tedwin

Perhaps kouign amann?

Boil to kill off any bacteria that might survive a mere simmer.

Thanks all! Baroness - It's a Food Network recipe from a catering company, so, it's anyones guess if it's trustworthy. It does get high marks from those who have tried it. And yes, using NONSTICK cooking spray seems counter-intuitive but, then again, I've never heard of STICKY cooking spray. tmriga, JeanneCake & pastrygirl - Using luster dust or gold spray does sound like a more sane approach. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'd like to prepare a recipe which calls for gilded hazelnuts. The instructions say to spray the toasted nuts with nonstick cooking spray then place on gold leaf and brush the gold onto the nut. Should I be looking for complete sheets of edible gold leaf or gold leaf flakes?

Sugar Plum, I tried Martha's gingersnap palmiers this year too. I made a homemade puff which expanded beautifully but all the palmiers unfurled in the oven so they came out looking like giant 'C's rather than elephant ears. They tasted great but looked nothing like the picture in her book. Ed

Your design is beautiful. I'm sure you're gonna love working in there. Since we're so short on storage space, we put in high upper cabinets as you've shown on your design. Have you found a step ladder that fits the period style?

I just renovated a 1915 bungalow and found Jane Powell's books a terrific resource and she often contributes to the chat rooms on the Old House Journal website. That's a handsome range in your old kitchen. O'Keefe & Merritt?

This past weekend, Slow Food recognized producer Neal Peterson for his work on pawpaws with the Betsy Lydon award. A pawpaw dinner was prepared at Savoy Restaurant in NYC. Chef Peter Hoffman prepared excellent pawpaw daiquiris and a pawpaw sorbet but the best dish of the evening was a crawdad and pawpaw salad with trinidad pepper vinaigrette.

I made the sauce early in the day and left it in the pot. When it came time to use the sauce, it had crystallized. I reheated the sauce, stirred and it returned to it's liquid state. I poured it into a thermos, hoping to keep it warm and in its liquid state but in less than 10 mins. it had recrystallized in the thermos. Perhaps I should have poured it out of the pot as soon as it was made?

I was making a caramel sauce this weekend using sugar and heavy cream. As it cooled, the sauce thickened and eventually crystallized. Any idea why? Perhaps I didn't cook the sugar long enough or too long?

I am installing a kitchen in a historic house and am interested in using zinc countertops for their durability and natural patina. I know my grandparents had a zinc covered worktable in their kitchen but it's use seems to have fallen out of favor. Anyone have experience with zinc countertops? Any drawbacks?

For packaging, I use the assorted paper and wooden (lined with paper) loaf pans available at Sur La Table. These can then be wrapped in clear cello wrap and tied with a decorative ribbon. Also fun are the chinese carry-out containers available at the Container Store.

Check for miniature ham biscuits in Patrick O'Connell's Refined American Cusine or look for Shirley Corriher's Touch-of-Grace Biscuits from her book Cookwise.

Perhaps you are refering to Giovanni's Shrimp Scampi from Oahu?

I think the Sunday farmers market in Sheperdstown is a bit larger. Last weekend they had about 12 stands. Really beautiful stuff. The Sunday market is behind the town library.

In the summer, there's nothing better than an ear of corn smeared with sriracha and a spritz of lime juice!

What factors determine whether a stollen (or any cake I suppose) is moist or dry?

I have an Atlas and they hold up just fine but, if you have a KitchenAid mixer, I'd also recommend their pasta roller attachment. At just under $100, it's about twice what I paid for my Atlas but it speeds things up and allows you two free hands (which is helpful when you're handling a long piece of pasta dough). I also like that it sits much higher off the counter top which gives you more maneuvering room.

From the school of AR (anal retentive) eating: As a kid I would always eat pop-tarts along the perforated lines.

How timely, the Washington Post food section ran a comparison in today's paper:Washington Post Mandoline Survey

Could they be used as a casing for vegetarian sausages?

I still think that the Inn at Little Washington remains a special treat. The food, service, decor and setting are a winning combination that'd be hard to beat. But, more and more, I think that there are new fine restaurants in their league right here in town. So, I don't think the the ILW has declined so much as others have risen to meet their level of excellence.

I want some! I've heard rumors of its existence but I haven't seen it on store shelves. Does anyone know if it is in general distribution or just available in trial markets?

nightscotsman- I'd like som advise on applying a thin, hard carmelized sugar glaze. Currently, I dump almonds into hot hard-crack-stage sugar, toss and spread onto SILPAT. How can I get a thin, even coating?

Kitchenaid Tumbler Attachment I don't have first hand experience with these, but they may be a relatively inexpensive approach.