Lazing in Lancaster

[Kerry Beal]

@Alleguede and I have come down to Lancaster, PA today to attend the PMCA (Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners Association) meeting and exhibit the EZtemper at the trade show on Monday.  

 

 

An early stop at McDonalds for what passes for breakfast - they were not amused apparently when the hash brown was returned to be properly cooked.   

 

We detoured to Erie, PA for a quick (5 hour) consult with a chocolate company that needed a little help with some issues. It was a great opportunity to look around and see how they do things. Quite fascinating was their cluster maker - the pictures don't really help to understand it - but the tempered chocolate and nuts are pressed into a series of rings that are under the metal piece you can see and then compressed air is applied to the overlying metal piece which caused the clusters to be ejected from the rings onto a plexiglass sheet. 

 

 

 

In the molding room they had this box of beans (not Rancho Gordo) into which they stuff the top of 3D chocolate molds - effectively supporting them upside down while cold air is blown from above. They also had a series of boxes on the wall that looked like dumb waiters - but that had screened shelves 

in them and air conditioned air blowing into them from above to cool whatever was on the screen shelves - elegant in it's simplicity. 

 

 

We stopped in Erie to go to the politically incorrect Chick-fil-A - I'd mentioned it to @Alleguede in the am and he was quite anxious to give it a try.

 

 

 

A very long drive ensued from Erie to Lancaster and a search for milk for my tea was not productive in a walk around town - so we had to hit the hotel bar to get it. So hey - if you are in the bar to get milk - you might as well get a negroni too! So tea and a negroni and good soak in the tub to end my day. Life doesn't get much better than this!

 

 

Waiting to hear back from Lancaster Mike - hoping to get together tomorrow for a meal.  

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

9 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

PMCA (Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners Association) meeting

 

Thank you for defining the acronym.  You mentioned it the other day and google pointed me to the Purple Martin Conservation Association.  I didn't think that was likely to be your destination but then again, you were packing chocolate mice and red speckled frogs so maybe purple martins weren't that far off...

[Kerry Beal]

Breakfast this morning at Barbaret - a pastry shop recommended by Lancaster Mike and right next to our hotel. Cedric Barbaret (the newest Cacao Barry ambassador) and his wife Estelle are the owners of this charming french pastry shop. 

 

Rodney and I each had a Croque Monsieur, I had a raisin snail and cafe au lait in addition and of course Rodney had to evaluate the Pain Chocolat.

 

 

 

While our food was heating we took a quick run downstairs to check out the production facility which was wonderfully bright and complete with every piece of equipment that we both covet. This table is a huge granite slab on top of 3 separate stainless tables - there is a chocolate temperature fridge under one the the tables and storage under the others.

 

[Kerry Beal]

9 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Thank you for defining the acronym.  You mentioned it the other day and google pointed me to the Purple Martin Conservation Association.  I didn't think that was likely to be your destination but then again, you were packing chocolate mice and red speckled frogs so maybe purple martins weren't that far off...

Big fan of purple martins! Didn't realize they needed conserving thought.

[suzilightning]

So, Kerry ... going to have some scrapple?

 

We are on our road trip and here in Dixon, Il.  I knew we were in a southern - ish state when there were biscuits and gravy on the hotel's breakfast buffet.

[Darienne]

Scrapple you say? 

 

I will NEVER forget the time that folks from Delaware brought scrapple to the Dog Weekend.  The dogs...under the table...ate very well.  Never eat anything which is gray and rectangular. 

[rotuts]

 *****   sigh *****

 

wait, more for me !

 

[AlaMoi]

next trip, lookup Isaac's - very close to convention center.

[Kerry Beal]

5 hours ago, suzilightning said:

So, Kerry ... going to have some scrapple?

 

We are on our road trip and here in Dixon, Il.  I knew we were in a southern - ish state when there were biscuits and gravy on the hotel's breakfast buffet.

Nope - not this time - offered Rodney the option - he demurred.

 

However at the grocery store today - I asked the girl in the deli counter to let him taste some sweet and some regular Lebanon bologna - she gave him the Kunzler brand as that was her favourite. He was inspired!

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, AlaMoi said:

next trip, lookup Isaac's - very close to convention center.

Think I can almost see that from my room - what's it noted for?

[AlaMoi]

veddy tasty sandwiches - not huge - on a croissant or pretzel roll.  made fresh, not "mass produced" - interesting combos of meats&cheeses....

 

bowl of pickled appetizer toothpick tidbits -

Edited April 10, 2016 by AlaMoi (log)

[Kerry Beal]

After a bit of Tuesday Morning, Outlet Mall and thrift store shopping we decided to hit Rice and Noodles for lunch. Wrong! Good God fearing town as this is - Rice and Noodles was closed on Sunday.  Almost all our other top picks were also apparently closed - but we lucked upon Sukhothai. 

 

 

Crispy rolls with pork.

 

 

Penang Curry for me.

 

 

Rice of course.

 

 

Sweet and sour chicken for Rodney.

 

 

Sticky red rice with mango for dessert.

 

 

Deep fried ice cream.

[Shelby]

Is that a garlic sauce up top?  And I have only had fried ice cream once...SO good.  

[Kerry Beal]

Just now, Shelby said:

Is that a garlic sauce up top?  And I have only had fried ice cream once...SO good.  

Nope - no garlic sauce. He did seem to enjoy that fried ice cream.

 

[gfweb]

Sorry that you have Canadian weather while you are here, Kerry. Usually milder t his time of April.

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

Sorry that you have Canadian weather while you are here, Kerry. Usually milder t his time of April.

I've been coming down to the PMCA for a number of years - I've come through blizzards through the Alleghenys - I've had torrential rain falls - it's a bit of a crap shoot. Most years when it was in Hershey they'd already started to plant the crops and you have the smell of chocolate and shit from the manure in the air. 

Edited April 11, 2016 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Wandered down to the hotel bar this evening - asked the waiter to get the bar tender to make me a Brother's Perryman - neglected to tell him that it should go in a rocks glass - so I lost a lot in the transfer.

 

 

Rodney had some variation on a Tom Collins with gin, cucumber, grapefruit and soda. Not particularly well balanced.

 

 

Not at all hungry but the food smelled good so we decided to have what they were calling Philly Cheesesteak Risotto Croquettes - a rather posh name for Anancini stuffed with meat, cheese and grilled onions. They were served with horseradish aioli. 

 

 

 

[gfweb]

41 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

I've been coming down to the PMCA for a number of years - I've come through blizzards through the Alleghenys - I've had torrential rain falls - it's a bit of a crap shoot. Most years when it was in Hershey they'd already started to plant the crops and you have the smell of chocolate and shit from the manure in the air. 

 

Everything smells like one form of manure or another in Lancaster and southern Chester counties. Smells like home to me.

 

What restaurant has those arrancini?  Sounds horrifying.

[Kerry Beal]

It was the Grille in the Marriott here. They were not quite as horrifying as they sound. I often find arancini kind of dry and boring - these had all the food groups!

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Dear @Anna N thank you for sending Kerry Beal down here.  Unfortunately she landed a few miles too far west.  I know it is the thought that counts.

 

[Anna N]

@JoNorvelleWalker

Had circumstances been different I would never had let her go to the PMCA without me!

Edited April 11, 2016 by Anna N (log)

[suzilightning]

17 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Nope - not this time - offered Rodney the option - he demurred.

 

However at the grocery store today - I asked the girl in the deli counter to let him taste some sweet and some regular Lebanon bologna - she gave him the Kunzler brand as that was her favourite. He was inspired!

That's the brand we bring to our manager when we go down the shore  -  he prefers the regular to the sweet.  And get some Mr. Ron's coleslaw .  It's a local product up there and what I consider one of the best I've ever tasted ...and coleslaw is one of those things by which I judge a place.

[gfweb]

Kunzler's regular lebanon bologna on pumpernickle with coleslaw...toasted/baked. Yum.

[Kerry Beal]

 

 

Looking out from our booth at the PMCA - these 3 students from Ryerson University (about 40 miles from my home in Ontario) showed up. They had been invited, as many promising food science students are, to the event this year - it is an industry that supports it's young. The young man in the middle was dressed as a candy cane.

 

Dinner tonight was at Rice and Noodles finally!

 

 

Grilled chicken summer rolls.

 

 

 

Some sort of grilled chicken for Rodney.

 

 

Bun with grilled pork and spring rolls for me.

[Shelby]

LOVE the guy in the middle's suit.  Very cool.

 

Looks like a very good time.  

 

I have to suck it up and make some spring rolls here...been craving them.  

 

Lots of interest in the EZ I assume????