Wendy DeBord

French pastries aren't better because they are made in France. They can only be better because they were made by a more skilled craftsman. We've got some of Frances best pastry chefs living and working here in the States.

Ah, I've searched high and low to the ulitmate flourless chocolate torte. Alot of good it's done me, just like everything else I can't get two people to agree on which factors create the ideal torte. So all I can get back to is my own very personal choice having tasted MANY similar............I do prefer RBL's oblivion torte as my favorite texture in a flourless torte. To it though you can add countless varations so it can be sort of unique for your product line. I have to have another flavor to contrast with while I'm eating a flourless chocolate torte. Richness isn't the issue, it's cleansing your palate so it doesn't get bored or overloaded with the taste of chocolate. I also like/need some textural contrast. Maybe a crunch bottom layer and a light whip cream on the top.......... Granted the restaurant should plate this with a sauce or two (something), but you should sell it as if they won't, so you should make it a rounded dessert that can stand on it's own.......I think that is what will sell it for you.

O.k. so I'll agree that people tend to do as they were taught or exposed. Those that grew up vacationing/vacationing, take vacations/travel. Those that did not, still don't. All that aside I think a person interested in cooking and eating has no similarity to a person who loves to travel......other then they both have hobbies/interests. Really good food happens randomly. More consistantly (hopefully) then randomly at restaurants that employee serious culinarians. As a person who hasn't traveled off the continent that I was born on I find it really hard to believe that I'm going to experience something better in the country the food I'm consuming orginated in. Well.....if your talking fresh produce, o.k. I'll agree you need to travel to the source for the best produce. But when you take a handful of ingredients and combine them into a meal what matters the most is the expertise of the cook. Having great theater (the theater of your enviroment) along with your meal as Bourdain does is auesomely cool. But I have a hard time believing that the theater changes the actual taste of my meal. My senses might be heightened and that may do some enhansing.............but I could have had a couple of drinks and that may enhanse my dining experience too. Someone will have to do a better job explaining to me how the taco in my hand from my Mexican freind (who's a cook too) is any different then a taco they got from another Mexican that was standing in Mexico when he made the taco. How's one more authentic then the other? Then you need to explain that to the rest of the millions of people in America next to me that don't get it either. Convince us. Combining travel abroad (an expensive hobby) with fine dinning (another expensive hobby) you've got something that excludes the majority of people. If you strip away the cost factor you still have another glass ceiling, education. Those of you that talk of how you traveled during your college years might not realize that alot of people didn't go to college. For many people, college is the first time they got away from home and were exposed to other cultures.

I'm not sure it's the strangeness that stops middle America.........I'd call it fear. We live plugged into our TV's, what we know, we learned on tv. We've become so insolated by our fears we're close to being paralized. If you noticed Chicago wasn't on that list of citys with people holding alot of pass ports. Granted we do have a segment of weathly people who do hold passports and do travel extensively..........but when you step down into middle class America I'd have a struggle if I wanted to find a person in my area that had a passport. I don't know one person who does. We struggle, literally everyday to travel back and forth from our jobs on roads not meant to handle the volume they currently do. We unwind infront of the tv that shows us how every country in the world hates us. We've become shell shocked by 9/11 and huricanes waiting for something to happen to our little neighborhood. Right now, no one is spending their extra pennies..........we're sure that rainy day is coming soon. And with predicted heating bills being triple last years, it looks like this winter going to rain hard. I get a couple days off work, my house needs attention, I'm tired, I don't want to put alot of effort into a vacation. I don't want to learn something new, I just want to experience something new. From Chicagoland going to either coast or down south is like going to another country. We can experience completely different foods, customs and scenery right in our own backyard. There aren't alot of travel shows on tv. The ones there are, are so focused on high end travel middle Americans don't even bother to day dream on that. They want to watch something obtainable for them. There aren't positive interesting stories of peoples lives in other countries floating on the screen of my tv. I'm personally excited by the presence of foodtv and peoples awakening to food as a art/craft/skill and the people making food as more then unskilled blue collar workers. If the media's angle on travel and it's constant fear mongering ever ends, then maybe middle class America will travel abroad.

I think thats a huge luxury to use up a year of your savings to travel........... I can't afford that. My world, my future isn't guarenteed. I don't know how I will pay for the cost of living when I get old.

O.k. so let me see if I can bring anything to this conversation. What do you think the average tab is for a person say flying from Chicago to Italy, plus 6 nights accomidations, food, ground transportation.........the whole nine yards for a week in Italy? The answer is: it's too much money for the average American couple. Remember what the average income is folks. Then consider those who might be most interesting in dining in other countries are people employeed by the food industry, which is a poorly paying career. Those of us in the industry can barely afford to live on our incomes yet alone eat at fine restuarants locally. Forget traveling for food. Then we take our hard earned dollars and gamble everytime we step into a restaurant. Will the food be worth the money or not? I think serious cooks of average income eat like I do. They eat mostly at home because that's where the best value and meal is. To spend your money on something risky overseas is too big of a gamble for Mrs. Average Income. Instead I can get two maybe three vacations for the same price in North America as traveling abroad. I'm already fat, so when I vacation I'm not looking to pack on more pounds. The whole conversation only works if your talking to people who make descent incomes. "Travel" has come to me, I don't have to go far to find it. It's in my neighborhood, it's at my bookstore, it's at my job, it's in the room that I plug my computor into.................

I use IQF fruits all the time in pies, they work great.......including apples. They've been very consistant in moisture and quality for me. They don't oxidize like fresh peeled apples do so thats a big bonus. And I don't like apples soaked in lemon water to stop the oxidizing, but with the IQF I don't taste the acid they use. Theres no way on earth I could prep all my own fruits and still have time to bake anything.

Well however you pronouce them to the best of my knowledge theres two types. One kind is round and it uses yeast in the dough (like this) and ones that are squares with the corner brought into the center and they are more similar to a cream cheese type dough. I make the second version. For them I roll the dough out, fill them and freeze unbaked. Then bake straight from the freezer, no defrost........they turn out great. One of the small things that matters alot is your preserves. They have to really have great taste and most important not bleed out when you bake them. I use Hero brand preserves for this and like them, raspberry, strawberry and apricot. For poppyseed I use the filling you can buy, straight from the can..........(that how people here like them). Oh another thing (I've seen this at bakeries).........they can't hire a person who can roll a dough the same thickness twice, so getting a consistant product is difficult. There are these wooden boards that you can buy that regulate the height/thickness of your dough. It has edges that your rolling pin sits on and the width of your edges determines the thickness of your dough inside the edges. Personally I find these boards a hindrence because it limits the size/quantity you work on each time you roll........so you have to roll out more smaller batches. But if you won't be rolling these out yourself you may need to look into this.

..........yes, this would be a good topic for a demo thread. Anyone want to volunteer, please pm me?

Yes, I use the recipe from Baking With Julia written by Dorie Greenspan. The beauty of this recipe is how easy it is to make. It will definately WOW your family............it's better then alot of bakeries danish (bakeries that use a danish mix). Do you own the book? Do we need to post the recipes? (.............if not.........well it's a great book, everyone serious about baking should have this in their collection.) There's variation from one danish recipe to the next.......as typical of all recipes.... Normally/traditionally with danish, the butter is rolled in beginning as a seperate item from the dough, after it's baked it's brushed with simple syrup. This recipe cuts the butter into the dough from the beginning like making a pie crust. It makes a pretty moist danish that doesn't need or like a simple syrup wash. So your making this multi layered danish dough and you do need to finish it by adding fillings and shaping it. Theres countless ways to fill/top danish.........maybe it would be easiest if there was a particular type/flavor of danish you'd like to make? * My favorite danish dough recipe comes from Wayne Gisslens professional book. But the Ojakangas recipe is definately my second favorite recipe and it's the easiest version I know of.

After I read this article, I was really surprised, as I had come to believe the "fact" that nothing tastes like real pure vanilla extract. I re-created the taste test with my staff at the cake shop, and no one there could tell the diff either. It convinced me. Call me blasphemous, but I have no problem using artificial vanilla, even if I can afford the more expensive "authentic" stuff. ← I've made the extract switch permently too. For anyone in the business, I get x3 strength from our baking supplier.......it gives even more flavor impact then reg. strength artifical. It's worth the search, I think. (I don't believe/agree with everything from Cooks but their panel taste testing of base ingredients seem to always be right on.)

I haven't tried that, but it should definately work MightyD. It's about equal to adding a thin coat of wax.................. no flavor. I'd rather use white chocolate instead of cocoa butter.

I can reccomend all of the recipes in the Payard book. It's a fabulous book!!

I highly suggest you start learning about making pie crusts by reading thru our demo thread on pie crusts. We've discussed the reasons why different mixing techniques create different types of crusts. We've talked about what ingredients give which results too. We've offered up our best recipes that we've tried extensively in comparision to many other published recipes. ...........in other words we've done the leg work for you. We have also talked about pie fillings, specificly apple pie fillings. If you do a search on that topic it will lead you to many threads on the this. I can't say that I recall us reaching any definitive apple pie filling that you can just run with. But we have discussed the pro's and the con's of many apple pie recipes and theres a wealth of information available for you. In addition we've chatted endlessly about our apple preferences. You'll come across those too if you do a search.

Well we have many serious bakers that enjoy both eG and FC. I have previously been active at FC myself.........so I "think" I understand the references. It could be argued that our site has more professional bakers then FC.......... but I know that means little because great bakers aren't all professional bakers. So to double check myself I went back this morning and searched thru their forum looking for any testing between the Sue B cake and the Wooley cake...........I couldn't find any. To the best of my knowledge our site has far more bakers then FC! So I think it's fair to say we had alot of chocolate crumbs on our shirts too. If I recall correctly we did talk about the Spago chiffon cake as a great chocolate chiffon cake in the original thread that began this best of chocolate cake series. I've made that make many times, and still do use it for some applications. I think it makes the best cake roll. But I don't think it's as versitale as the Wooley cake. Being a chiffon it's lightness of structure makes it very hard to use in all applications. I don't think I've made the Sue B cake yet. So I will have to do that. I was under the impression that Samaki/CookieMonster has........ and that's why she brought up mention of the Wooley cake at Fine Cooking, to tell others the Wooley cake was even better. But unforunately, I couldn't find a post where she says that, to confirm my thoughts. In the end I think we all agree that there is no "best chocolate cake", we all have preferences that prevent us from coming to a unanimous consensous. Sooooooo, try as many as you can over time, seek your own ideal of perfection.........then tell us what you think. In addition, Mean Chef is an active member at FC and that should definately be the correct Sue B recipe you found Patrick. Dailey, FC is Fine Cooking a magazine published by Tauton. They have a chat forum online here. Also I believe that I can say the majority of members here would not include the RBL recipe you mentioned in a "best of" list of chocolate cakes.

I rarely use a serated knive to cut a cake for serving. Only for cutting the plain cake into layers that I'll fill. I usually use a french knive to cut cakes, because that's whats most available at work. If I had a choice, I'd choose a thin non-serated knive on the larger side. Really any knive you like is fine.......... Choosing a wide bladed knive lets you use it as a spatula if needed to lift your cake slices. Often the prettier the knive and spatula the less functional they are..... I wouldn't rent either, and if I wanted them I'd buy them thy aren't too expensive. Fancier places take the cake back into the kitchen to be cut out of site. Where I've seen cakes sliced in the room in front of the guests it's best to keep the production down, just be swift and clean. Get in, get out. Technically, you choose your knive by what kind of cake your cutting just like cooking. I'd use a serated knive if I was serving an angel food or chiffon cake in public....but not a wedding cake. You really need to dip your knive into hot water between each slice if your cutting a cheeesecake or a flourless chocolate cake, a dense cake. But for a typical wedding cake consisting of white cake with buttercream frosting you can wipe your knive on a towel between slices to clean the blade or every couple of slices. You don't need to rinse it under hot water for each slice. Dunking in hot water in front of people does complicate the process.........and I'd avoid that if possible. I'd rather do that in a kitchen where no one will see just how gunked up my knive and towel gets. When I cut a cake in the kitchen, ideally I'll do it next to the sink so I have fresh flowing hot water. That's easier then using a container of water that cools down. I also us the water pressure to clean off my blade. For cutting cakes I hold my knive in my right hand (because I'm right handed) and push the slice I've just cut into my gloved left hand. Then I place it on the plate from my gloved hand. If you'd prefer to use a cake spatula to lift the cake slices that looks nice.......but it's more time consuming. I don't flip the piece over out of my hand onto the plate. The side that was on my gloved hand goes face down onto the plate, so the best view (unsmudged frosting) is face up on the plate. Part of the trick of slicing the cake in public is doing it quickly and effortlessly and no one will really have time to observe what your doing.

I suggest you look at either the http://www.Wilton.com site or pick up one of their books to see how they guide cutting various portions out of cakes. I think alot of decorators use Wilton as their guide to how many servings per cake they get. I've also noticed alot of decorators like the serving chart from http://www.earlenescakes.com, which is a litte more generous of a portion. For cutting in the room, I've usually seen people set their plates in a stack on the table near the cake.... a server picks them up, placing them on a banquet tray walks them to the destination, takes them off the tray onto the serving table. Theres no finesse secret I know of..........just walk it over, keep things neat, use trays. Put any mess or supports on a tray to your side, keep it covered with a clean napkin so it's not seen. I'm not sure I understand your last question......."wan--it"? I'd cut half of each cake into slices placing each portion on it's own plate. Then set that near the remaining cake. Then as needed I'd cut more into slices. When the cake has lost it's decorative effect take it off the table, clean the cloth around it, then in it's place set plates of sliced cake.

Take a look at this demo thread. Scroll downward and right before she shows you how to use the balloons she shows you how to mold using a sponge wrapped in plastic to make small cups. I first saw this demonstrated by Chef Wybau and was supprised by how quick and easy this method was. I think dipping the sponge is quicker then painting on layers. You can double dip it if it's too thin, but thin is good. Releasing is easier too, in my opinion. You can not mold tempered chocolate in a buttered container. You must temper your chocolate if your setting and keeping these at room temp.. You can work with chocolate with-out tempering it. But then you must use the refridgerator (or freezer) to set your chocolate. You can not EASILY mold chocolate in any ole container, like a muffin tin. It must be a smooth scratch-free surface or the chocolate will stick to the surface.

Thanks for the help with the link Deborah. It doesn't look like they make pants..........boo! Welcome to the eGullet Society For Arts & Letters Alan!

I live more west, toward the Algonquin area. Theres nothing in the world that can get me to drive those east west roads! It's easier for me to get into the city via 90 then turn directly east toward the lake. I have however worked on the northshore, in Lake Bluff and catered all of the north shore for years. Finding employees in that area is difficult! You've got 'well to do kids' that don't want to work at restaurants. So they get minority workers as the only people willing to do the jobs. Minority workers that I know personally, don't like to drive any distance to work (they fear getting into car accidents because alot of them don't have insurance). They might if they were really getting paid better rates, but most restaurant jobs don't pay well. It's a hassle for the patrons to get to the restaurant and it's a hassle for the employees too. Housing just keeps rising as does fuel costs. I tend to think in time the only places on the northshore that will remain open are the ones paying employees enough money so they can live near the area. I can see people living on the northshore having to drive out to west or into the city to find a decent meal.

I'm shopping for more chefs pants. So I looked up this thread to find the store that Chefpeon posted that had those great womens jackets hoping they'd have cool pants too. But that link no longer works. Does anyone have the name/online address for them? If not, I'm looking for a bootcut or bell cut womens pants, anyone have a source? I'm tired of the mens pants with big baggie legs that tapper at the ankle. It really exagerates your hips, I think. The only source I can find that has a women pant that doesn't tapper in at the ankle is Chefwear. I've got a couple pairs of theirs, but I'm not crazy about them. Theres something strange about the way they all are cut (regardless of material or style). They look and feel fine when your standing but when you bend over, they feel horrible. The waste band doesn't stay at your waste on your back side, it pulls downward.............so you have to pull your pants up everytime you bend. I believe they call that plummers crack....... that's just rediculous..........I'm not going there.......... So I need help. Anyone found a comfortable womens pant?

I wanted wanted to jump in here because I can vouch the quality of Andiesenji's skill in candying ginger............it's excellent! It stores exceptionally well too. One day we'll get a demo on this topic, I predict it will be worth waiting for............

If you don't mind Deborah I'd like to add a couple thoughts to this thread? I too make this recipe pretty often, so I'm very familar with it. I wouldn't attempt to cut this cake in half. It's does not have a cake like crumb to it. It is very dense much like a cheesecake, but more likely to break then a cheesecake when handling. I add all kinds of things to the base recipe to change this up. You can add flavored oils like lemon or orange, etc.... You can use extracts like pepermint or rum, etc.... I haven't added emulsions to this batter yet, but I imagine they'd would work too. In addition to added flavorings you can fold in items like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, candied fruit, fruit zest, coconut, marshmellows, etc... at the end before baking. This cake can be a little tricky to make, similar to making a chocolate mousse. In that it's hard to fold in fluffy ingredients into chocolate that's cooled down too much. So don't let your chocolate cool down too much before adding your whipped eggs. The final cake will be at the height of you raw batter in the pan. But the edges may c be taller then your center. It's not easy to level this cake after it's baked so do level it with a spatula before baking. You do not need to have eggs at room temp. before you begin this recipe. The recipe calls for you to warm your eggs over a water bath before whipping them, and that will take any chill off you eggs. I find that using s rubber spatula to keep my eggs moving over a water bath works much better for me then using a whisk. When I use a whisk it doesn't scrape the entire surface of the bowl so you can get spots of over cooked eggs happening in your double boiler. hth

O.k. after reading your responses to the questions I asked you, I think we all better understand where your coming from. What your experiencing is completely normal! Your working next to people who have done this work for sometime and have figured out how to work very efficently. Everyone is slow when they start in a new atmosphere......even seasoned pastry pro's! You've got a new atomsphere to learn and new skills to learn........that's alot to learn for anyone. Learning pastry is more exact then learning cooking. It just takes time for things to becomes second nature. I highly doubt the people your working with don't understand and support you. They should know what it's like to be new and when they come and help you finish your work..........chances are someone did the same when they were beginning too. Even though your not the department head, you should look at the party sheets so you know how much work the department has to achieve. In time you'll catch on to the bigger picture and be able to know what needs to be done before anyone mentions it. Try to copy how the other people around you work. One of the first things that bothers others with a "newbie" is how neat and clean you keep things. ALWAYS clean up after yourself every moment of the day, put back everything as you go, don't hog the whole table.........so your never irritating others. That is with-in your control! But your speed isn't with-in your control yet.....so don't worry!! Just keep trying, it will come to you if you put in the effort...........and it's obvious since you came here to ask for help that you care! You will succeed!! Try to forgive yourself for being new and not having years of experience under your belt.

Just like Lesley I only saw the beginning of the show..........I could hear the rest of the show but couldn't view it. It was dissapointing, I could have dropped what I was doing if the show sounded really interesting and watched it, but I didn't bother. I did see the New Orleans clips but they were just clips with no info......boring. I didn't like any of the background music choices, they sounded cheap and canned. My best guess is that Martha will let Burnett run the show to give him a chance to prove his vision. Isn't he the genious of TV? But when the number of viewers don't come in I think she'll be smart enough to dump his outline and go with what she knows her loyal viewers want. I wonder if her people are scoping the net looking for chatter to see what people thought of the shows format.........I just don't see her letting this go down in flames.