Ling

I think we're done fiddling with the recipe in this thead: Chocolate cake It's my favourite--deep chocolate flavour, moist and rich without being too heavy to eat with ganache and/or buttercream.

Foodman: I love the colour of the cake! The one you made looks better than the picture in the book...(recipe is here for those who don't own the cookbook ) Jaime Oliver's Surprise cake Did you glaze your cake with anything? The top looks so smooth, red and shiny, while the one in the cookbook looks more orange and dry (like a carrot cake).

^It sounds like their take on frangipane.

^ I've never tasted carob before. And I'm determined that it's going to stay that way.

^Aww...such high praise. Very much undeserved, but greatly appreciated! I hope to be able to cook like you one day!

The pig ear napoleon is a cool idea. Or you could cut rectangles of cracklin' and sandwich the bacon ice-cream mentioned upthread between the layers. Some other ideas: -bacon baklava: I imagine the crunchy bits of bacon would go nicely with the nut filling...maybe with pistachio instead of walnut? and soak the baklava with maple syrup? -bacon brioche bread pudding: bread, eggs, bacon--it's practically breakfast food! The smoky, salty bacon would probably be good with a very dark rum caramel. -pork "Gulab Jamun"--hide a cube of soft, fatty pork that has been cooked with a sweetish sauce in the center of the dough before frying -bacon "bark"--bacon, crushed salted cashews, dark chocolate -peanut butter cookies with bacon "chips", sandwiched with the same bacon ice-cream? -a tart made with puff pastry, walnut pastry cream, figs, and pork? -Paula Wolfert's "Sweet pumpkin dessert", but serve each cube of pumpkin on a square of bacon glazed in maple syrup or caramel ... recipe here

^Have you been to "The Rainbow" in the little complex across from Richmond Center? It's almost directly across the street from "Bao Guo Bu Yi". The Rainbow is also a vegetarian restaurant. I haven't been there in at least a year, but I've always enjoyed my lunches there.

Great pics! They are too cute! Maybe I'll try to make some for my little cousins come Christmas time.

My friend's gf said she was bringing sangria to a bbq. It was red wine and fruit punch--that's it. No fruit, nothing. Just fruit punch and wine. I drank some to be polite...but it was truly horrible.

They also have a location next right by New Town in Richmond, across from Richmond Center. Lee--I used to buy pineapple buns with CUSTARD filling...really good! I don't remember where I got them from (I used to buy them in high school)...anyone know?

I had a fruit tart filled with whipped cream at my student's house.

^They are famous for their mussels and fries! It's been awhile since I've been there, but I remember the fries were great--thin, crisp, and well-salted.

Melange...thanks for the pictures! Which was your favourite? I hope to eat Payard's desserts one day, and I've been reading the L.A. Burdick's thread on Egullet too. The desserts at both these places look incredible.

^Holy crap, I'm good! Now where's my prize?

It's a frog holding a berry with his saucy froggy arms?

^Before you make this, don't you think the proportion of butter in both the tangerine cake and the chocolate cake (which is almost like a flourless chocolate cake) seem unnaturally high? It seems like 1/4 cup of butter is more than sufficient for the tangerine cake and the chocolate cake...I do caution that I've made a cake from the Lumiere book that didn't turn out at all--it was waaaaay too greasy (it looked like it contained too much butter when I read it, but I followed the directions anyway, and it was inedible). Anyway, I think the cake would turn out if you cut the butter down to 1/4 cup in the tangerine cake (and even then it would be very dense with the almond meal) and 1/4 cup of butter in the chocolate cake (so it's more in line with other flourless chocolate cake recipes.)

^Nothing wrong with plugging when it's such a great deal. It's wonderful how this thread got turned around.

Aww...I loved this thread and it's sad to see it come to an end (until April...but I do hope that other Egulleters will keep this thread going in January!) The menu for today's class looks delicious...blue cheese polenta and ribeyes, how can you go wrong?

almond biscotti, warm out of the oven (wish I was eating Deborah's tart instead, though...those apples look so plump and yummy)

Ahaha..after a post like that, I had to turn my room upside-down to find that cookbook! And here's the winning recipe (from the 1999 Quandy Dessert Competition) Chocolate tango cake with bittersweet chocolate sorbet Chocolate sorbet: 1 cup sugar 3.5 cup water 2 oz Valrhona, bittersweet, chopped 1 cup cocoa powder Almond Praline: 1 cup sugar 1 cup sliced almonds 5 tbsp unsalted butter Tangerine cake: 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 vanilla bean zest and juice of 1 tangerine 2 yolks 1/4 cup ground almonds 1/4 cup AP flour 3 tbsp Essensia Chocolate cake: 1/2 cup butter 4 oz bittersweet Valrhona 2 eggs 2 yolks 1/4 cup sugar 2 tsp flour Tangerine syrup: juice of 2 tangerines juice of 1/2 lemon 3 tbps Essensia 2 tsp sugar Tangerine jus: zest of 1 tangerine juice of 4 tangerines juice of 1 lemon 1/2 vanilla bean 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp cornstarch Sorbet: Boil sugar and water, put chocolate in bowl, pour simple syrup over, whisk. Whisk in cocoa powder. Cool to room temp. Freeze in ice-cream machine. Almond Praline: Melt sugar over med. low, increase to medium and boil under caramelized. Add almonds and butter. Spread mixture on lined baking sheet. Cover with more parchment, cool. Tangerine cake: Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, zest. Beat in yolks one at a time. In another bowl, add almonds, flour, baking powder, Add to wet ingredients with juice and Essensia. Chocolate cake: Melt butter and chocolate together. In another bowl, beat eggs and yolks and sugar. Temper egg mixture, then fold in egg mixture with chocolate. Add flour. Cover and put in fridge 10 min. Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour 12 three-inch ramekins and put on baking sheet. Fill halfway with tangerine batter, then pipe chocolate batter into middle of each ramekin until 3/4 full. Bake 10 min. Unmold. Soak in hot tangerine syrup. Syrup: When cakes bake, combine everything and bring to boil. Tangerine Jus: Boil over med-high heat until thickened. Plating: Drizzle jus around plate. Crush 1/4 cup praline and put in a small mound beside each cake. Add a scoop of sorbet to plate. Top sorbet with bigger piece of praline. (Directions paraphrased by yours truly. )

Oh right, my students are always drinking those! I think the shape of the bottle is super cute.

Dare I ask what's a "chubby"? I'm picturing extra-girthy roti?

^That's too bad! I always use my 9" pans (with 2 inch sides and they have NEVER spilled over for me!) I feel bad now...

It tastes a bit minerally, and it is not nearly as salty as regular table salt. It has very delicate, slightly sweet taste. The flakes look kind of moist (for salt)...it is a slight greyish colour. I've just started using it in caramel!

That sounds really delicious! (I love butter tarts, but I have yet to try a pecan tassie.) Thanks for sharing!