He uses ingredients that I'm not really familar with. I was hoping someone could help me with them?

1. He uses emulisfier Peco 50 in his genoise. What does it do and who sell this?

2. Vanilla powder is what and who sell it? Also he calls for vanilla with-out alchol in it...I don't have it, can I use reg. vanilla extract in it's place?

3. Powdered egg white = meringue powder?

4. Non-starch xxxsugar ...they add starch at the factory, I don't think I can't get it with-out...it won't hurt too much if I use reg. xxx sugar in a macaroon?

5. Almond powder is almond flour?

6. "Powdered mixture of custard" is purchased custard powder? Do you know who sells this in the States?

7. He asks for specific chocolates but doesn't say who's brand he's using... Cararibes covering, pate a glazer noire, manjari covering where can I find these or are there simalar products?

8. What is sifted "brisures" de Succes?

Thanks in advance for any help provided!

By Mikeh (Mikeh) on Friday, June 09, 2000 - 06:57 pm: Edit

Do you have his professional book or his amateur book? Is it written in French, or have they translated it to English? And, finally, what do you think of it?

Here's the answers that I know of:

2. Vanilla powder is a combination of maltodextrin and vanilla bean extracts. I don't use it much, but I sometimes substitute it 1:1 for vanilla extract when I want to sift it in with the dry ingredients.

Vanilla also comes in a glycerin form, although it is called vanilla flavoring in the United States because the FDA requires a minimum 35% alcohol content in an extract. According to the most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated, it is slightly sweeter than vanilla extract and some chefs feel that the less aroma evaporates away during the baking process. However, they still concluded that extract is better.

3. Not necessarily. I've see meringue powder with all sorts of additives in it, where as I have a brand of powdered egg whites called 'Just Whites' at home that is nothing but dried pasteurized egg whites. The reconstituted whites seem to have the same whipping capability as regular pasteurized whites.

4. It is a teeny amount of cornstarch, less than 3% I believe. I can't see it making much of a difference.

7. Caraibe and Manjari are both Valrhona brands, while pate a glacer noir is a Cocao Barry product. Caraibe has 66% chocolate liquor and Manjari has 64%, while pate a glacer noir is dark coating compound. You could substitute any similar percentage chocolate, or blend your own. The only concern might be if you are doing something very finicky, like chocolates, and the percent cocoa butter is different. Their is also a big trend now towards varietal chocolate, so Manjari and Caraibe have their own characteristic taste, but I'd be surprised if many chefs, let alone the public, could tell which chocolate was used in a specific dessert.

Cheers,
Mike

By momoreg on Friday, June 09, 2000 - 08:04 pm: Edit

re #6:
I don't know if he means custard powder, but if he does, you can get that from Patisfrance.

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Saturday, June 10, 2000 - 07:14 am: Edit

I do not agree with Mikeh about the vanilla, vanilla powder is pure vanilla and so is the liquid vanilla. Herme usually uses Bourbon vanilla, the real pure stuff, not mixed with anything. Almond powder is almond flour. Custard powder is just cornstarch with vanilla and "brisures" of Succes is just crushed Succes dough, I have to look up the recipe.
Helene

By Mikeh (Mikeh) on Saturday, June 10, 2000 - 10:10 am: Edit

Thanks for the additional information regarding vanilla poweder. The brand of vanilla powder that I have is made by Nielsen-Massey Spice Co. and it lists maltodextrin as the first ingredient and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean extracts as the second. However, I did find a pure vanilla powder which was black, mine is a sand color, and was made from ground beans. The only drawback here is that they were ground Madagascar beans as opposed to Tahitian beans which I feel are superior.

I wonder if you take a used bean, dry it and grind it to produce the same result and make a little more money off the bean.

Where have you seen pure liquid vanilla? I've seen different strengths of extracts from one-fold to four-fold, but I can't see any way to turn a solid bean into a liquid without dissolving it in a solvent (alcohol) of some sort.

By tj on Saturday, June 10, 2000 - 05:19 pm: Edit

here is my input...
use what ever vanilla you like ,liquid,powder,beens,extract,will not make a differance,its your personal taste that counts,and the superior vanilla flavour you should seek.it is totaly vague what you should use.if you will make the same recipe with 10 defferent vanilla`s you will have different aromas but not textures, so use what ever you are comfortable with.the "brisures" are usualy trimings and left over of succes that you crush like small bits.this adds interesting textures to creams.peco is an emulsifier that i find unnessesary to use.it alows the addition of flour to the batter while beeting the eggs,and have an even light finished result.powder egg white is exactly that.no other ingredients.use to give a higher albumen to water ratio for more stable meringues.

By tj on Saturday, June 10, 2000 - 05:32 pm: Edit

use xxxsugar with the least amount of starch ,less than %3.it is fine , no need for pure powder sugar.herme uses valrhona chocolates only cause he is crazy and/or has no budget problems.use what ever chocolate you like according to the needed kind(dark,milk,white..etc).personaly i think valrhona is over rated and over priced.i like cacao barry.custard powder you can get from patisfrance.powder almond=almond flour.
and dont forget!!! herme is a purist and a perfectionist.he buy ingredients to his specifications from specific vendors.dont be intimidated by his extreem and sometimes fanatical approach.used your common sense and experience, and rely on what you know.his recipes are easy to make and ingredients are available for all of them.the key in this book is the combinations of flavours and textures,along with contemporary visual impact.if you are not going to invest the time in the finishes ,you can make good use of the layers and fillings...

By vbean on Sunday, June 11, 2000 - 01:36 am: Edit

I really like Valrohna chocolate; each one is unique. Vanilla powder can be made by grinding up used "skins"- we always have alot around.
When I lived in France I learned that their powdered sugar has no cornstarch- it was very versatile.
Tahitian vanilla is my favorite (but I wouldn't turn down a bourbon bean). They are different species (I could go on and on about vanilla- I love it!). Mikah, I agree with you - vanilla is not a liquid, it must be suspended in something. I have seen it in glycerin but have not used it.
Pierre Herme is a creative Pastry Chef; I have learned some great things from some of his tricks. I don't agree with all the "stuff" that he uses (powders and emulsifiers). That is his perogative.
I owe more of my style to Nancy Silverton.

By W.FDeBord on Sunday, June 11, 2000 - 09:31 am: Edit

THANKS everyone for your help!!!! Usually I use recipes my own way...I thought I'd follow most of his recipes to the letter first time thru and see what's to learn from him. Once I have the feel for where he's going with his basic recipes then I'll work them my own way.

Mikeh I have both books, what I'm refering to now is only from his pro book.

So you think there will be no harm removing his peco from his genoise recipe? Just work it the same way with-out peco.

Vbean what tricks have you learned from him?

By vbean on Friday, June 16, 2000 - 02:53 am: Edit

Pierre's imformation on butter temperature has proven to be very valuable to me. I beur mix in the butter when they have cooled down ( to the different flavored curds). The difference is remarkable. He is obsessed with butter and we can learn alot from his obsession.

By vbean on Friday, June 16, 2000 - 02:54 am: Edit

Pierre's imformation on butter temperature has proven to be very valuable to me. I beur mix in the butter when they have cooled down ( to the different flavored curds). The difference is remarkable. He is obsessed with butter and we can learn alot from his obsession.

By W.DeBord on Friday, June 16, 2000 - 08:13 am: Edit

d. have you tried Roux's recipes for cigerette paste and joconde yet? I made Hermes' yesterday and now I change my mind, try Hermes it's very, very nice! I also worked out the problems I was having with my large comb. I think Hermes cigerette paste scraps cleaner (less fat/more flour) giving a more defined image.


I wish he was as obsessive about his translations as his baking. The English version has many mistakes, it's very confusing to work from. Even though it's written for professionals there are some notes and facts he should have included. Is the French version so sparce also that he doesn't even give yields?

By tj on Friday, June 16, 2000 - 06:02 pm: Edit

its a book by a professional , for professionals.
you need to remember that.a pastry chef does not need to have every detail spelled out for him.in herme`s book you have the recipes, you have the idea behind them, you also get the working methods.there is no need for more than that!
he just takes it for granted that pastry chefs who read his book knows exactly what he is doing.i think its simple enough .when i read his book, i know what`s on his mind, what methods he is using, and his approach to baking.what do you think should be ferther mentioned in his book that is not there now?

By W.DeBord on Saturday, June 17, 2000 - 07:49 am: Edit

Portions...ring size...number of sheet pans a recipe makes. I assume a recipe only makes one sheet pan, if it makes more I think it should be mentioned. These facts are always written in every professional cookbook I've seen.

When you have one sentence to describe your method the words and puncuation become critical. For example "Add soda, flour and cream." If someone more fluent in English would have proof read his recipe for an English reading buyer it should have read "Add soda, flour then cream together." The first way has me searching for where he listed cream as an ingredient or wondering if he forgot to list it. One word two meanings...


Not a big deal over all! I'll go along way out of the way for great recipes. As a non-European I don't work with grams usually or bake with celious (I can't even spell it). So I'm left translating most of what's written if you add grammer mistakes...it can become very confusing, that's all I meant.

By tj on Saturday, June 17, 2000 - 03:06 pm: Edit

well, i did not see the english version, but translations are a problem sometimes, how ever , as a pastry chef you just need to see the ingredients and the amount,and the baking temp.thats it.i never need to see the proceedure for making the recipe, as a pastry chef i am suppose to know that already.and , if you take a look at any recipe, you should be able to estimate imediatly how many cakes it is for.its all comes down to experience and know how...why do you need every detail spelled out for you? this is not a martha stuart book you know....(this is why this book is not for the home baker)

By tj on Saturday, June 17, 2000 - 03:16 pm: Edit

i`ll give another example to what i mean:
if you have the professional french pastry series set (and if you dont , get it!) you will see at the end of the 4th book a collection of cakes done by all the teachers who wrote the books.each recipe has the name of the preperation (mousse, bavaroise, cream, custard,etc) followed by the ingredients .thats it! no working prosses.you know why? becouse they figure out if you read the firts 3 books , you should know by know exactly how to make what ever the recipe is.so they dont repeat it again.same for herme`s book.all you need is the quantity of the ingredients, and thats it.you should know imedietly what to do with them....at least that is what he believes ,and so do i.
if you realy want to see this at work ,check out bellouet books.nothing but a list of ingredients for the recipe! and its all i need to see...

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 08:03 am: Edit

I agree with Tj, this is the way I was taught by Joel Bellouet, and now when I see a recipe, I just read the ingredients and I know what it will taste and look like. I know right away how to work it. Some of my recipes I know by heart, others I need some reminders, and I just put the name and the ingredients on small cards in my pocket. No need for explanations. I know my job.
Helene

By W.DeBord on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 08:48 am: Edit

I do understand what your both saying but I will disagree alittle. Procedure can sometimes make a large difference in quality! I have learned alot working from different pastry chefs' books. Not every chef mixes useing the exact same procedure, temp. or ingredients.

Take for instance a apple tart, I've made many and procedures have varied greatly.
There's a saying my husband lectures me with " When you assume, you make a ass of u and me."

I can guess at how many portions a recipe makes but not every author has the same intent of quanitity. One recipe may make 4 10" cakes or 6 12" cakes...using a batter to make thinner cakes will have a different final result then one thicker cake. I'd rather not presume or have to repeat making a recipe because I wasen't thinking on the same level the author was.

Still, I do agree with you to a certain extent...reading the ingredients tells you alot, just not everything.

By Panini (Panini) on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 02:47 pm: Edit

The technical part of baking comes from method and proceedure. You should already know wet-to-dry,dry-to-wet,levenings, reactions, etc.I have to agree with tj, formulas are only a tool. You should be able to look at an ingredient list and know what the proceedure is going to be, you should also be able to look at weights and figure out yield.
One should be careful about following printed recipes exactly. Lots of them are not tested and alot of them drop or transpose numbers.

By tj on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 06:17 pm: Edit

w.
why would you bother yourself needlessly about the size of a cake the recipe will make?
just make it and put together a cake that looks like the size the author had in mind. its very simple.i usualy double every new recipe i get and start with standard size cake rings.you should be able to make at least one compleate cake if ,for some reason ,you are not sure about the correct size.
herme is using mostly 18 cm rings that are 4.5 cm high.

By W.DeBord on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 11:16 pm: Edit

Well then, I guess I haven't been a pastry chef long enough because I still come across suprises. You do get a feel for how a chef works and can work their procedure with-out much guidance. But there are a few chefs like Marcel Desalnier (sp?) who works alot of his recipes very differently than anyone else I've followed!

It's a pain when you prepare one sheet pan of cigarette paste and discover later that the joconde makes two pans. It kind of messes with your rhythm having to back track. If I had a feel for grams I might have fore seen his total amount.

I usually double all new recipes too. Because I'm rarely using the called for size pan and experience tells me I'd rather not come up short.

I'm not scared of recipes but I can't agree with you three. Some info. past the ingred. list is darn nice, it doesn't have to be written for each recipe just make a note in the beginning...I use 10" pans.

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 08:21 am: Edit

You say each chef has his procedure.
I am basically self taught, but took a lot of classes with Joel Bellouet and also at the ENSP where I was teaching sugarcraft. The procedures were always the same and this I discovered when I took my first two-day class with Bellouet.
What I had learned that day was not so much the recipes, but the way to work. Those little things that make you understand a recipe just by reading the ingredients.
If you ever get the chance to take one of these classes do it. You can get short classes in the US with Pascal CAFFET and Olivier BAJARD, they will teach you the same way of working.
Helene

By W.DeBord on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 08:32 am: Edit

No, each chef doesn't have his own procedure, there aren't that many options in baking. But to say there is only one way isn't true either. Although there are many items where there is only one way to mix.

I think I/we are are not going to agree.

By tj on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 11:59 am: Edit

well w.
i think neither of us is going to reinvent the wheel.there are only a set number of ways you can make custard.eventualy, inovation on technic is at its max because of that same reason.
not herme, bellouet,bajard or caffet has a "secret" better way to bake cakes, its just their approach and style that makes their product better and more interesting.ground braking work is not made in whipping egg whites, but in flavour and texture combinations and visual effects.
its somthing every one can do, it requires attention to details, good sense of taste and a good eye for design.and above all , the love for the work.without it you`ll accomplish very little.

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 07:39 pm: Edit

W.DeBord,
"Well I guess I haven't been a pastry chef long enough". Don't take any of this personally. What tj and Helene 'I think' are trying to say is that you can develope a feel for the art. I personally think you have this from reading your threads and your enthusiasm in baking. Sometimes you have to look beyond the recipe. Everyone follows formulas, but you know most of the times which ones will be good and which ones might be great. Some of the best creations have come from mistakes. A chef with a feel will be able to make adjustments and fix the product.
example from me, Burnt Chocolate Pecan Torte.
Found out that my sous grated the choco in the kitchen creating alot of choco. dust. This actually burnt a little before the torte was cooked all the way. Extra nutty taste, best seller for 7 years.
Jeff

By tj on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 08:50 pm: Edit

w.
i think you are on the right track in becoming a great pastry chef.you are constantly learning new things and improving your skills .this is the most important thing in this art. you will soon find that herme`s book has grown "small" on you, and you need to explore and creat even more unique and interesting products.
this is the natural progress of passionate chefs ,who wants to learn and be better at what they do.
for many years, it was my daily goal to make my products better than what i made them the day before.constantly learning from mistakes i and other around me made.and also, changing work place about every 2 years, like i did , helps get your mind and knowledge expand greatly.
i think herme`s book is a big jump ahead for many american pastry cooks, not all aspects of the work and the approach may be fully understood or taken for granted for every one, but i believe that it will become a standard in level of work within a decade or so.may be less.hopefully.....

By vbean on Tuesday, June 20, 2000 - 02:38 am: Edit

I think that Pierre Herme's book is a big jump ahead for alot of French pastry cooks. I have also had alot of bad, uninspired pastry in France.
My first thought that hurray, he was breaking away from (and in a such non- French way, traditional French pastry).
Alot of the ideas that he helped introduce to France were already being used in the US; influence of other cuisines, herbs and spices.
I belong to an organization- coinceidently called The Bakers Dozen; it consists of Pastry Chefs, Bakers, Food Writers (a few hundred). We have been given recipes and other times, ingredient lists. People bring in the results and the variation is tremendous and very interesting. This is a very active and knowledge filled group- yet all the products had such variation.

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, June 20, 2000 - 08:01 am: Edit

See, what vbean describes is what I think (and have been trying to say)...same recipe/many chefs making it end results are many variations not just one item tasting the same. I don't understand how we could dissagree about that?.

I do seriously wonder if people will appreciate his work other than other pastry chefs? If I made a sweet table with nothing but his tortes someone would complain "don't you just have plain chocolate cake?". In art we had artists' artists so I think Herme will be a pastry chefs' pastry chef.

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Tuesday, June 20, 2000 - 08:42 am: Edit

W. I didn't mean to hurt you or be snobby, Tj and Panini are right about you. You seem to have that passion that makes a good pastry chef. It's not the recipe. What I tried to say is the basic "tour de main", I don't know how to translate it, maybe Tj does, that is important. If you read other recent french pastry books they will all seem the same to you. What it brings you is the feeling that you can be as creative and makes you want to try your own ideas. I keep reading Thuries magazine for that same reason. Sometimes I will use one or two of his recipes, but most of the time it gives me the inspiration I need for my own creations.
We come from different cultures, but aren't you too self-taught? We discovered and learned from our national chefs, but most of all we LOVE what we do and this is what brings up the questions, the doubts, the certitudes and makes us such passionate pastry chefs with our own personality and skills.
No recipe will ever give you that...

By tj on Tuesday, June 20, 2000 - 03:40 pm: Edit

i would translate "tour de main" as the right touch, or feel or the right approach for the work.i too get my monthly thuries magazine mostly for inspiration. i like to see what good pastry chefs are doing in france today.
vbean, what specificly do you meen by that alot of what herme "introduced" to france was already used in the united states?
i dont see anything out of the ordinary in his work other than spicing things up with untraditional aromas and spices (some i like ,some i dont like) and kicking up a few notches of the finish touch of his cakes to a contemporary new look (using mostly old techniques).nothing in his work have any resemlence to any thing done in the usa, other than a hand full of pastry chef, stratigicly located in major metro areas, offering high level product to the upper-upper class locals. (payard...)no other chefs in the usa ,have the guts or the stupidity to put a line of products like herme`s in their stores, couse it will not sell!

By tj on Tuesday, June 20, 2000 - 03:48 pm: Edit

and dont forget , that herme came to the center stage back in the late 80`s ,when he worked at fauchon, and was a corporate consultant chef for matinox equipment.his new style came in light in france, about when in the usa people were starting to get excited about natural ingredient muffins...
(no offense, but we are still talking about a majority of people in the usa that have not even heard of the term "pastry chef" back at the 80`s).

By vbean on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 04:16 am: Edit

I used to shop at Fauchon before Pierre Herme and before him also at Lauduree. The croissants were still great then.\
Don't forget that Wolfgang Puck became famous in 1982 (and Chinois in 1983)
I have been a " corporate consultant". This is total bullshit ( oh whoops, we can't say that).
I also grew up in Berkeley. Maybe the majority in the US will never care about what you do. Does that matter to you? My own brother can not cut a cake to suit me ( I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you!). I must say that we have never been muffin people! American Pastry Chefs; Think French Laundry, Postrio, Scala's Bistro, Chez Pannise, Fleur de Lys, Masas, Terra, Tre Vigne, Lark Creek Inn,Postrio, Gary Dankos,ElizabethDaniel,It is happening here. Wolfgang was right. Happy Baking ( California will neverer claim to be New York- thank god we aren't that mediocre island)

By vbean on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 05:20 am: Edit

I would also like to add some thing about Nancy's bread. It is the best! (except maybe Amy's in New York- she is great).
La Brea Bread is #1 in California. It is naturally fermented. They have retarding tunnels plus totally,killer, amazing ovens. The first time I saw them I almost cried. No rotating the bread.
Place the dough on the decks and they come out with no rotating thanks to the state of the art kitchens.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 07:48 am: Edit

P.S. At no point was I offended, hurt or thought anyone was snobby. I think we mis-comunicated.

By tj on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 02:46 pm: Edit

i am very happy for your enthusiasm about naturaly fermented breads, but what % do you think of all american actualy eat levains ? (compared to french). this is ancient news to french people, only at the last 5-10 years you start to see artisan bakers here and there. compared to the population mass, american still eat the worst bread and baked goods on the planet!
herme is one talanted chef among hundreds that never came to light or are not interested in doing so.
my remarks are directed at the line you wrote:"i had alot of unispired bad pastry in france".
what does that suppose to meen? that the pastry here in the usa is better?
i agree that not every pastry shop you will go in to in france is a revelation ,but in general , would you agree that over all , pastry shops in france are supperior to bakeries in the usa?

By tj on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 03:01 pm: Edit

i would also like to point out for everyone, that the "american pastry chefs" you refer to are ALL working in high class restaurants ,with limited access to the public, with desserts that are available only to snubs who pay $15 a plate.non of them work in a bakery or a pastry shop, cause they would not make half the money they make in those restaurants.i respect them all , and think they are talanted, but their products are available only to minute small % of the american people.where in Laduree ,every low life can walk in and buy a pastry affordably.
my idea of a great pastry chef ,is not someone who play arround with chocolate roll and fans, and put pulled sugar ribbons on my dessert.this is nonesence to me.what i want to see , is those pastry chefs work in a full scale bakeries, and put out their products for all to enjoy.then you can tell me about great american baked goods,available for every one.

By tj on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 03:06 pm: Edit

till then, all this country has to offer to its residents , is thousands of bakeries with junk filled show cases,butter cream imitation iced cakes made from hydrogenated vegetable shortening , wanna`be croissants, and a poor excuse for a danish ,filled with slimy starchy pie filling that has the resemlence of fruit as a dead rat.(pardon my french....)

By Panini (Panini) on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 06:53 pm: Edit

tj,
There you go again. There is a definate line between bakeries and pastry shops. Just like in France. Old fashioned bakeries here in the US have the hearts and soul of the past.Brownies, dumpcake,biscuits,cobblers , choco chip cookies,etc. The thousands of bakeries you speak of serving sh-- are local, serving the needs of their customers. Thats all they know.
Just like in France, the small local town bakeries are very bourgeois, serving the needs of their customers.I have gone down to the local bakeries outside Paris only to have pastry, mediocre at best, and go next store to find jambom that had died the previous week. When I visited a pastry shop it was like I was in OZ.
Don't take any offence to this, just my 2 cents.
panini

By tj on Wednesday, June 21, 2000 - 07:35 pm: Edit

oh, forget it,
i am not going to go over this stale discution again, we had it already six months ago.you got my point back then.....i dont want to keep repeating this like a broken record...(whats the point?)

By Panini (Panini) on Thursday, June 22, 2000 - 01:45 pm: Edit

Hey! how can you take the time to type a statement like that and back down. Your getting easy! I feel the same way, I agree there are thousands of bakeries serving crap but there are 10's of thousands buying it. There lies the problem. The customers and the chef have settled for mediocrity.

By vbean on Friday, June 23, 2000 - 02:53 am: Edit

I for one will always serve my best.
I do not only produce pastry for wealthy people; our cafe is in a high traffic area of downtown SF. I want everyone to eat and know quality.$3.25 for a tart, $1.50 for a 6 inch cookie. Most of the resturant desserts are $6.50.
About naturally fermented breads. They are not new to the US. I have my grandmother's, great grandmother's and great great granmother's cookbooks. They all made sourdough (no decent "wife" would have puchased bread). My mom still makes it because she loves to.Bread has gotten better, we should rejoice- this is educating the public.
Laduree, that neighborhood is a bit pricey for any lowlife- not many feel comfortable just popping in for some pastry.

By vbean on Friday, June 23, 2000 - 03:13 am: Edit

To answer your question about French pastry shops. Ten years ago I would have said that they were better; things have changed. The US has gotten better and alot of the French shops not as good. I believe that France is still the best place to get a pastry education.
I must admit that my knowledge of the US is limited. I only know the parts of the world that I see. I know that I work much harder then most of the people that I know. This life is an obsession.

By julienne on Sunday, November 05, 2000 - 07:19 pm: Edit

Wow, what an amazing site! Here we are on the www, and there is a site that about a dozen people continually respond to, and in quite an inane, and laughably ridiculous fashion. Have you no jobs, have you no real experience, have you nothing better to do. Good God, get a clue, get a life.

By momoreg on Sunday, November 05, 2000 - 07:45 pm: Edit

Now that's a friendly person! Welcome!

By W.DeBord on Monday, November 06, 2000 - 09:20 am: Edit

Julienne at first I wrote you an honest response to your insults. Then I deleted it because you obviously know too much for anyone here to rebut.

As such an knowledgeable professional chef maybe you should visit here and contribute often to help us idiots buy a clue.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, November 08, 2000 - 07:13 am: Edit

Help I need a translation or best guess working from Hermes book.

"Flaky Almond Praline" It's a center layer of a torte, recipe follows:

500g almond praline
250g paillete feuilletine
125g caribbean covering (chocolate)
50g cold melted butter

I have to assume he means praline paste but his description is flaky and I'm thinking the quantity of butter, chocolate and praline paste mixed into the feuilletine would leave this more creamy than flaky?? Unless he assigning the name flaky like as in crunchy because of the feuilletine? Before I waste the ingred. making this I'd like a second opinion from someone else, please??????

By W.DeBord on Thursday, November 09, 2000 - 07:22 am: Edit

George my last post got erased from the current days posts....help.... will you keep this on, I'm still hoping for a response?

By George (George) on Thursday, November 09, 2000 - 10:36 am: Edit

I don't understand the question.

I haven't deleted any postings in quite a while.

The current day thing is done by the system and I don't have any control over it.

If I'm missing something let me know.

All the Best,

George

By W.DeBord on Friday, November 10, 2000 - 07:43 am: Edit

I visit this site around 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. and sometimes if I revisit the site later in the day/evening I've noticed a couple of times that one of my posts (or someone elses that was a recent post) wouldn't show up when you select "last day". You have to look thru "last week" to find it.

I think I remember a post by Panini not that long ago that worked that way too. Maybe he noticed it to?

Did anyone see my post dated on the 8th under "last day" on the eighth? Sometimes (rarely) that accounts for no one answering a post (they didn't see it)????

Maybe the system gets the hickups now and then?

As if the system chooses 5:00 a.m. as the start of it's last day instead of midnight????

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - 07:44 am: Edit

The recipe is right, it is praline paste, and it is crunchy, not flaky...
Good luck
Helene

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - 01:29 pm: Edit

Thanks!