tejon

Congratulations, Chris! What an incredibly cool gig!

"Chai" flavor and anise don't appeal to me. Now, I love masala tea with the same spices listed, but not the horribly strong, in-your-face "chai" I find everywhere now. Give me enough flavor to comfort, to entice, to warm, and I'm there.

Is it possible to get the recipe for the glaze? It does look great! ← Sorry to take so long! Here's the glaze recipe: Glossy Cocoa Glaze adapted from The Simple Art of Perfect Baking Makes 2 cups 8 oz. heavy cream 1 Tb. light corn syrup 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar 100 grams (1 cup) unsifted cocoa powder 1 oz. unsalted butter 1 Tb. vanilla Mix cream and corn syrup in small heavy-bottomed pan. Sift sugar and cocoa powder together. Add sugar and cocoa to the cream and corn syrup and stir. Add the butter, then warm over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and incorporated into the rest of the ingredients. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. The glaze will thicken upon cooling. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, and can be re-warmed again and again. Also very nice by the spoonful

I used the same dough Teepee posted above. It's from "Dim Sum", the cookbook I mentioned. The bao came out almost exactly like I've had at dim sum restaurants - light, airy, yet with just the right amount of chew and a bit of sweetness as well. The dough is easy to make up and the finished bao freeze well.

Those are perfect! Thanks for the link. We haven't actually given any of the Limoncello out, lacking proper containers, so I'll order and bottle everything up when they come in.

Just wanted to point out that these can be purchased at Trader Joe's, if there's one that is local. Incredibly good stuff.

Wonderful demo! Thank you so much for taking the time to share the pictures and steps. Now I really want to try my hand at macarons!

The glaze is really shiny, isn't it? It's the cocoa glaze from The Simple Art of Perfect Baking and I can see using it for all kinds of things. It stays shiny, can be refrigerated again and again in between, and is delicious to boot.

Here was dessert after the Christmas dinner: Pecan Chantilly from The Simple Art of Perfect Baking. I was a little dissappointed at the flavor - a bit muted. Then I tried a bit that had been left out and was at room temperature, and it was a completely different experience: the pecan shone through and the flavor balance was perfect. Next time I'll figure out in advance what temperature shows off the flavors and textures to their best advantage. But overall, I was pretty happy with how it came out.

I made up some Limoncello and will be gifting it post Christmas. It's finished, but Mr. tejon and I cannot for the life of either of us find bottles to pour it into. We were hoping for something that holds around a pint or so that has a top that seals well, something glass. Does anyone have any ideas? I'll order if need be at this point.

Grinding them with a mortar and pestle isn't the quickest way, but it's really good for smaller amounts. Just make sure to clean everything out well afterwards, since the scent and flavor of cardamom really lingers (not that this is in any way a bad thing in general!).

I grind only the seeds. The outside of the pod doesn't really have much flavor and is very woody, even ground.

Sadly, the top of the fridge is the place where toys and other objects go when the boys throw or hit or otherwise break the rules with something in hand. It's high enough that they can't climb up, but easy for either me or Mr. tejon to get things back down after the alloted time has been met. There's a wicker basket that from a distance looks decorative, but peering inside at the moment, you'd see a toy sword, several stuffed animals, a handful of marbles, and a penny. No food stuffs or otherwise interesting items there.

Oh, I forgot sesame oil! That's another frequent addition here.

I almost never have ground cardamom on hand, but always have tons of pods. I grind the seeds in a mortar and pestle, or better yet, in my spice grinder, and use whatever amount was originally called for. The scent and flavor are just incredible when you grind it fresh.

Nappa cabbage, bok choy, or just about any asian greens, bits of char siu, dumplings, green onion shards, shredded ginger or pickled ginger, and chili oil all make appearances in my ramen. Sapporo Ichiban Original for me, too.

I think they would be just fine without the vanilla. As for salt, I'd sprinkle a little on top of each of the unsalted rolls (taste and trust me, you'll be able to tell which is which). If anything it'll add some textural interest and the salt all at the same time.

Simple menu this year: Lunch: creamy lentil soup with bacon fresh baked bread clementines Nibbles: Spiced nuts Crudites Spiced salt for dipping Lemoncello Dinner: Salad with caramelized apples, feta, and pecans Roast Prime Rib with jus Horseradish sauce Broccoli seasoned with garlic and turmeric Roasted potatoes Grandma's rolls Gewurztraminer Dessert: Pecan Chantilly Korova cookies Meringues Ruby Port

That's exactly what mine did last year. I cut away the dry parts before roasting and it was meltingly tender and delicious. Oddly enough, I've had a roast aging since Sunday and it isn't as dry this time - I think there's more humidity in the air this year in our area.

Another great resource is the whole "Gluten Free Gourmet" series of cookbooks. I have a friend with celiac sprue who swears by them, and I have to say that most of the things he has baked from that set of recipes has been delicious. I remember a shortbread recipe that was a little on the crumbly side, but still delicious.

Mmmmm....MEAT. Give me a slab of beef, tender and glistening. Oh, and some dark chocolate for afterwards. With those two things, I'm good.

This is my first off the cuff, make it up myself dessert. Layers of sponge filled with chocolate mousse, ganache, a layer of pralines, and a chocolate glaze over all. Didn't come out as pretty as I'd like, but everything worked really well together. Mr. tejon was quite appreciative - it was for his birthday dinner .

I just made up the dough for Korova cookies. Can someone please remind me that I really, honestly, should bake them rather than eating the whole batch raw?

Guess I'm a mutant, as usual. I enter from the left pretty much always (pretty much all chains here have two doors, one on each side), and prefer shopping going in a clockwise direction. I go through the aisles very methodically, according to what's on my list, skipping aisles that don't have needed items, spending more time in the produce section before I'm done. I write my list according to where things are located in the store so it all takes less time. I'm very goal oriented, whether it be looking for the perfect side for a roast or finding the nicest medium grained rice. I pretty much ignore end cap displays, unless they contain something on the list. In general, I make a lousy advertising guinea pig. Rather proud of that fact.

Made these last weekend for a cookie exchange and people went crazy over them. Chewy, rich, and festive due to the dried cranberries. Coconut-Cranberry Chews makes 7-8 dozen cookies Ingredients 1½ cups (¾ lb.) butter, at room temperature 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 large egg 3¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1½ cups dried cranberries 1½ cups sweetened flaked dried coconut Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, beat 1½ cups butter, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in egg until well blended. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat on low speed until dough comes together. Mix in cranberries and coconut. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheets. Bake at 350° F until edges just begin to brown, 11 to 15 minutes. If baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.