jackal10

a) Use a thermomix. One of the few things its good for. b) Add some cornflour or custard powder to the mix. Makes it much more tolerant to overheating c) Use Birds Custard. Few can tell the differnce.

The problem with maintaining any culture for long periods is that the side products - alcohol, acid, and off flavours tend to accumulate. Thats why it is necessary to refresh it from time to time by taking a small amount of culture into a large amount of flour and water - I use 10g stater to 200g flour and 100g water. Essentially you are making a new biga, so if you are using commercial yeast you might as well use new yeast and avoid any contamination...

I use a stiff sourdough culture, 50% hydration (twice as much flour as water by weight). I think it gives a better flavour than the more liquid versions. Ideally find a baker with an established culture and borrow some to start. Personally I find them easy to maintain - just leave in a covered jar in the fridge between baking sessions To start your own starter, if you cant borrow one, mix equal quantities of flour and water (use bottled water if yours is chlorinated). Nothing else, No grapes, raisins, old boots or anything. Leave in a WARM (28-30C/82-86F place. Temperature is important to make sure you get the right bugs. After a few days to a week or so it should be bubbly. It will separate into two layers, just stir them together. Throw out two thirds and replace with equal quantities by weight of flour and water. Leave in the warm place for a day. Repeat. That is your basic starter, You can now make your biga Take a tablespoon of his starter (10g) and mix with 8oz of flour and 4oz of water. Knead until mixed (5mins), and then leave in the warm place for 12-24 hours (overnight). That is the mother sponge, you can keep in a jar in the fridge. To bake repeat the last step with a tablespoon of the mother to make the biga. When the jar of mother is looking a bit empty make a double batch of biga and save half.

I fail to see why you should cook seperately. They don't cook meat when you visit. However some veggie spectaculars, that you can cut at: Savoury roulade, like pumpkin or chestnut (uses eggs), tomato sauce Wooton or other vegetarian pie, with veggie gravy Veggie souffle

What I do is concentrate on the main, in this case turkey, but make sure all the sides are vegetarian, and some of them substantial. You did not say if the strict vegetarian would eat dairy and eggs. Much harder if not. Thus: Cauliflower soup sounds good, but needs cream and crouton or goo bread Main: Turkey, but you may want to cook a veggy stuffing seperately Veggie sides: Cornbread Green bean casserole sprouts and chestnuts haricot beans Butter (or olive oil and garlic) roast potatoes or mashed potatoes Nice cheeses Sweets: I guess pecan pie and pumpkin pie, made with butter pastry Coffee, petit four and digestif

Flour is good to stop it sticking to the banneton cloth. Flour with low gluten such as rice flour or semolina is even better, but traditionalists use the flour the dough was made with. Don't wash the banneton cloth unless its moldy; instead put in a low oven to dry out. Over time it will build up a non-stick layer. Several ways of not getting too flat a loaf. a) Use a stiffer dough. Sourdough gets looser the longer proves, as th acid attacks the starch. b) Don't give it time. Work quickly from turning the dough out to getting it into a hot oven. Handle the dough gently as its very fragile at this stage. Don't drop it from a height or you will deflate it and knock the gas out. c) Don't use a baking tray as you want to maximise heat transfer to the loaf. Use a layer of tiles or bricks in the oven and pre-heat them, then put the dough directly on them. SOme drop the dough from the banneton directly onto the cooking surface. d) In a domestic oven what works brilliantly is to use a large cast iron casserole, like a Le Crueset, or the like, pre heat it hot and put the dough directly in it, and put the lid on for the first half of the bake. This simulates the hot steamy atmosphere of a bread oven. e) Don't over proof. My sourdough takes 4 hours from mixing to baking at room temperature, or 2 hours bulk then overnight in the fridge in the banneton. Bake from cold - cold dough is much stiffer and easier to handle

Their web site http://www.anne-gros.com/cgi/epresent.htm says Possibilities for food pairing tend to lean toward richer dishes: roasted red meat with berries or fruit, red meat in sauce, game with sorrel...red currant jam, mild cheeses or nothing at all. This wine has excellent ageing potential. Nevertheless, according to our believes about great wines, it is often possible to drink the wine while still young when the tannin and structure are at the forefront, essential qualities for balancing a great wine. Other sites say tasty now but will improve (less tannin) 2009-2016 Lots of possible menus. I would have cheese as a second course For a first course roast rack of lamb with redcurrant jelly, or venison with fruit or even beef bourgigone...

Is this the plce to discuss the book? The new one just arrived and looks excellent, with much more data in it.

Check the Turducken threads and recipes. You need a stuffing (forcemeat) that is is fairly firm to slice, moist enough to lubricate the flesh and visually attractive with contrasting colours - either additions such as pistachio or dried cranberry, or centre pieces of dark or light meats, or foie or pate. I usually use a sausagemeat with additions of onion etc. Quick and easy. For small birds a chicken mousseline (like quenelle) is nice. Here is one http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...2entry1012812 I made earlier with apple and sausagemeat stuffing;duck; sage onion and sourdough bread stuffing; chicken; potato and wild mushroom stuffing; egg; olive (olives stuffed with garlic). If you are making a Turducken or the like don't bother to debone the interior birds,just cut the breasts off. No one will notice. Remove the skin from the interior birds.

No the tapioca is neutral, The prawn crakers taste of prowns (plus seasoning).

I agree with Fat Guy, Restaurant from an investors view are really disgused real-estate speculation. Thanks to the internet (eg http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...gourmetfoodsusa ) we can do the sums 14oz NY strip steak Probably choice, wholesale about $6, If it had been prime then it would say it on the menu and the cost would be much higher. Even cheaper if bone-in. . Say $1 for the onions and potatoes. Food cost 25.99% FIlet mignon a little cheaper, say $5 plus sides, food costs about 22% and there are some cheats: Mushroom Filet Mignon, for example does not specify the weight and I bet the truffle in the sauce is from a truffle oil bottle My guess is they are running under 25% food cost. When I ran a high end restaurant we aimed for 30% food cost, 30% staff, 30% overheads, 10% profit before tax. 10% is a slim margin

Food as theatre a good topic for discussion. I think if your food is unconventional you get maximum impact with as conventional a setting as possible - white linen napkins, polished silver, mahogany table, candles in silver candlesticks etc. If your food is dull then you need theatrical presentation - smoke and mirrors, stunts, costumes for the servers, fireworks etc Examples might be a reproduction medieval feast, or kit the place out as a space ship interior and serve pureed food in tubes...

Cider is made from cider apples that have more tannin more acid and more suger. Eating apples will mostly give a thin characterless cider, but try and see. Get yourself a hydrometer, which will be useful for beermaking as well. The ABV is the difference between the original and the final gravity measurements multiplied by 131. Thus if you want a heavy cider of 10%, and the FG is 1.010, then the OG has to be 10/131 +1.010 = 1.086. Natural apple juice is about 1.045 which is 6% ABV if feremented out. 8oz less one tablespoon will raise the OG of a gallon by 0.010, so you would need to add a bit under 2lbs... Lots of sites on the web to help such as http://www.yobrew.co.uk/card.php#_Cider_Recipe_Design

Tapioca starch is a principle component of prawn crackers (shrimp chips) and similar puffed snack foods http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=63405

Napkins folded into anything other than flat rectangles, or possibly triangles are abhorrent,, so that the service staff can shake them out and place them on the diner's lap, and repalce them if the diner gets up. IF you find your bread roll balanced in a bishops hat folding you have wandered into a 1970 time warp. Pleats and fans even worse. For regular diners (as in a club, home or holiday hotel) personalised rings and pigeonholes may be provided. A neat stiff paper ring is acceptable, provided the service staff can still easily unfold the napkin for the diner.

wot no green bean casserole?

I use an ezi grip potato peeler, one with the blade at right angles to he handle. Not as spectacular though Recipes? I guess the obvious ones Pumpkin pie Pumpkin soup ( with stuff like wild mushroom, chestnuts etc) Roast Cheesy Pumpkin bread Pureed and dried for a crisp

You only need steam in the first few minutes. At the end of the bake you want dry heat to crisp the crust. The dough (which is about a third water) will also release steam, and if the oven is a closed box like a casserole (most are not) will be enough. You can put a cast iron pan to preheat, and throw a mugful of water into it to give a burst of superheated steam (care!) when you put the dough in, but the fan in a convection oven will blow it away, unless turned off.

Convection ovens work fine for bread, but if you do not have steam injection you might want to turn the convection off for the first few minutes of the bake to let the steam gelatanise the surface to give you a better crust. Alternatively bake inside a large heavy pre-heated casserole, like a le Crueset. Remove the lid after 10 minutes

The only true toast, for those who know it, is AGA toast, made by putting the bread in a special holder between the hot plate and its lid. The hot plate is at about 200C/400F, and effectively acts as a contact grill. The result is thin, crisp, crunchy toast, somewhat dehydrated on the surface, with a characteristic pattern from the toaster's mesh

Do you cut a round out from the centre of the bread for the egg to sit in?

Have courage and faith in HFW Look at his "pig in a day" course on his web site, which goes through ham making in detail If it is too salty just soak it for a while..

You can have raisins if you like. Chocolate chips and rum even. All sorts of other things can be added. Different cultures have different flavourings: lemon, cardamom, rose water etc. Here is a summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_pudding It always amazes me how little rice is needed

Eggs?? Raisins??/ Heresy! (for 4 servings) 2oz/50g short grain (pudding or arborio) rice 1 pint/600ml Milk 1 oz/25g sugar knob butter grated nutmeg Mix together in an ovenproof dish Bake for an hour or more (three hours or more if large quantities) in a low (200F/90C) oven until a golden skin has formed an the rice is soft Serve warm with jam or golden syrup. The skin is the best bit

Many colleges have will cater for 12 in a private dining room. Ask for the conference organiser's office. http://www.conference-oxford.com/?p=uni_uni