Wendy DeBord

I'm not comfortable posting Love's recipes because I haven't seen him publish them for public consumption. I do dearly hope one day he'll publish a book on his lifes work! Theres always differences between one confectioner and another. The thing I'm noticing that's 'unsual' to my American palate is Chef Wybauws use of butter. He uses more quantity in his ganches then other recipes I've made. I'm not used to being able to detect the taste of butter in my ganches....... Perhaps this is a very European style?

Happy Anniversary! So I'm trying to get the full picture of RI..........the shops all have a certain similar look.......or does this just pertain to the area you've shown so far? Do you have all the modern malls just out of view from your camera? Also, can I assume that you collect antiques or is there a specific time range that you collect thats not quite "antique" but will be soon? Is it the sixties?

Help, I'm really struggling with this book. So far, none of the recipes I've tried were repeatable. If you work from this book, would you please suggest a recipe or two that you've really liked? thanks.........

Andrew Shotts is a VERY WELL KNOWN pastry chef! He's competed nationally and (I believe) internationally in pastry for..........what, about 10 plus years (probably longer). Your lucky to have him doing such quality work located right in your area. The boat he did for the extreme pastry was probably my least favorite piece I've seen him create (sorry).... compared to the fine detailed work he's done in competitions. He is a master chef and someone who's work I've always admired. He's got it all (skill wise) and I hope he will have a hugely successful business! Please support talented chefs like him in your area.

My favorite source for transfer sheets is definaltey PBC company in France. http://www.pcb-creation.fr/ If you dare, buy their catalog (it's like $5.00) I want everything they sell.

Chefcyn, I'd love to see your pumpkin turnover recipe and your pumpkin fudge recipe, if you don't mind sharing? Please and thank-you............

I believe that http://www.sugarcraft.com will make custom photo transfers for you. I've always been pleased with their company.

I've purchased Culinary Classic's bootcut pant. I like them fine while I'm standing but when I bend over they don't. They give me plumbers crack.........(sorry not nice, but it is the truth). I don't have that issue with any other pants I've ever owned both chef clothing or street clothing. I've recently purchased several pairs of cargo pants from chef wear. I do wish they had a boot cut bottom. But the pant is very comfortable and somewhat wrinkle resistant.

It's really helpful to see both cakes so close together, to compare. I think I need to try that E. recipe. Can someone adapt it and post it in this thread, please? Or maybe someone already did........I'll have to back track.

Eating some chocolates from a demonstration I attended from Norman Love several years ago.......transformed my attitude on pairing flavors. I had been tied/stuck to traditional flavor pairings with chocolate, ah traditional pairing with most foods. He rocked my world, made me realize there was alot I was missing holding on so tightly to tradition.

.........to have actually helped someone..........makes everything feel better.........thanks.

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Can you get some sort of liners for those wooden pans? I keep thinking that they'll take the moisture out of your cake and the pretty boxes will grease stain (stained containers never sell product well). I suppose the companies have thought about that, but just in case, make sure they're sealed somehow.............

Definately worth checking out: Recchiuti Confections Check out their news letters! Other recipes..........brownies, sauces, souffle, typical desserts......beautifully photographed. I made their white chocolate bark with caramelized cocoa nibs and the caramelized peanuts on milk chocolate bark yesterday for my ala carte menu..........having forgotten my book at home I just worked from memory (which you all know my memory isn't so sharp).........I thought these were really great!!! In relation I had purchased $30.00 in chocolate bars from Vosages the day before and I thought what I made was superior.......and I'm no confectioner. I can't wait to make more recipes from this book.

Gosh I'm drawing a bit of a blank at the moment (tired).............but in the bakery trade magazines theres tons of ad's for similar. The trade magazines are online too.........can anyone post the address for LCS?

Chop suey boxes from the container store are cute. Martha Stewart has shown tons of examples for this over the years, perhaps theres some info. at her site. Using nice/thick paper stock you can make a cone shaped cup very easily, fold the top inward tie a handle on it.....it's fast, easy and strong. I give food items in decorative metal tins......which aren't cheap (I've found some elaborate ones over the years). But what's happened consistantly is, everyone really does return them to me (and I didn't want them too, told them not to). But they all come back so I have to store them, I can't get rid of the darn things. Everyone plays the game of bringing it back asking for a refill. So if your goodies are going to close friends and family you might be supprised, they bring back containers.

I ditto this. It takes 12 to 15 minutes for the average cookie in a 350F oven. Rugelach takes longer because it's not a flat thin cookie. Granted you have to take into consideration just how big your rugelach is. Also I don't roll mine real tight so it's not super dense which would take the center longer to bake. Mixing the dough manually will effect the crumb/texture of your dough (which is equally effected if your mixing poorly using a mixer too). If you added all the ingredients in the correct amount hand mixing can not account for what your describing. Your describing underbaked centers and the problem solving with that is either your oven temp. or the amount of time your baking them.

Your either doing a book for people with some skill already or your aiming for beginners. My perspective (for what little it's worth) I think theres plenty of good sources for beginning decorators. Mainly articles in magazine (several online sources too).........some of them are quite good showing cute cakes that are in the reach of an in-experienced decorator. Speaking as a professional, I LOVE good design books and buy them for inspiration. Collette Peters can't publish them fast enough for me. Brauns' book and Wooley's book sold well too I'd guess, among professional decorators. I don't care if they have recipes in them, I probably won't try them because I already have my favorite recipes. ....just my opinion........ So if your making an advanced decorators books I don't think you need highly detailed recipes. If your making a book for in-experienced decorators details are good, but too much will probably scare people. Personally I think theres a couple of really good recipe writers out there. My favorite has to be Dorie Greenspan, she combines simplisty and complexity perfectly.....on the opposite spectrum RBL's recipes make my eyes glaze over. I think the Whimsical Bake House book worked really well appealing to both beginner and advanced decorators. I wonder how their sales were..........I'd guess they sold very well! I think this is an example of a really well done book, it has something for everyone. So which level are you writing for?

I really like using oils to flavor items.

Mpshort, that's an incredible shot! What a dream cake table......

I'm certainly not Mr. Psaltis but I think your question lacks the depth of understanding of what it's like to be a chef. The same question can be asked of most chefs.

I had never seen or heard of Kolaches until reading here at eG (not on this thread but an earilier one). I forgot about this bun type. So then I must be wrong when I'm talking about cookies........? Can someone clarify the differences? Am I simply confusing the spelling?

You might find it helpful to read this thread. If you use our search function I believe you'll find several other threads on the topic of RBL's oblivion torte. Theres sooooooo many recipes exactly like RBL's, close enough to be exact copies of the ingredient list. Then everyone has a slightly different take on the baking method and time. It does work great! It works perfect in her short baking method and it works well in others longer baking methods. The longer it bakes the dryer the finished cake will be, even for this item. Once I left the chef with instructions to pull my cakes out of the oven (I had a doctors apt. and had to leave work)..........he mis-understood my dirrections. The oblivion torte baked for a hour! I thought for sure it would be garbage..........low and behold it wasn't. It just tasted like everyone elses flourless choc. cake............ As to adding a coffee flavor I use an intense coffee extract (triblet.....naturally I can't spell it, sorry), takes about 1 tbsp. to flavor thru a strong flavor like chocolate. If you add kaluha it will taste of kaluha not so much coffee.....at least that's my feeling on it. You can/should add to this recipe by taste..........to figure out what you want. Lots of way to express what you want. You could leave the chocolate cake plain and use coffee flavored whipped cream or chocolate accented white chocolate mousse (Neils version of white choc. mousse). You could put the coffee accent into a crust for the bottom too. Melt some white chocolate (or bittersweet) add some coffee emulsion and fueitine or crushed rice crispies, spread it out into a thin round disk, adhear your cold cake to it....... You could make a shortbread base or a breton base. I have to admit I don't know what mayan chocolate is? If it's regular chocolate you might not want to add that as a drizzle. The restaurant will have a hard time cutting it if it's drizzled over soft whipped cream.

I grabbed a copy of their book last week at the book store. It only took me seconds to know it was worth buying. It does look fabulous. I've already got two items from their book tucked into my bi-weekly menu change..........just barks (something quick).......but I'm very excited to try some of their recipes. I liked their approach/style in how they teach you to work their recipes, teach you about chocolate. It's very informational, yet not overwhelmingly technical. Nice photos, there are many other recipes besides truffles/chocolates.

Welcome to the eGullet Society For Arts & Letters s_atan! No need to be scared........... I hope you'll find the time to participate more.