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jackal10

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Everything posted by jackal10

  1. I would use small pieces of foil in the jelly as "sparkles". I was thinking of using it as an inter-course amuse, Any ideas?
  2. Cook low and slow and don't bother to defrost, but use a thermometer and cook to a defined end temperature.
  3. Ah I'd forgotten that. I can't see any reason why the bread should not be flavourful - cooking in a cloche won't inhibit flavour, and the salt content looks about right. Maybe add 10% rye flour.
  4. You will get more flavour if you make a sponge with the yeast, and say half the flour and ferment that for an hour or two beforehand; or add old dough; or retard overnight in the fridgel also pre-mix the water and the flour an hour or two beforehand
  5. and I thought you meant it as a political metaphor... Sickly sweet on top and spongy underneath with no substance. Tempting, glitzy, but without nutritonal merit. I do find much US food too sweet, perhaps because of the influence of the big sugar/corn obby
  6. Sabatier carbon steel "au Carbone"
  7. Caramel has been eaten by humans in one form or another since time began. I guess if you avoid it you avoid drinking colas, or eating bread crusts, or fried onions, or toffee. I would worry much more about the red azo dye.
  8. If you don't have financial experience, for heavens sake find someone who does, or the money will walk out of the door. Remember it also takes up to 3 years to get established in the guide books, reviewed in the papers etc, and you need to allow funding to cover the ramp up. The question of debt (loan) or equity (share) finance depends somewhat on you long term goals and exit route. As Bonfire Cuisine noted, Investors want their money back, and equity investors want several times their money, usually from a sale of the business. If what you plan is a lifestyle business, say a single restaurant, then you will do better with a bank loan, assuming you can pay the interest or have negotiated interest free holidays to cover bad times. Since you never plan to sell, then the equity has no value. If you are more ambitious and plan a chain of restaurants that you will sell in 5 years time, then equity is a better route, and you and the investors get rich when you sell. There are various half-way houses, like convertible loans and redeemable shares, but they are probably too complex Whatever the funding, you will need more funding along the way. pick your investors or bank with enough strength so that you can go back for a second bite at the cherry at reasonable rates. All investors will want to see you have some "skin in the game", enough to hurt if it goes wrong. Restaurants as such rarely make money directly. If you are lucky they break even. In my more cynical moments I think restaurants are basically disguised property speculation, with the trading just keeping the premises warm. Thus you want ideally to own the premises, or if you lease them ensure the lease is long enough term with long intervals between rent increases so that you have some value to sell.
  9. Lots of sweet vegetables: Carrot (cake, candy, halwa) Parsnip flakes (cf Fat Duck) Beet Jelly (ditto) Sweet bean paste (bao, mooncake) Corn in many forms, and ultimately corn syrup DO Latkes with apple sauce or cinnamon sugar count? Potato starch Garlic ice cream
  10. Are you by chance confusing http://wagamama.com/ a chain of noodle houses, with http://www.yosushi.com a chain of conveyor sushi places? Both good for what they are, but neither "Restaurants of destination", and maybe a little out fo student budget.
  11. Buy a copy of the "Good Food Guide". Lots and lots near Marcle Arch - Gavroche, Locatelli etc etc. Indians like "Porte des Indes" or the Diwani Bel Poori house(vegetarian) is not that far, but you will probabky want to go to New Tayyab Phoenix Palace or Chinatown for Chinese Not that far from Notting Hill Gate with the shops in Westbourne Grove, and the Portabello market, but you will want to make the excursion to Borough market. Fortnum and Mason, Harrods Food Hall, and Harvey Nicks are for tourists although you might like the tea and maccaroons at Laduree at Harrods, and buy some Poilane bread (or even Krispy Kreme donuts) but why not take a train to Paris for the weekend? Be sure to visit Ottolenghi, St Johns (and St Johns Bread and wine), Lindsey House, Rules for stuff you can't get elsewhere. Take breakfast at Simpsons. If you chose to visit Cambridge (an hour by train) and Midsummer House, let me know.
  12. jackal10

    Prime Rib Roast

    If I can be so bold as to say that that is mighty fine meat you have there, Marlene
  13. Black truffles have very little flavour, unless re-inforced with truffle oil and are mainly for decoration
  14. Use a meat thermometer and don't take it over 140F/55C.
  15. I agree. Some of the 2000s are drinking wonderfully now, and not that expensive
  16. Stuffed the turkey (Norfolk Black) with truffles (chinese), after the fashion of Brillat Savarin, and put it on at 65C for its 12 hour slow roast... Also put on the Xmas pudding Rum butter made Stollen recovered Mince pies made Merry Crimbo all on this feast of Mithras.
  17. jackal10

    whole lotta shrimp

    Potted shrimps
  18. There is Kosher and Kosher. One of my nieces, who is Meshuganer Frum won't eat or drink anything in my house - not even sealed packages on paper plates. Her sister will eat vegetarian food. Me, I eat anything, except perhaps meatloaf...
  19. jackal10

    Menu planning

    Christmas is a Monday, so there is, with New Year there are maybe 10 days to cater for. Christmas Day, for us is a given - turkey and the trimmings, but what do you plan for the rest Current plans for me look like: Sat 23 Hot Ham Sun 24 Fish Pie Mon 25 Turkey etc Tues 26 Cold turkey, cold ham, pork pie etc Wed 27 Thick Soup and crusty bread Thurs 28 Sausage and mash Friday 29th See whats left - Pasta or risotto perhaps Sat 30th Lamb Hot Pot (or maybe curry) Sun 31st Roast Beef Mon 1st Cold Beef What are you plans?
  20. Important dilemma: Do the cloves go in the centre of the diamonds, or the intersections?
  21. http://www.lavinia.fr/LaviniaFR/ficha.aspx?Id=2491 EU28.05
  22. Yes, you do need to reduce the salt, for example by soaking Its quite tough meat, so needs long slow wet cooking to help the collagen break down. The glaze is just decorative. Instead of glazing you can breadcumb, for example. I soaked for 24 hours in 4 changes of water, then cooked for 12 hours at 65C to an internal temperature of 62C, then stripped the skin (recycled at cracklings and flavouring/gelatine for pea soup). Score the fat and rub in sugar (demerara), then stud with cloves. Much easier to sugar before cloves. Pour over the basting fluid - I used apple juice, but you can use cola or whatever. Very hot oven for half an hour, basting every 10 minutes. See http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=466554
  23. Maybe 6. 1996 Bollinger Grand Anne sells for between $100 and $150 according to Wine searcher. Nice small grower champagne is perhaps $20, going by UK prices. The Bolly is good (Parker 95), but not five times better.
  24. Sell it, and buy 12 bottles of a good grower's champagne.... or 3 botlles of single malt...many times the pleasure.
  25. jackal10

    Prime Rib Roast

    http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=40548 Leg of lamb cooked at 65C/150F for 7 hours Gigot a sept heure. Internal temperature 60C/ F. #
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