paul o' vendange

I need a half-sphere mold in 30”. I’ve never seen or used this company but their 30mm/ 6 x 4 mold is cheap, and they come with Amazon prime (free, 2 day shipping). All materials are not the same in my experience, even if they are sold as so. Anyone know them?

I searched but unless I missed it, I didn’t find a mention of Modern French Pastry, looks interesting. Anyone? I have more books than I could read and cook through several lifetimes. Still.....always room somewhere for another. I know we’re all similarly afflicted...😍

Thanks Fred. Great note on the enclosure and first turn. I find it much the same with “classic” puff so good to know. Who came up with this iteration of feuilletage, anyone know?

Thanks Heidi, very helpful. I have to laugh as I’m afraid my hands are likely the polar opposites to you. Typing this is excruciatingly cumbersome as my thumb is thick and ungainly and I can’t look at butter without its melting in stark terror. Thanks to an early fever for all things French and thanks to Jacques for lighting a lifelong fire for fundamentals (to a fault), I’ve been able to stumble through well enough as needed on pastry but too keenly aware at my relatively feeble technical and imaginative mastery. C’est la vie. Careme’s spirit will have to wait for the next life, 😏 I really appreciate your post, thanks. What a beautiful place to write from, and helpful to get your perspective.

Thanks Anna. I’ve read wonderful things about it too. It seems more difficult to master, so looking forward to the challenge. I’ve read chilled marble, cold room and hands are almost a necessity, which makes sense. Never worked on marble - outside my actually starting my cooking life going gonzo over La Technique and pastry most especially, been very much on the savory side. Thanks for the info!

In all these years, I’ve never done inverse puff. All I’ve made is classic puff or amended for croissants, etc., but have never used inverse nor have I tasted it. I’ve always just used a good wooden workbench. For inverse, presuming a room temp if 68F - 72F, how necessary does anyone marble is to do a decent inverse?

Thanks so much Shelby, good to be back. Been a bit dodgy medically over the years but wonderful to see you and the others again. thanks on the thread info, will do! 😊❤️

My wife and I both love her. I got the book for her for Christmas and she is loving it. great thread, have some catching up to do!

Oh, not at all. It stands for L'École Supérieure de Cuisine Française, one of the oldest cooking schools in France. Also known as Ferrandi, it’s well respected and personally I love their textbooks. Their main book is only in French but their pastry and chocolate texts are in English. I really like them all.

Yep, agreed. I love Peterson's Sauces book (his Sauces, and Fish books are my two faves). I only have the second edition, though, well-worn. Do you have the current Sauces edition? Is it worth it to buy the new book? I'm very excited to read TFL/PS. I love all his books and this one looks fantastic. Right there with you - I love the classical foundation married to modern approaches,

That's a good point. My suspicion however is it's more caramelization and maillard reactions we pick up after a long simmer, over any aroma compounds given by aromatics and herbs lasting for hours (and with aroma being a key component of what we know of as "flavor", not sure what perceptions would be left, as these compounds, many of them, so easily evaporate). It's an interesting question since these compounds have different evaporation (and thus loss) affinities. I've never compared and so I'm only guessing. I'm sure it's been studied - McGee, maybe? Mostly, I was just puzzled by the book's comments on timing for their general approach or "master method": "...In the early days, at [TFL}, we'd cook the aromatic vegetables for nearly as long as the bones. But vegetables release pretty much all their flavor in 45 to 60 minutes. So today we only add the vegetables at the end of the stock making..." Yet the veal stock as described in the book is as we've always known Chef Keller to do, in three parts, aromatics added in early in "Veal Stock 1." At a loss, then, how this fits within the "master [stock] method" description above. Anymore, I tend to do something along the line Escoffier describes, with bones getting long simmers and any meaty remnants (and aromatics) getting a shorter simmer, to preserve these aroma compounds. I'll also get giddy and do something like the coulis described in Peterson's book, with several increasingly stronger stocks coming to make the final stock. I try to parse when to add the aromatics both to avoid too much sweetness, and preserve some aromatic "brightness," really (e.g., not adding in aromatic veggies for "stock 1" or "2" if I'm doing 3 stages).

Cool. I've not seen them, though I should. I didn't attend but on the timing of a late-addition of aromatics, CIA seems almost religious about it, IMO (adding in at last hour. It's in The Professional Chef, and I might have even read of it in Michael Ruhlman's Making of a Chef, though my memory is hazy). Veal is actually the only one I add it early, actually. I'm looking for sugars and some very background flavors, so don't mind the early and long simmer. I do both a light chicken stock for braising or deglazing, and a stronger dedicated chicken stock simmered 3 hours. On these, the aromatics only get an hour (less, on the light one, as I go to 45 minutes and out. Same for any jus, as these only get an hour, or less, depending).

Hi all, I recently picked up the book. I wasn't aware of the plentiful use of xanthan, carrageenan, etc in the restaurants. Has this been their practice for a long time? The veal stock I found curious. In the leading paragraphs of the liaison section he discusses adding in aromatics near the end, rather than post-initial skimming (or twice for their "master method" - yet the paragraph above mentions only once, with an hour to go). Yet the veal stock as described in the book is their traditional method in three parts, with aromatics given 24 hours or so, effectively, and no added gelatin or other liaisons. So, just curious. Errata? Anyone read the book, and have some thoughts?

Hello all, I've been around a long while but almost feel a re-introduction is in order. I've PTSD and as it turns out a longstanding total body neuro issue is a precursor condition, about 90% within the next 5-10 years, to Parkinson's. So debilitating pain and serious mental clouding means I feel like a newbie again, again, etc. So sorry for any dropped conversations or posts....I have always loved this community. Enough on that. Perhaps a bit of background. have walls of books. Most have been unused tbh. I find myself returning to Keller, Ferrandi, regional French more than anything else. Especially over the last stretch, I find solace in leaving today and here for French cooking, dated at that. Certainly a top book is Peterson's Sauces. I've no grand ambitions left and only a narrow field, by choice. My question goes to the 2nd (I have) v. 4th. Thoughts, experiences. While here, I only know one chef personally who attended ESCF. I was accepted long ago (I cringe at my arrogance from posts here back then), but I know Bruce Sherman of Chicago attended, praised it highly. I don't see too much here. though more from a member here who attended (sorry, can't recall who) than the books, but has anyone enjoyed the ESCF text> I have their three. Just curious. Stay safe.

Thanks for the ideas, guys.

I’ve really enjoyed goat when I’ve had it, which has usually been as barbacoa in Chicago Mexican eateries.

Thanks. I was looking to spend less for the fillet knife - the Wusthof being the upper end at $110. Could be I'm thinking of semi-flexible, of which I have a few, but none of which I'm truly happy with. I've seen flexibility in different widths, many wider than a standard "sport fishing" profile fillet knife. Expensive, I know, and thinner, but MAC for instance, fairly wide:

Whoops, missed your second line. Thanks, will look them up.

Sure. First is Matfer's "couteau filet de sole," A flexible blade, wider: Second would be Wusthof's "Grand Prix II Flexible Filet de Sole." Flexible filet blade, with a more dramatic sweep and narrower blade. It is also flexible (v. "semi-flexible" or "rigid": I know Wusthof makes an 8" model, 4518-7/20, which looks good. It isn't cheap, and I'm wondering if anyone has been happy with lower cost knives for filleting large flat fish, salmon, etc.

I will often do a fruit sauce with flying game - typically, something local if I can, stock (game - specifically, the game in question, if I can), sometimes herbs, and an acid that works. Poivrade family, of course. I had a venison plate with a twin-saucing of juniper-syrup (acid contributed by Sauv. Blanc - not too cloying) and a pomegranate jus. People enjoyed it

Hello all, I send my best hopes you are safe and well during this terrible time. I've a need for a better fish fillet knife. I've a host of old knives for boning and filleting ranging from semi-flexible to rigid, among them older Chicago Cutlery and restaurant-chewed up Sysco blue handles. I know they are fantastic, but at this time anyway not looking for a Deba style. Of the flexible-bladed knives, I do like the wider knife, less the narrower style. Thanks for any thoughts.

Weinoo, Sorry for such a late reply. I have substantial medical issues and I've been out of commish. Just to say thanks for your posts. I've a better idea now.

Yeah, I did use it a bit loosely in terms of common usage. It's used interchangeably with rondeau; also braiser. I have an army of various sauteuses, sautoirs, etc., large (28 qt.) stock pots, and a massive rondeau, don't recall the size but I used to braise 4 lamb shoulders at a time in it, mostly what I used it for. I just don't have an idea of scale for home on the rondeau. I do have a few Le Creuset heirlooms from my wife's side, which are beautiful. I was looking at Vollrath Intrigue's 12 quart, but it sounds like maybe that's overkill. Thanks for your post.

Hello, I have a lot of cookware, but it's all vastly oversized for home use. Generally I've always gone with Vollrath Intrigue on stockpots and my large rondeaus. I've been collecting smaller items over time. At home, what size/capacity braziers do you use? Brands (will have to stay with Vollrath range, i.e., Matfer Bourgeat is out). Thanks all.

I wrote on another site that one can find the fact his mashed potatoes may be his most remembered dish as either very trite or extremely profound, depending on one's viewpoint. I learned so much technique in just this one simple thing, I'm forever grateful. Loving Eric Ripert and knowing what it was to pass through Chef Robuchon's kitchen, he was a lion, but a titan of monumental importance. Too many this year will be forever missed. Thank you, Chef.