Ling

I used to climb on the counter and then sit on top of the fridge, calming eating my afternoon snack, when I was small enough to fit in that space. I'm not sure why I did that, but it sure gave my mom a start when she saw me one day. Right now, the top of the fridge is for Costco-sized boxes of cereal.

The banana cake recipe is great. I would add either nuts or chocolate, but the candied fruit idea doesn't seem to work in my mind. Ditto the maraschino cherries. I frost the cake with a barely sweetened rum cream cheese frosting, as the cake is sweet enough by itself.

^could you post the recipe, please?

I don't know if anyone in Richmond is looking for Michel Cluizel chocolates, but they have a great selection at Heringer's (in Steveston). So close to my house...so dangerous...

Online, at Penzey's. It seems to be very popular with the bakers in the Baking forum.

I was there back in August, I believe. I had lunch there. It was great--particularly my main course, which was the cornish hen stuffed with sweetbreads.

I braised lamb shanks for 3 hours until they fell apart. Perched a big one on a pile of red wine porcini risotto, then covered the meat with the sauce.

^Yeah you're right. I think of fudgey as being closer to chewy than cakey, I guess.

^Yes, it's Zest.

Wow...you're doing our province proud, Jaime!

Was the recipe you tried the one in Recipe Gullet? The cookies I got from another Egulleter didn't have a distinctive almond meal texture, but I'll ask him which recipe he used.

This guy I'm kind of seeing has a Viking range and it has a teppanyaki grill in the center, in between the gas burners. I haven't had a chance to try it out, but soon, I hope!

^Do you have a favourite macaroon recipe, Patrick? I would like to try making them, but I'm horrible with a pastry bag... (But I guess I won't improve unless I practice, right?) That's a beautiful picture--there is an incredible lightness but lushness in the way you captured the macaroons on film that must mirror the way they taste. Super busy today...I corrected a 20-page essay for a student, then rushed to work and now I'm running out of the house again. No time to bake anything--I've been munching on these Valrhona fevres all day though.

A fellow Egulleter gave me a plate of Thomas Haas' Sparkle cookies two days ago, so I was reminded of the recipe. I've had them at Sen5es a few times in the past, but they are pretty pricey, so I'm going to make them at home from now on. The person who gave them to be noted that he used Baker's the first time, and the cookies didn't turn out (rather flat, didn't taste all that remarkable). The second batch (of which I was a happy recipient!) was made with Valrhona Guanaja, which Thomas Haas recommends. The baker found the difference extraordinary, so be sure to use the best chocolate you can get with this recipe! tharrison posted this in Recipe Gullet: Chocolate Sparkle cookies The cookies are very rich and chewy, but have that delicious bit of crunch from being rolled in sugar before baking. I love them!

I had a ham and egg omelette, 2 cups of coffee, and a handful of Valrhona Guanaja fevres (these are just too easy to eat!) And look what I found...remarkably in-depth comments about this particular chocolate!! Valrhona Guanaja tasting notes

^The gorgonzola was a freebie. I didn't eat it with the sandwich. PORK CHEEK! Hope they have that as a special next time I'm in Seattle!

The sandwich was filled with succulent pieces of roast pork, and also stuffed with another porky filling...kind of like a loose sausage. Slow-cooked green peppers and onions, and the richest pork juices combine and soak into the bread. Sooo delicious!

YUM! "Jai lo mei" a.k.a. "fried gluten" (not the most drool-inducing name) is one of my favourites! I would choose Yaohan over T&T b/c I find the quality of the hot foods to be better, and it does look cleaner to me. I particularly like the steamed buns filled with meat at Yaohan.

I want to live in Florida and have access to stone crabs. I finished the last of the cookies from my Cookie Exchange today...I had about 6 lime meltaways, a few lime cookies, really good spiced orange cookies with chocolate drizzles, and a few chocolate pistachio cookies with orange curd. I had a few of the gingersnaps I bought to the Cookie Exchange too. And three Chocolate Sparkler cookies. Damn...12 dozen cookies GONE in less than 48 hours! Now it will probably take me a whole week to work off all those goodies.

^Well, I consider a table of 4-7 a "group" as well. I don't mind an autograt--makes everything easier.

I have a picture of the famed porchetta sandwich from Salumi. It gets my vote for "Best Sandwich EVER" too! Most delicious thing for me today...a plate of chocolate Sparkle cookies (Thomas Haas' recipe.)

I think those are called canneles.

Thanks for the kind words! This is definitely a recipe I will make again and again! (Especially since I picked up my Valrhona Guanaja today!)

^heh heh... In addition to the dozen and a half or so cookies I had today (I should know better than to post in the afternoon, because that means I wouldn't have included the evening's sweets!) I had some Sparkle cookies (from the famed Thomas Haas) and a slice of sweet potato cheesecake with gingersnap crust baked by a fellow Egulleter!

Those are so beautiful, Patrick. Can I use that picture as my computer wallpaper? Dessert today...more cookies from yesterday's Cookie Exchange. I thought 12 dozen would last me a few days, at least, but at the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky if I have any left for tomorrow!!