jersey13
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Apricot Coconut Bars
From our very own published jersey13
"The writing is a little different in the mag. And, they cut the crusts off before serving. Pity, those are the best parts 'cause they're kinda chewy! :-) They also put it on parchment paper. I know teflon is not popular with "pros", nor with me really, but for stuff like this , it works like a charm. I also like to lightly grease the sides of the pan, to help the sticky apricot mixture release a little more easily. "
Base:
- 1 c (5oz) all purpose flour (Robin Hood)
- 2 T granulated sugar
- 4 oz (1/2 cup)) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
- pinch of salt
Filling:
While base is baking, combine the following:
- 1 extra large egg, beaten
- 1/2 c packed brown sugar (dark or light)
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 2 T apricot jam
- 1/4 c sweetened, shredded coconut
- 1 c firmly packed, diced dried apricots (about 6oz)
- 1 T flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position oven rack to the
lower third of the oven
Base Method
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Using either your fingertips, a pastry blender, or a food processor, blend in the
butter until the mixture resembles meal.
Press the mixture evenly into an 8x8 teflon coated pan and chill for 5 minutes.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until barely golden.
Filling Method
Mix well. The filling will be thick and chunky.
Remove bvase from the oven and with a rubber spatula,
scrape the contents of the bowl into the pan.
Spread the filling evenly across the crust and return to the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is puffed, set, and a deep golden colour.
A cake tester inserted in the middle will come out sticky.
As the confection cools, the filling will sink somewhat.
Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Yields about 20 bars
Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars
( RG784 )
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Thanks onionbreath. That stuff sounds amazing....
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Onionbreath: What's burrata?
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I looked at both and decided to subscribe to Bon Appetit mainly because of the recipes.
I'm surprised there's not a monthly digest for it here on eGullet.
Actually there was a digest back in the summer months and it was done by me. I ran out of time for it and dropped the ball. Glad to see someone has picked it up... I love that magazine.
Good job Toliver!
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How about the Claremont? I had a nice brunch there once a couple of years ago. Good eggs benedict.
And yup, Chez Cora sucks alright. I resent paying a king's ransom for scrambled eggs or pancakes that are doughy and tasteless...
Thing is, others like Tutti Fruitti are actually imitating their menu. So sad.....Overall I think realy good breakfasts at good prices are hard to find. It's not just NDG, but I do sympathize.
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Hi NeroW.
If you're PM'ing that frangipane recipe, mind sending one my way?
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Thanks. Now that you describe it, I recall having it before I developed an allergy to almonds.
I generally find that substituting butter in things that really rely on it for flavour tends to be a mistake. That;s part of the reason I suggested the tart with graham crust. It's not butter dependent and you can add a dash of ginger or some lemon rind for flavour. Or, use ginger cookies instead. I know it sounds like something right out of a Kraft commercial,
but we're working with a special dietary need.. (as you well know). You could try a normal crust using butter Crisco (I know, I know) and sweeten it, so as to imitate a sweet short crust.I love butter. (Sorry, just had to get that out).
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Please educate the ignorant: What exactly is frangipane?
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I read this post much earlier today and it just hit me now: Perhaps you could visit a vegan shop where they might have such things as non dairy cream cheese. While I have never had non dairy cheese myself, I was thinking that if it isn't just plain gross, you could make a nice no bake tart topped with fresh berries. The filling would simply be cream cheese, sugar and some fruit juice, and lemon rind, well beaten. You could use a graham crust done with margarine, toss the fruits with some preserves and spread it over the filling. Gourmet had a similar recipe using marscapone, but I have never seen non dairy marscapone.
Anyway, just though it might be a suggestion.....
On another note,if you can figure out how it's made, I have had tofu ice cream and I loved it....
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Hi David,
I had forgotten when this course was supposed to start, but I'm glad I'm not too far behind.
I wanted to ask: Does your food writing repertoire include recipe writing? We had exchanged PMs on the subject before the start of this course (nice job BTW) and I am thinking that if one gets into recipe writing then the article that goes along with it usually consists of the background on the recipe and the pitfalls, etc..much like what is seen in Fine Cooking, etc. Any info/thoughts on that?
About the web site/free writing: I've done some freebies on web sites, etc,. and it is a good way to build a portfolio. One thing though: be sure and save the HTML files of your work because if the site goes under, your work is gone and your MS Word documents won't look nearly as impressive as proof that you actually did appear on a web site. Also the HTML files can be placed on your own web site down the line. But I am not a big fan of providing too much free content as it takes the same amount of time to produce as ther paid stuff.
Also, on having your own site, try and get your own domain name as being on a freebie server with a www that is 3 lines long doesn't look too professional. There is alot of competetion out there for hosting so it can be found very cheaply. And, since the sites will be content driven and low on glitz, you won't need a super fancy hosting package.
As for Dreamweaver, you can download copies from macromedia.com. The actual software does not come cheap. If you have a buddy in graphic design, offer to cook a gourmet dinner in exchange for some lessons.
But, if you have MS office, Front Page comes loaded. Personally I use D4, but I do have Front Page. I am assuming it has a tutorial.P.S. I can't guarantee anything but If any of my "classmates" need a bit of advice while building their sites, I'm glad to answer whatever questions I can.
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Their espresso tastes like ass. That's why I don't like them.
I don't actually drink espresso, but I'll be some people like a good piece of ass now and then!
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Sorry, I haven't visited every Starbucks toilet. So I'll say that the ones I have visited thus far have been clean.
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Looking at the article, any large chain looking to open in a quaint little neighborhood is bound to get heat.
A Starbucks opened in my neighborhood a couple of years ago. It's in a nice 1920s building which has a beautiful white terra cotta facade. Of course when they moved into the building they had to paint their portion of the facade a puky yellow color to match some corporate decorating agenda
. Now the whole building looks like shit.Oh yeah, their used to be an independant record store in that building
. Just for the record, I am not necessarily in favour of chains moving into historical buildings, neighborhoods et al and making no attempt to tailor their storefronts to their surroundings. I think what you have described is tacky and chains should be obligated to blend their architecture, etc with the existing facade. It shows not only respect for previous landmarks, etc, but just good taste.
And Sandra, you're bang on with the toilets. I know where there's Starbucks, there are clean toilets. Very comforting after a tall Americano!
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For a large chain, they put out a good product and have very good service.
For a coffee shop, they put out a mediocre product and have very good service.
Apparently, you never came to the starbucks I used to work at at 5 minutes til close when I had the smoothie machine all broken down and cleaned begging for a strawberry banana smoothie because it would just help you study so much better.
Mediocre product and damned surly service. I was nearly as bad as the Soup Nazi when there was less than 10 minutes til I had to be up stairs to count my drawer.
So basically Starbucks is bad because you would get ugly 10 minutes before the end of your shift? Interesting.... Sounds like you needed a night off or a new job..
I got turned on to Starbucks in Vancouver years before it came to Montreal and I still love it. I have been to several branches in Canada , the US and Down Under and never have I gotten poor service or bad coffee.Admittedly, the milk on my cappuccino isn't always sufficiently foamed, but I guess they have to train staff sometime
And even at that, if I raised the point, they would make me a new one, no questions asked.
Looking at the article, any large chain looking to open in a quaint little neighborhood is bound to get heat. We had the same objections when McD's opened up in elegant little Westmount here in Montreal and in Ste-Anne de Bellevue (another quirky little area). Anything that creates an increase in traffic and creates competetion for smaller independently owned shops is going to be met with resistance. That's just the nature of the beast.
And of couse we could go the political route about fair trade coffee, but then that could lead to a whole debate about the products we consume and wear, and under what conditions they are produced.... a bit too much for me at this hour of the morning.
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I grew up hating smoked meat and never understood why people would plough through the stuff with such relish until I tried Smoke Meat Pete's late last year. I loved it. It didn't have that overly briny, slightly chemical taste that I remember from Dunn's.
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Fair enough. Truthfully, it does the job when I'm headed down the 401. Beats Second Cup. But then again, how hard is that?
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Tim Horton's? Which "deity" do you worship Joe?
And to think I was starting to respect you! LOL After all this talk about Illy and Italy, etc, I was almost embarassed to say I like Starbucks! -
And speaking of chains, although it is a pity that they will soon be on every street corner, I still think Starbucks is the best of the bunch. Much better than Second Cup, which I believe has the worst coffee in town.
That may not be such a bad thing. Although I've noticed there are alot more free standing Second Cups than Starbucks outlets. Either mediocrity rules or it just has better marketing/business sense.
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I'll stick up for Starbucks
However, my most memorable cup of coffee was at Boca D'oro on St Mathieu.
I used to think I liked Second Cup coffee until I realized that I never got through more than a few sips before throwing it away.....
...kind of an epiphany...... -
Speaking of Bento boxes, Katsura on Sherbrooke near Victoria in Westmount does nice ones for $5. They also have a couple of great noodle soups served with the deep fried onions on top. I ate alot of those when I was working in that area.
In the western end of the island, WiSushi has a 9.99 deal that has 8 pc sushi with soup and salad. ...love their salad dressing!
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I guess I am less tolerant because I eat anything. I appreciate that in other people because I see it as a sign of not only graciousness as a guest, but versatility.
I guess I don't understand why what I eat somehow equates to being rude or gracious to you. I can certainly understand how I CAN be rude to you with reference to what I eat, like the woman who insisted on having her chicken skin removed. But if I choose to keep kosher or be a vegetarian, if blue cheese makes me gag, how on earth is that not being gracious to my host?
This all reminds me quite a lot of the thread about customers making special requests in restaurants, which ultimately seemed to me to be about control -- about who gets to control the meal. And you seem to be saying that if I exercise any preferences -- if I opt not to eat porkchops or pasta or blue cheese -- I am rudely stealing control of the meal from you. And since it's MY mouth that this meal is going into, I don't really see where your control comes into it.
Again, if I make some kind of fuss, it's a different story.
First off, if you're keeping kosher, you need to tell your host/hostess, and if they are not following your dietary laws, you're just out of luck in my opinion, unless they decide to accomodate you.
By that same token, if you know you have a long list of "don't eats" again I think the host/hostess deserves ample notification at which point he/she can either accomodate or not. If the menu has been planned, you may have to wait for the next round of invites when kosher/vegetarian/vegan/etc might be served.
I don't see it as a negative "control" issue so much as quite often someone may decide to try a particular menu out with some friends and I think the choice of that menu is up to the cook. I don't think the host is obligated to accomodate because it may not be in the best interest time or budget wise. I think the person offering to go to the effort deserves that much control. If the cook wants to make a separate meal to accomodate each diner's preferences , then go for it. But if that menu isn't suitable to you, then as I said, just wait and see what's being served next time around. Part of this also depends on how well you know the host. A very close friend or family member will likely accomodate.
If you're vegetarian, you probably wouldn't dine in a steakhouse that didn't so much as have a salad bar, so why go to someone's house and sit through a meal that will go against your prefences or worse, make you gag? It may be best to drop by for coffee and dessert afterwards instead.
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My trick is to use ingredients right out of the fridge. butter, eggs and I even use flour from the freezer. The dough is stiff and doesn't spread..
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But what about Joe Tourist who has to decide which restaurant he's going to dine at on his one free evening in Montreal? What about Jane Student who scrapes together enough cash to splurge on one big night a year? What about Mr. and Mrs. Petawawa, Ontario, who are assigned the unfortunate task of organizing a wedding reception in Old Montreal, a place they haven't been to in 14 years? They drop by a Montreal resto board and read a review (quite possibly posted serreptitiously by an employee of the restaurant or a friend of the owner) that says a restaurant is not only perfect but also the city's top jazz venue (you know, not long ago I contacted the hosts of the two most popular jazz programs on local radio to ask about venues, and neither mentioned Modavie). They believe the owner's hype that it's a "destination" restaurant, a "great place" that serves "great food," "great lunches" and "great dinners." And they head out expecting an "A1" experience, only to be served French onion soup that tastes like dishwater with plastic on top or -- to stick with comments from people I actually know who've eaten at Modavie (their comments being the main reason I haven't) -- food that is utterly banal, food that is (to quote grill-it) "not too bad -- espeically for tourists." Is a "feel free to plug your restaurant here" policy fair to Joe and Jane and the Petawawas?
Yeah, the easy answer is "buyer beware." But as a food- and wine-lover who works his butt off and forgoes many things that others take for granted (a car, non-minimalist furniture, a more-than-bare-bones wardrobe, fancy vacations) in order to support his passion (addiction?), as a pleb who doesn't have the good fortune to be able to check out every new place he hears about and judge for himself, as someone who to some extent relies on input from third parties in making his dining decisions, I would like some assurance that what I read on restaurant fora is not spam, that the reviews here and elsewhere (including the newspapers) are not compromised by insider connections and fraternization with those who serve what the critic is to judge. Be aware that for some of us it hurts, it really hurts, to drop a C-note or two on a mediocre (or worse) meal.
I am willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time it occured to me that serious "foodies" do not really like the same restaurants as Joe Tourist and Jane Student. While I also hate spending my hard earned dollars on what I consider to be a lousy meal I realize that establishments like Weinstien & Gavinos, Cage Aux Sports, Boccacinos, etc. survive because the "general public" obviously has far different taste and expectations than we do.
That being said, it is entirely possible that Joe Tourist and Jane Student, would have the time of their lives at Modavie. It is also possible that Joe and Jane would not like a meal at Toque, La Chronique, or Les Caprices de Nicholas.
Who knows, maybe Beezer works at Modavie and is an overzealous employee, but then again, perhaps he works in Old Montreal and eats there because he loves it.
What you're saying makes perfect sense but the board is not only for serious foodies(foodies in training may be lurking).... :
smile: But also, being tourists, students, and foodies are not mutually exclusive. They could vry well have high expectations too. Hopefully they have enough common sense to know that what a resto puts on its website is publicity, not necessarily an objective third party commentary.
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I don't know if chefs in Quebec get the health insurance that the pen pushers do, but we do have somethinbg called medicare which covers doctors/hospital visits regardless of profession. There is also a provincial drug insurance plan that can be helpful with medications.
Generally if a person earns X amount and the benefit package that comes with a job is considered added value in lieu of money.The trick is to find a job with a big X factor.
Another consideration is who pays for the benefits. In nicer companies, they pick up the tab. If you have to have it deducted from your salary, then it's another story. These deductions can be steep.It would make sense for chefs to have a good benefits package especially since it is basically a physical job which is bound to make a difference in actual illnesses. (never mind the fact that they end up working anyway, as you have indicated) Most manual labour jobs in these parts carry kick-ass benefits, particularly in unionized environments.
Apricot Coconut Bars
in RecipeGullet
Posted
Apricot Coconut Bars
From our very own published jersey13
"The writing is a little different in the mag. And, they cut the crusts off before serving. Pity, those are the best parts 'cause they're kinda chewy! :-) They also put it on parchment paper. I know teflon is not popular with "pros", nor with me really, but for stuff like this , it works like a charm. I also like to lightly grease the sides of the pan, to help the sticky apricot mixture release a little more easily. "
Base:
Filling:
While base is baking, combine the following:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position oven rack to the
lower third of the oven
Base Method
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Using either your fingertips, a pastry blender, or a food processor, blend in the
butter until the mixture resembles meal.
Press the mixture evenly into an 8x8 teflon coated pan and chill for 5 minutes.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until barely golden.
Filling Method
Mix well. The filling will be thick and chunky.
Remove bvase from the oven and with a rubber spatula,
scrape the contents of the bowl into the pan.
Spread the filling evenly across the crust and return to the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is puffed, set, and a deep golden colour.
A cake tester inserted in the middle will come out sticky.
As the confection cools, the filling will sink somewhat.
Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Yields about 20 bars
Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars
( RG784 )