truelemon.com/true-lime.html#. Might give that a try. I like the idea of the little bursts of flavor, so I was going to try adding it at the very end so it doesn't dissolve.

Agreed, Azurite. The concept that large scale agribusiness is capable of regulating itself is laughable. As a physician, I can tell you that antibiotic resistance is a huge issue, and the way that it is dosed in livestock (continuous small doses in feed) is perfect for creating resistant organisms. These organisms evolve because there are always mutations in populations. A small number of them will be resistant to a certain antibiotic, whether they are exposed or not, but the low level of antibiotics present provides evolutionary pressure - the ones that are susceptible die out and the ones that are resistant survive and reproduce, introducing the genes for resistance into the population. I have never understood the legality of this. For a patient to get an antibiotic, I have to write them a prescription. Yet I walk into my local feed store for chicken feed, and not only can I buy feed with antibiotics already in it, I don't have much of a choice. The feed with antibiotics costs $13/50#. The only feed without antibiotics is the organic feed, at $36/50#. Most people who buy chicken feed at the local feed store are not large scale growers who raise chickens in conditions that require antibiotics for success (extremely high population density), they are people like us who have a small flock of birds kept at a low population density. With the exception of those raising the mutant Cornish cross meat birds, they don't really need the medication. I specifically note Cornish crosses because they are a bizarre exception. These are what you get in the supermarket. We raised them once, never again. They are bred to put on weight rapidly, especially in the breast. They are disgusting beasts that literally refuse to forage. As they grew, they planted themselves near the food bowl and rarely got up. They eat, sleep and crap within about a square foot, even if given the opportunity to move. So free ranging them is meaningless - if forced to forage for a living, they will probably starve. We also ended up having life get in the way and slaughtered them at a later age than ideal. The mortality rate in these birds is staggering, and in several of them, I found bizarre looking growths in their digestive tracts when I cleaned them. Never, ever again, they were just stinky, nasty birds. But I digress. As you can see, I believe that there is a lot wrong with the system of food production in the US, and I am doing what I can to decrease the amount that my family relies on this system. My kids still like an occasional trip to a fast food place but they are very few and far between (mostly when I am on call and my husband takes them). For a little comic relief, check out http://thatisnotartisan.blogspot.com/. Azurite mentioned the overuse of the word artisan (should it not be "artisanal"?) in marketing these days, and this blog pokes fun at examples. The author has not posted a new one in a while, I hope she starts again. And I still think "honest" is a stupid word to describe food.

Oh, I agree, overeating is the main cause. But it may not be as simple as number of calories, what those calories are made up of may be a big part of the picture. The bottom line is that we have an overabundance of cheap, poor quality, over-processed foods, and they make up a large part of the average American's diet. And we eat too much of this crap, absolutely. Much of the reason that this crappy food is so cheap is the huge amount of government subsidies that encourage it's production. Our entire food system is a mess in this country, and it is too easy and cheap to eat junk.

Not so sure on the "people are not sickening and dying" part, although not in the sense that you mean. Obesity and obesity related diseases such as type II diabetes are becoming more and more prevalent. The American diet, loaded with highly processed grains and sugars, is a major reason for this.

Elizabeth... (Applause) Jess

Beautiful! I am so looking forward to learning from you in a couple weeks!