I'm looking to purchase a copy of Pierre Herme's Patisserie book. It lists about $170 and the best I've found is $135 at e-Chef. I haven't been able to find it on the Internet used book list at AddALL.

1) Has anyone used e-Chef?
2) Does anyone know of a better price?

Thanks!

By W.DeBord on Monday, March 26, 2001 - 05:30 pm: Edit

Wish I bought mine for that price! It seems hard to believe you could do better.

I've never heard of e-Chef is that the sites name?

By Joal on Monday, March 26, 2001 - 10:01 pm: Edit

Dear WD--

http://www.e-chefs.net is the home page. They have a good price on the F Bau (Au Coeur des Saveurs) book ($120). Nonetheless, I've never ordered anything from them and I was a little confused when, after sending an e-mail asking how to order, I received an e-mail back indicating that I should a fellow in Canada a check for the amount due. I'm waiting for an explanation by e-mail and will post it here when it arrives.

Their site also has a really nice table of solid volume/weight conversions (e.g., coconut). Have you seen any other charts like it that you like?

Joal

By George (George) on Tuesday, March 27, 2001 - 07:18 am: Edit

There is a commercial product from Francis Lynch called "The Book of Yeilds" that does that and calculations from AP to AS for over 900 products. Does metric to US to Imperial and a lot of other need stuff. It's not too expensive (about a third of what it cost when I first looked at it.
Worth a look.

http:/ChefDesk.com/

George

By Joal on Tuesday, April 03, 2001 - 09:54 pm: Edit

I received an e-mail from the e-chefs indicating that it is a small company owned by two folks in Canada. That's why the check goes to an individual there. It sounds OK so far; if there's a problem I'll post it on this site.

George--thanks for the Book of Yields info.

By W.DeBord on Saturday, April 28, 2001 - 07:52 am: Edit

I want to make a couple tortes out of Hermes book for Mothers day and I need help on a couple ingredients, again......Please!

Masking Ganche recipe: He silk screens this onto acetate and then transfers the pattern on top of the mousse or frosting on his cakes. Like cigerette paste....

1500 kg boiled light cream
100 g. sifted cocoa powder
1,500 kg. "ganche" covering quality extra

What does he consider "ganche" covering? Is this purchased or my own ganche?


Page 119 MARIGNY, the recipe calls for cocoa PASTE first quality. I can't think of what he's refering to?


Last....he refers to using hazelnut paste and hazelnut praline paste (both in the same recipe). I don't have plain paste (I don't even know where he gets these ingredients), can't I make my own in the cusinart???

By danno on Saturday, April 28, 2001 - 09:27 pm: Edit

I have seen it for just over 100.00 not incluiding the shipping from germany.

By W.DeBord on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 08:38 am: Edit

I'm still hoping for a response.......doesn't anyone work out of Herme's book?

By Peachcreek on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 09:59 pm: Edit

DeChoix Specialty Foods carries hazelnut paste and some other obscure bakery items. They are on the web at www.dechoix.com. They ship.

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, May 01, 2001 - 07:56 am: Edit

Peachcreek have you ever used this? I make cashew paste all the time to thicken Indian dishes. I can't think of why he wouldn't make his own too?? Perhaps it's not as fine, but in a mousse I can't see how that would be objectionable.

Have your heard of ganche covering extra quality?

or

Cocoa Paste?

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Tuesday, May 01, 2001 - 08:12 pm: Edit

W.DeBord
Hazelnut paste and praline paste are very specific and not so easy to make if you don't have the right equipment. You can get them from Swiss Chalet, 1-800-347-9477.
Cocoa paste you can get from Barry, sold by Rader Foods in Miami,1-800-223-1103.
Since I haven't read Herme's book I don't know what he means by ganache covering.
I'll have to check.
Hope this will help you.
Helene

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, May 02, 2001 - 02:54 am: Edit

So glad to hear from you Helene! Thank-you, thank-you!

Could you explain what the cocoa paste is like? I hate to buy it and not have any other uses for it.

P.S. You've been gone for so long, I trust you've been working hard?

By Panini (Panini) on Thursday, May 03, 2001 - 08:07 pm: Edit

Paste's are the way to go, pastachio,praline,hazelnut, cocoa,walnut etc.
I personally like the Driedopple for the nut paste's.

By W.DeBord on Friday, May 04, 2001 - 06:35 am: Edit

I did buy several Driedopple pastes from your recommendation Panini. I have never noticed cocoa paste or straight hazelnut paste but I'll look thru my info with driedopple today.

How do you store your pastes, in the cooler or on the shelf? Chef and I seem to disagree about this (what's new).

Panini are you familar with "ganche covering extra quality"?

By Panini (Panini) on Friday, May 04, 2001 - 01:01 pm: Edit

I'm not familar with the name, but that does not mean that I might be using it right now. Actually we make our own, but a lot of people have different names for different things. I'm pretty sure we are using a cocoa barry hazelnut?
I keep my compounds out. We transfer them into large squeeze bottles as soon as they come in. Never to mix and sanitize the bottles. This has worked well for us, it is also cost effective from the standpoint of measuring. The large mouth bottles are hard for us to handle without waste.

By Kris_b (Kris_b) on Monday, May 07, 2001 - 09:02 am: Edit

W.Debord - Albert Uster also carries both the cocoa paste and the straight hazelnut paste. Believe Swiss Chalet's is sweetened.

By W.DeBord on Monday, May 07, 2001 - 09:23 am: Edit

Thanks!


Great tip with the squeeze bottles! I'm not fond of the big mouth openings either. When their cold it's a pain to measure or scoop. I'll have to do that asap, thanks!