Wendy DeBord

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you Brian-had alot of work. Anyway, these are the recipes I recieved from a person going by the name of TJ over at cheftalk...years ago. He presented himself as a senior European pc....I believed him, I thought his advice always seemed grounded. I also made other items from him with success. TJ's chocolate mirror: 500 g milk 400 g heavy cream 500 g syrup at 30 baume 200 g glucose Heat all to 180f. Pour into: 400 g semi sweet 1200 g pate a glacer brune (from cocoa barry) Strain. Keep this in a tub in the cooler and re-heat to use. It can be used on frozen cakes too. It remains soft and lasts for a long time in storage. It looks dull until you re-heat and use. I did make this recipe and I liked it-BUT I added more chocolate (almost double if I recall correctly) because it was too thin for my needs. Heres' his white chocolate mirror: I have NOT made this recipe, but I believe it to be sound. 250 g milk 200 g heavy cream 250 g syrup at 30 b. 100 g glucose 15 g gelatin sheets 1250 g white couveture Typical method. You can add oil based titanum oxide to whiten or color for petit fours. I also have a recipe in my file from A. Uster's web site, "Super Shiney Chocolate Glaze" to glaze frozen cakes. I haven't tried this one yet. It's: h20 glucose sugar prima clear gel cocoa powder cold h20 HTH

My apologies for adding my questions to this thread, I hope Steve or someone else will have time to answer all. It's option #4 that I haven't been able to wrap my mind around and have avoided. Just adding hot chocolate with-out the standard cooling (as in tempering) step doesn't seem quite logical in my head-even though I understand-I guess I need to just take that leap. And then I worry that I don't have enough tempered chocolate left in my bowl to handle the new non-tempered chocolate. For instance, like when using the seeding method what percentage is enough tempered chocolate in my bowl to handle the non-tempered coming in? 1/3? Thanks! P.S. Your other options are ones I do use. I rarely make truffles that are round where I could use my hands to dip. I typically make mice or something to to clue people into the fact that these are NOT store bought.

GGMora you spray it on with a wagner (or another brand) electric paint gun. This lets you spray a thin even coating (which is BETTER), where as, a brush will apply a heavier load (this is not good)...and since your actually touching the fruit with a brush I think it bruises delicate items like raspberries leading to their decline faster. As another method....If you can get a decent pump style spray mister (like what holds windex and other household cleaners) you can delute your glaze enough so it passes thru that. That will look better then brushed on because it's thinner.

I need help keeping my chocolate at the right temp. while enrobing. Everything works great until my temp. starts dropping and my chocolate gets too thick to set properly. It's always at the point where I'm close to being done and it's a real pain to temper more for a few centers. I've gotten tangled in details and advice, sometimes I just gently reheat but when I want to be safe I have to temper more chocolate. Any advice for keeping your chocolate at a working temp. with-out a tempering booth, lights, heating pad or yogurt maker? I get confused about technique and temps for adding more chocolate into my cooling tempered bowl of chocolate. I'd love to solve this. Anyone?

I mainly use ganche, because of it's speed in making, ability to cover any minor imperfections and it's taste. I use cream, butter, corn syrup and chocolate. But if I was working in your situation I'd seek out a perfect mirror glaze. I wish I had that perfect recipe to offer, but I haven't gotten around to doing so myself. I do have a decent recipe from a old timer at Cheftalkcafe.com I could share.

If your making them a couple days ahead, you'll need to glaze them or the fruit will look old. Personally I never use glaze on fresh fruit items, period. I think glaze has a negative vibe with people-it's tricked them before into thinking something was good and fresh when it wasn't. I avoid using it even when I know it would enhanse the appearance of an item because of the negative association. But I have to wonder if it depends upon where you live and your access to quality baked goods. I'd guess the average French person wouldn't have any negative thoughts about glazes.

Glad to read you've got it now 42feed! So you don't need a recipe?

Great, I'm glad to read that things are coming together for you!

You still didn't say exactly what sponge cake recipe your struggling with (look above at nightscotsmans post, there are many items that can be described as a "sponge" cake), but since you wrote tiramisu I'm guessing your talking about a ladyfingers sponge? But- it would be nice if you could clarify exactly what recipe or recipes your using. Your failures could be because of your technique or it might be because of your recipe. For instance, are you making tiramisu in torted/layered rounds...are these cakes (that would be a more modern version of a tirmisu). Or are you making this in sheet pans with a soft filling marscarpone filling (that would be a classic tiramisu). My reason for asking is to help you make the best tiramisu, which seems to be your final goal. From my experience the best classic tirimisu with a heavy soaking of coffee/liquour and a soft marscarpone filling is BEST using those hard as a rock PURCHASED ladyfingers. I tried for years to find a dry enough ladyfinger recipe to be authentic and I don't believe homemade ladyfingers can and are right for this application. I buy them in for this one application. But on the other hand, I sometimes make tiramisu tortes in rounds, I add gelatin to the marscarpone filling so it will stand up....in this version a light textured sponge cake is right and should be scratch baked. I use a different recipe for ladyfingers then I do for a sponge cake because I want different results from each. I do use recipes from well known sources, I don't have a recipe I personally created.....so I'm not sure how much I can post and need advice from a monitor, help Micheal or Steve! From the descriptions you wrote it does sound like it's your technique folding in your whites and getting it into your pan thats giving your problems. 1. Too dry- ladyfingers are dry and so should a sponge cake be for tiramisu. They have to be to take a liquid soaking and not fall apart. I tend to think you didn't use enough soaking liquid. BUT yes some recipes will give you dryer results then others....and over baking could be possible too. 2. Very large air pockets-means you didn't spread it out on your pan correctly and you left air pockets, this batter is light so it doesn't have gravity pulling it down, you do have to manually spread it in your pan to eliminate pockets. Theres a fine line between too lightly handled and just right. 3. Too dense- you may have under whipped your whites (or not had enough whites) or over handled folding them in, so they either didn't have enough structure to hold or you collapsed them while folding. I use a wire whisk to fold my whites into batters (including mousses). I believe this gives the best results. You can't weight down your whites (or whipped cream) with a whisk like you can with a spatula. I use a folding action and do not whip the ingredients together. Do you use a bent handled spatula to smooth down your batter in your pan? A rubber spatula can be clumsy and heavy so you don't feel comfortable spreading it out. I'll come back and give you a recipe as soon as I hear from a monitor about posting from a well known source. But, I hope in the mean time- that one of my other points might have helped you.

I have to wonder how many people will know that's hibiscus their tasting? You can't count on that being enough to wow your group. Have you already tried cutting out your shapes? I don't think I could pull that off with my panna cotta recipe. I'm sorry I can't think of anything that's not been offered: fruits, nuts, chocolate.........a liquour maybe....a thin sauce with color to bring out the pale coconut panna cotta. or make it a study in white and play with shapes and textures on your plate. Ideas: a malibu liquour sauce, toasted fresh coconut curls, white chocolate and coconut disks, spray paint something in white chocolate, a white chocolate lemon ganche truffle, pale shortbreads.........anisette drizzle.....

Although I've never done this, I've read that unbaked choux puffs can be frozen sucessfully with-out loss of quality. I believe (but I should double check) I read that in Bellouets petit four book. So have you done that Lesley?

Never having tasted Hibiscus (didn't know they were even edible) I'm can't be very helpful. Traditional parings with coconut: rum, bananas, pineapple, chocolate...... -for me-I wouldn't like a frozen element along side of a panna cotta. What are you doing with your daquiose specificly (are you completely drying it out or leaving some chew to it) is it a garnish or your base? How gelitanized is your gellee? Although I can see adding 1 "light" component -a foam, it wouldn't complete the dessert for me with-out more contrast. Off the top of my head-I could see hiding a lemon compote in the center of your panna cotta or using your daquiose as your base, layer of lemon compote then panna cotta. A vanilla bean foam. A hot phyllo triangle (maybe with a ganche filling and a couple grains of salt on top) letting your hibiscus be your accent. Next persons turn.....

Although I agree with what Steve has written I think you have to remember that he's on a completely different level as you and I. He has a name internationally known (so does Micheal) so the value of competeing means little to them. It actually might take away from their reputation if they don't do very well and if they do well-it really doesn't help them either. But a pc working at my unknown level -awards- can give you an edge over another pc when competeing for a job. In fact I think competing could and should bring ALOT to your career. There's alot of chefs that I would never have heard about if they didn't compete. They don't get the glossie write-ups in national magazines but being well known in the trade is definately important. Reading between the lines.....I'm thinking your looking for a argument against having to compete, and your job wants you to. NO? I think getting out and networking among your peers is invalueable. Just going to monthly dinners where everyone brags about what their doing isn't nearly as valuable as proving it side by side. I've yet to stop learning from observing others, even mistakes have educational value. "Specific techniques that can be applied to todays modern pastry chef?" Yes there are! Like Steve said it depends upon the chef and what they already know and are doing, etc.... I'd like to think I'm sort of a modern pc. I'm still greatly interested in whats happening in competitions because I haven't surpast that level (and I don't think MOST of us have)-I don't have a close up seat and only get snipits from trade magazines and foodtv shows so my knowledge of what's happening at these competitions is greatly limited. There hasn't been a book that shows me how to make the molds they've been using in competitions (although I have my eye on buying a newly released book on the topic) from a pastry chefs perspective. So I study what materials and method they use...hoping the camera stays longer. Although I'll never be interested in making showpeices exactly like they do in competitions I do make my version of showpieces for every buffet many times a year and I'm always looking for new presentation ideas for all my work. Sure Adria and Balaguer are doing cutting edge work but how much of it can the average pc's bring into our work? Not that damn much-we rely on sales from non-gourmet diners. So this 'traditional' work at competitions might seem boring in comparision to Adria but there's subtle happenings. If you can't take something away from just observing these on tv your either at Micheal and Steves level or your blind.

Before I just post recipes- what's actually going on 42feed? Whats going wrong that makes you turn to a mix? Texture, taste, volume....? What are you using these for, how many do you make at one time? Who's recipe are you using now and can you post it (in case theres something obviously wrong about it).

I want to add to your findings Rachel. I agree completely with your taste assessment. SO does Herme (one of our most reknown contemporary pastry chefs)! I read that- and was delighted to see someone of his stature finally breaking with tradition and going with taste over beauty. So to he-- with what our technical pastry books have written-it's time to stand up and know your right in liking your browned/carmelized meringues. Pass it on.

I thought of something I wanted to mention.... If your looking to do something pretty cool with that mask I suggest you try using Hippen Masse instead of or in tests along side with your tuile recipe. I've used the recipe at http://www.pastrychef.com/htmlpages/recipe...ppen_masse.html with success. I use that recipe on parchment paper that I've sprayed lightly with pan spray then lightly dusted with flour. I found baking them on silpats is harder to peel off then parchement. The reason I suggest this is....you can get amazing color and detail with it, more then tuile dough in my experience. The hippen bakes lighter in color, it holds an exact shape and it takes color well (it's also lighter in weight then tuiles). You can shape it/flex it exactly as a tuile as soon as it's out of the oven. You'll have to play with the thickness you want depending upon the size of your masks.

I can't add a word, just my support and respect for the answers given.

Set a thin cardboard or plastic shaped piece on the silpat in your mask before you spread tuile. Hold it in place with you fingers while you spread around it. Then pick up, it will have left your space blank with the shape of your insert. It takes a little more time, but that all. I see Jason posted at the same time as I did. You can do it either way.

After having looked at the Citarella web site I have to come back here and comment upon how much I LOVED your dessert menu. It's exactly what I aiming for!.............

Hum...I'm not sure how to answer that question.........other then......ARE YOU KIDDING..........? Kind of a 'different' question, are you writing a school paper on this topic and looking for help? Seriously-I'm not trying to be rude-it's just an unusual question.

Thank-you so much for sharing your recipes Chef Yosses. After I asked you what you served this with- my issue of Food Arts arrived, clearing things up for me. Your lemon cake sounds great. I'm thinking they'd make nice mini cakes for my petit four trays. I can't wait to try your recipes. Any future plans or highlights happening that you'd consider sharing with us? Do you see a book in your future? Thanks for the link Loufood!

I'm very excited to see Chef Yosses posting and clearing things up! Welcome!!! I can't wait to give this a try. Any chance I could talk you into posting the lemon cake mentioned or someone into providing a link? I've had problems accessing the Times site before. Just out of curiosity-what do you reccomend as an accompaniment to the white molten cake? Also, can you handle them the same way as dark-freezing and re-heating? Thank-you.

I own this one, but haven't made anything from it yet. I have other books written by her and have made many items from those books. They typically, are above average compared to similar level baking books. I like her clean writing and not overly complicated approach to baking. In fact if I think about it she's not heavy on "baking" like a Debbie Fields book where every item is a cake or cookie to be "baked". Instead I think it should appeal to alot of homemakers that they can create a great dessert with-out alot of baking technique. I noticed that some of the qoutes you chose were tidbits that stood out to me also, when I thumbed thru her book. I like her unpretentous style. I do wish though....(which is a common complaint) that she had more photos (I think that's important to the people this book is geared to appeal to) or better photos. The ones she had could have been styled better. For instance her caramel chocolate tart. She notes that it's beautiful to have an all cocoa colored plate/dessert (like a fashion designer uses neutals) but the photo didn't have enough ump to make her point....

Wow nightscotman, I think that would be an outstanding first pro. position. Even if you didn't like what you were doing (being low man on the totem pole)....just the chance to observe and learn there, would a great opportunity. Networking with the rest of his staff has ALOT of future potential also! I'd bet that you've thought out what you ulimately want to do with your new career...does this fit into your path? ......I'm excited for you!

You use some h2o on your brush to wash down any grains of unmelted sugar stuck to the sides of your pan because those grains can infect the rest of your batch growing crystals of hard sugar...ruining your batch. Why use a small pot verses using a bigger pot....my thoughts as to why he teaches that is: with a small pot the whole bottom surface recieves the heat from the burner, with a large pot that over hangs your burner there are areas that don't recieve the flame so the sugar doesn't cook evenly....and usually once the sugar has melted you shouldn't stir it while it's cooking.