Vancouver/Western Canada Ingredient Sources Topic

[3WholeCardamoms]

A friend is looking for a fake cake to practice cake decoration. Anybody know where to go? Apparently there are these little styrofoam rounds in different sizes...

(She does not want those paper/cardboard "cakes" that some cutesy shop is selling. What the hell... who buys that isht.?!) I digress.

Thank you.

[ssherwood]

Hey, go to The Foam Shop and get them to custom one for you, all sizes for tiers, squares, circles etc. . .

They just cut the foam for you, so it's easiest to get exactly what you want.

Washability wise, styrofoam would be a great option, and any arts and crafts shop should be able to help.

[Memo]

I suggest you try a special occasions/wedding supply store.

They usually stock foam-type rounds for decorating.

An alternate material might be the round stacking box-type canisters found at "dollar" stores.

Crafts were in my past - so I thought I'd pass it on these suggestions to you!

PS - If all else fails, I've got a realistic squeaky-toy round of brie (my brother-in-law brought back from Normandy). PM-me for details!

Memo

[drinkingchef]

I've seen them at MingWo on 4th (just off Arbutus) They also have a good selection of decorating tools like tips and such

[Ling]

I usually grab the Valrhona cocoa from Meinhardt and use in for my baking, but I've never paid much attention to whether it was good or not. (I prefer recipes with chocolate, and usually just use cocoa in small amounts, like in my brownie recipe.) My new favourite chocolate cake recipe, however, calls for a substantial amount of cocoa, so now I need to find something that might be better than the stuff I'm using--apparently, Valrhona rated dead last in the CI taste test.

I'm looking for these brands, which someone recommended in the Pastry forum.

-Callebaut cocoa (I don't like the chocolate for baking, but apparently their cocoa came in at No. 1 in the CI tasting)

-Cacao Berry Extra Brute

-Droste

-Pernigotti

Thanks!

[drinkingchef]

I wouldn't trust a taste test. I find different cocoas lend themselves to different uses. So depending on what the taste test included it could be misleading. I find when only a small amount of cocoa is called for, a lesser quality cocoa like callebaut adds a stronger flavor. But in a situation where a high ratio of cocoa is called for and is the main flavoring component, something more delicate adds a nicer flavor. For that I prefer Valrhona, but Cacao Berry is much less expensive.

[Ling]

Of course, I'm not hinging everything on a taste test. If I prefer the Valrhona to the other cocoas, then I'll go back to it. But I'm still curious right now as to where I can find the other cocoas I've listed.

[tan319]

Cacao Berry Extra Brut is my fave cocoa powder

The Berry Plein Arome is nice too but the former is the bizness, imo.

Beautiful color, aroma, taste.

Can't go wrong with it.

The Valrhona cocoa always has seemed a bit one dimensional to me, which is strange, since I'm a big fan of Valrhona chocolate.

[kontemporary]

I've no experience with cocoa powders, but I find it funny that Meinhardt would carry a line of cocoa powder that would rate dead last.

[Ling]

^Well...taste is subjective. But now that I think about it, I think I've had a cake made with Cacao Berry cocoa and I didn't think it was very special. But perhaps that's more a reflection on the recipe? I remember the cake to be very light in colour.

[shelora]

I've got a line on Droste cocoa.

I also know where you can get some Scharffenberger.

[Badiane]

I use Droste when I need dutch process cocoa...

and I use plain old Fry's when it's just for regular stuff.

[*Deborah*]

I have this urge to get myself some marrow spoons, since it's getting into osso buco season.

Are they pretty readily available? has anyone seen any around that are not antique/hugely expensive?

I'd love something modern looking that would go with my flatware, but I'm open to other styles as long as they're not too pricey.

If anyone can recommend any specific stores, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

[choux]

If it's just for practice, why not just use the outside of a turned over cake pan? Washable and re-usable.

[shelora]

Do you know what they look like? I'd imagine them to be long narrow spoons, much like what you would use for a sundae or an Italian soda.

[*Deborah*]

Click here and scroll about halfway down.

[Keith Talent]

Ebay?

[SBonner]

Wow...this brings back memories of Sunday dinner at my grandmothers. The only ones that I have seen here in Vancouver were antique made from sterling silver and with the old Vancouver Club crest on them. They were in the "Source" on Main Street. Yummy marrow...

[Keith Talent]

Or not.

[*Deborah*]

Or not.

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Yeah...the $600 spoon is a bit out of my range

And plastic sounds fairly abominable.

I suppose I should be happy to have a reason to stroll through antique stores, but I was hoping there were some nice, new, non-tarnishing ones that someone would have seen on their rounds. I have been avoiding cookware shops as being extremely detrimental to my Visa balance.

[Keith Talent]

The scary thing is what the plastic one is really for. If marrow makes you squeemish, the use of the plastic one will make you freak.

[SBonner]

Deborah,

Make sure if you buy them on the internet you are getting a marrow spoon and not a marrow priest which anglers use to help gut fish.

If you find any modern ones pm me I would be interested in a modern version.

Cheers,

Stephen

[Ling]

I've got a line on Droste cocoa.

I also know where you can get some Scharffenberger.

←

Patrick S posted that he thinks SB cocoa is very bad, worse than Hershey's. I like their chocolate, but I'm somewhat hesitant to try the cocoa since no one else seems to use it in the Baking forum.

Badiane: I use Fry's sometimes too

[Vancouver]

You can probably find one at: Justin Tee Antiques on Granville Street.

Cheers!

[*Deborah*]

You can probably find one at:  Justin Tee Antiques on Granville Street.

Cheers!

←

Ah, yes, but $200/spoon is a bit steep for me!