Wendy DeBord

My backyard, Chi town burb. My royal galas are incredible this year!!!!!!!!!!! It's my best crop to date in 11 years. They've never been this big, this red and perfectly textured. I had a few set backs with branches breaking a few weeks ago. The trees are so loaded with weight they have begun to lean from the trunk. I've thinned them out twice! But they've grown so huge this year, I didn't think my trees would ever produce such large apples. We had a mild almost cool summer this year. I predict an incredible crop this year of all varieties grown in the mid-west.

I think it completely depends upon the brand. Valrhona's Le Noir Amer is auesome. Have you tried it? For me, no other brand of bittersweet (that I've tried) comes close. I understand what you mean about bitterness and I don't care for it either. Some brands bittersweet are very close to unsweetened. The Noir Amer isn't bitter...if a child accidently ate this they wouldn't try to spit it out or make a funny face...........

I long for photos of his new work. Do they resemble what he's published or has he raised the bar?

Please forgive me for not reading everyones post...if someone aready posted this-why not buy it already done? Same price, same company that makes sweetened condensed milk, ready to use Dulce de leche! Look in the Spanish section in your grocery store.

Hum lets see, tonights dinner consisted of a huge hunk of watermelon and a heap of heart burn. The heart burn came first and pre-empted any thoughts of dinner. Sorry I've gotten really bad. Once you get sick of eating nothing but salads I think the only real solution is to made items ahead, portion them and freeze. Or don't freeze and keep left overs on hand. Many nights opening that can of tuna and sticking it on a salad is too much effort....but the micro is my friend. Pop something in it, wash face and go change into something comfy, by that time food's ready. For mini cooked meals: pasta and jarred pesto, egg sandwich, pork tenderloin on a metal scewer douced in bbq (under the broiler it only takes minutes) and veg, fried bolona sanwich, cucumbers dipped in salad dressing and rolled up cold cuts on the side. P.S. Never make a meal of of p & j on ritz's after 8 p.m.!

I can't tell you what on their covers until about a month or more after it's been released. It angers me that the book stores have them a month before I do-as a subscriber.

I have to admit I'm drawing a blank on the pork tenderloins....do you mean baked pork grandma style (gravy)? I have a great mom and pop shop for homemade meals. It's a bohemian restaurant in Westchester...called the Westchester Inn. It's outragously cheap, very good and too much food. It's a zero for atmosphere, but check out the pet shop in the same mall for your circus's. They do wiener snitzel, smoked pork chops, smokied butt, fish, baked chicken (yes), roast turkey dinners, roast pork dinner (me and hubbies favorite). It mainly draws the over 60 crowd but don't let that weird you out. They just know home cookin at a good value. They have good fresh rye bread, simple yet good chicken soup ( or liver dumpling soup), entree, boiled poatoes, potato dumplings, cabbage or kraut, dessert is included and it's your choice or puddings or studel (pick the studel). On Sunday they offer a free glass of wine with dinner..........cheap wine, but something Mom might have in her fridge. If you try it, go around 4:00 p.m. foods best during their rush but don't be supprised if they sell out of what you want.

My step daughter is a manager at one of the Mondo restuarants (she's worked from him for about 10 years now). Yes, Jim still owns them. To the best of my knowledge there's the "Pie" on the strip and the one downtown in IC next to his Bread Garden Bakery/restaurant. Plus he has one in a near by town (the name eludes me at the moment), in fact my step daughter is dating the fellow who managed that one. He did open a HUGE Mondos in either CO or Arizona (lost track of which...there were plans for both- eventually) about 2 years ago. The whole venture nearly took him under. It was a huge failure but I admire his guts and vision. If only he had opened a Mondos in Chi town burbs I think he would have been a huge sucess, me and hubby would eat there a couple nights a week. But Jim has bounced back and is still going strong in IC. I favor the Pie's food and adore their fresh breads. Although I think their first baker was a bit better then the current fellow. Have you eaten the oatmeal pie with cinnamon ice cream-....to die for!

Pongi, it's great to see your posts here. Yes please advise me!!! I begin baking these items tommarrow so I have no more time to do reference work. My attempts at finding more Italian desserts always lead me to the same problem, none are meant to be frozen or made well in advance (other then cookies). I'm doing some work for a young chef whom probably isn't familar with any real Italian pastry other then the famous tira misu. He requested I make 4 chocolate almond cakes, 3 hotel pans of tira mi su, cannoli and 5 mini pastries for an Italian night buffet. I've made some Italian pastries previously but unforunately none fit what I was asked to make by this chef. Due to my schedule everything will have to be prepare two days ahead- and that's really a challenge! But here you are to my rescue-please tell me more about mini pastries you have in Italy so I know what I make will belong on an Italian buffet. Your previous post indicates that your bakeries have some pastrys that seem be multi-national (choux puffs, mini tarts). Would you mind describing your favorite mini pastries what their made of (I can put together the recipes myself tommorrow)? For instance: The choux puff recipes I've seen either fill the puffs with pastry cream or a ricotta filling much like a cannoli. Is that correct? If so do they place any chocolate or sauce on top of the puff after it's filled? What is a small rice cake? What types of bavarian desserts do you buy and like? Do you mean something like a pistachio bavarian in a tart shell? How do they present the cream as a mini pastry? Do they look like what the French make? If not how are they different? Is a shortbread crust with jam or custard a shortbread tartlet like with raspberry jam and frangipane filling? Is a custard tart like ricotta custard baked in the tart shell? Sorry I have so many questions, any help is good help! Thank-you!

Yes there's an artist in Chicago that specializes in these molds. He demoed this thru FPS and Uster Co., unforunately I missed it. He has his own school and does a class on making food grade molds. If I recall correctly, the class was about $500.00. I might have a link for him but I'm short on time today. Will look later for you.

Thank-you both! Your posts have helped me.

First, I've never been to Italy and all my information comes from books and Italian restaurants I've patronized in the States. That's why I seek info. here, I need help. Is there a difference between a French macaroon and Italian amaretti? The things I notice as different: is the French place two together with a filling in the center, the French use many flavors and the Italians don't and many recipes call for ground amaretti inferring that these cookies are crisp. Perhaps I've looked at too many recipes because I can't find anything consistant ie. proportions or almond flour vs. almond paste. Please, help me so I can identify and make authentic amaretti. Also, I have some other challenges. I'm expected to make a "almond and chocolate cake" and mini Italian pastries that must be totally completed one day before serving. As far as an "almond and chocolate cake" I've seen none in my Italian cookbooks that really fit that description closely. Some authentic Italian cakes have chocolate and almonds in a cheese or whipped cream based filling that are supported by either a pound or a sponge cake. Have I missed something, is there a "almond and chocolate" cake (not torte) that is "known" in Italian dining? Lastly, mini pastries...that can't be put together on the day of the event only the day before is a challenge. So far all I can think of doing is a take on traditional Italian flavors like almonds, pistachio, lemon and building items that would probably never be sold in an Italian bakery unless someone can update my knowledge on Italy and it's pastries. Thank-you in advance.

Explorer-it was January of this year, we we're skiing at Whistler/Blackcomb. We took the day off and drove down to Vancouver for sightseeing. The Senses I went to was a small shop in a hotel. It was not hotter then room temp.. we're cool weather people-the car heater was not on.

Well, you've got a nice collection going. I've never taught anyone but myself, so others will probably have better ideas....but I'll try. Some of your books are more sophisciated/current/advanced then others. I believe at starting with the beginning and learning all the basics before you jump forward into the more sophisicated work (even though some of it is "simple work"). I would have you set aside these books for later: Bau, Herme' Patisserie, Fleming, Leach, Roux. I'd throw out the Malgieri books, sorry it's my opinion. Then I'd tell you to use these books to begin your journey: Julia's, Walters, Silvertons, Greenspan, Payard, Rodgers, Herme's chocolate book, Rbl's books, Bergin and Frieberg. Even though you see tons of recipes in these books they do break down into catagories. The obvious being cakes, pies, tarts, ice cream, cookies, candy, etc....but with each catagory there can be several sub-catagories. Like with cakes you have, high-fat that use a creaming method, low-fat that are egg foam cakes. In the sub-catagory you'll have several sub-sets (I hope that's what you call them). In the low-fat catagory you have sponge cakes, angel food, chiffon... Friebergs books should help you figure out the major catagories and sub-catagories in the Table of Contents. If I recall correctly even his huge books miss some catagories (like he doesn't go into great detail on mousses (he does bavarians I believe)), you might realize this and add more sub-sets to your list then he has in his contents. That's great if you can identify more. Do you know enough about desserts to identify the major catagories? If so, you wanted to make a quick touch on many topics to grab a basic into then- I'd make myself a list of those catagories. Find 1 recipe out of your 'beginnig list' (I choose above) book collection for each that interest you into baking them. Write them down. Then go thru and find your sub catagories like I mentioned eariler with cakes. Pick 1 butter cake, 1 chiffon, etc. write those choices down as your sub-set catagories. Then you'll will have made yourself a table of contents. I'd work it in one major catagory at a time and not bounce around for now. Make every style of cake then make every style of cookie, etc... When your making these items your learning that each has it's own method or technique. The Bakers Dozen book will give you a breif over view of some catagories. RLB will give you almost too detailed of a over view but she's very scientific and exact. Then of course each recipe has it's own set of instructions to follow (this is how you begin to learn the basic methods). As you make each recipe you can cross reference the method and ingredient proportions other similar items in your books and see what the "average" is. Friebergs book probably lists a table that shows you this...it's good to learn. If you started doing like I reccomend and worked at it every day it would take you quite a while to touch on each base. But after you've done that exercise you'll then be more prepared to learn more from the more advanced books you own. Just making 1 item from each catagory only scratches the surface, then you go on to make 6 different butter cakes to see/learn /taste the subtle differences. Then you see how these more advanced chefs like Herme and Bau are brilliant. HTH, I can't wait to read how others would advise.

Well, I only bake at work and they don't have name brands, but it's a spray like Pam or Bakers Joy.....just look at the ingredient list before your buy. Shortening or a paper towel soaked in oil and rubbed in the pan should have worked. I don't know the answer for why it didn't.

I've never tasted chicory, could you describe it please?

I'm not a world traveler so I have no reccomendations, but I second Lesleys veto of senses. I picked up a few items from them earilier this year while on vacation and got some less then fresh product. Their mousse cake when it came to room temp. turned to oozing liquid. I thought their chocolates were much better then their pastry.

I use mini cupcake pans, I think they were from Chicago Metallic. You can use many different pans for these, even glass ramikins work well. I heat the pans first, then spray with pan release. Make sure the pan release your using doesn't contain water or items will stick.

Thank-you

I attended a demo by Caffet (on sugar), how I wish I spoke French! I didn't know who Caffet was at the time but I knew he was important by how Pfeiffer acted with him. I thought this was supprising, he told us about was how he learned air brush. When he was younger he used to paint snowboards....he had no experience-just got thrown into the job. I guess I always thought the great French chefs grew up in the industry and did nothing else. Lesley I tried to follow your link but wasn't able to. If it's possible could you provide another one, please? I'd love to take a tour of these famous shops you all are speaking of.........but I'm not familar enough with French to find them on my own.

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Of course they'll be lots of guys like that. If you own a digital camera you should think of shooting product shots of an arranged plate using your individual desserts. Give the brain dead or the dessert challenged chefs some ideas. Use garnishes they can buy from Uster or something realitively cheap they can reproduce easily.

Bri, I love that name! Good choice.

Value and how it relates to size is what every restaurant over does but the top elite restaurants who know better. Everyone is selling huge portions, hense forth most dinners as so full they couldn't possible eat dessert too. If the restaurant is serving big portions everywhere pluss stuffing you with free bread it makes a normal size portion look cheap. Still a 4oz dessert made in a production mold looks small on a dessert plate!! It's better on a dinner plate, with garnishes. (artisy vs. plain)

I think your price is right on, but his isn't. Restaurants that deal with straight numbers like x3 don't take into account other factors. They can trap themselves into mediocre products or making everything in house. And a hot chef that doesn't bake, baking horrible desserts just so they can get x3 is stupid. This is a fight/point I have yet to get across to a place that lives and dies by numbers. Why not be open to pricing some purchased items x2 (instead of 3) when it increases your sales because of quality and has a larger profit margin then a less then stellar product they're selling at x3? For example you can sell ice cream on a banquet and turn a 1.00 profit per item or sell a tiramisu that cost you 2.oo to buy in but you sell it for 4.50 which is a 2.5x more profit then that scoop of ice cream gives you. You don't have added effort, you have a better item, why not? Next topic: I've struggled with the 4 oz size. It doesn't look good on a plate. Even with accompaniment....a strawberry looks huge next to it. Instead I'd rather use stainless steel rings, they're bigger.