Heading to NY in a week or so. Anybody have any suggestions on new places? I really have no desire to go to any of the regulars.
PS I like to sit in chairs and be waited on like a king. Hey that reminds me, last week we went to this dog bowl restaurant!! You get a bowl, fill it with ever you want,A SANITATION NIGHTMARE!! sauce it than give it to a person who throws it on this large hot stone, bangs it around with two broom sticks and dumps it on a plate. I think it's called Mongolian Buffet. I might have just insulted someone but it s88888
panini

By Yankee on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 12:52 am: Edit

...and so how was your trip?

Dog bowl restaurant? I thought you didn't eat in places that didn't have backwaiters or busboys?

Cheers

By Panini (Panini) on Saturday, March 17, 2001 - 07:51 am: Edit

Hey Yankee,
Never made it to NY, just got back from San Antonio. Your right, I would not pick a place like this for dinner, but I'm not a snob either,this was an invite and our friends left thinking we had a really good time and food. In fact I will go to places for the food, had a great meal at Rosario's in S.A. Ceviche, great!!!shrimp-scallops-shark lime-cilantro-pico-
etc.
I know I sound upity sometimes, but what I really meant to say was that I usually go out for food I can't or won't make at home with great service.
ps. was out there researching the fudge business.I'm really thinking hard about it-already have the kettles bought. What do you think???

By Yankee on Saturday, March 17, 2001 - 12:48 pm: Edit

I usually quote Homer Simpson when asked such questions: "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ffuuuudgge..."

Did you see the piece in the last Pastry Arts on those two women with the chocolate truffle business up in Chicago? If they can move stuff with those flavors, anything is possible.

Are you going to sell fudge from your web site?

By W.DeBord on Thursday, March 22, 2001 - 09:13 am: Edit

I saw that article....I find it really hard to believe their going to make it here in Chicago! Certainly not thru sales from the front door, maybe Trotter and a couple other places buy from them but not your average client? In the windy city, they'll never do any volume with those flavors or that store lay-out.

Chicagoans hearts belong to Frango mints (even though they stopped making them here)! It's "THE HOSTESS GIFT"!

Panini what about mail order???? I really love looking at the products Neiman Marcus sells...and a few others. I purchase food items for out of town family every x-mas instead of hard goods. I'm always looking for something good...so I figure other women are too.?? Just a thought...

By Yankee on Friday, March 23, 2001 - 01:51 am: Edit

Yes, that truffle store front looked quite cold. I wish them luck.

What's up with the enrobed mint leaf? Won't it shrivel up after a few hours? Do they blanch them or something? Enlighten me.

I also got a laugh out of the interview with one of the featured pastry chefs. She answered the "favorite tool" questions by saying her "pants pockets," where she keeps her "measuring spoons, bench scraper, etc."

NASTY!!! Christ, one step forward, two steps back.

(Personally, I enjoy working with the whisk attachment for my 60 qt. Hobart in the front pocket of my chef's pants. Otherwise I'd never find it. ;>) )

By W.DeBord on Friday, March 23, 2001 - 07:34 am: Edit

HAAAAA, I did read that also, how gross....but it confirms my thoughts about several of the chosen chefs and their desserts. About 1 out of 20 have a great dessert, original and sellable (sp?).

I'm sorry, do you think it's cool to serve your german choc. cake in a horse-drawn carriage? Have they ever heard the words OVER KILL. It's interesting that someone is doing a realistic visual instead of floating another cone. But when the garnish requires more time, effort and takes up more volume on the plate then the dessert, you've missed something.

My favorite laugh is the Least Appreciated Dessert I'm waiting for... chocolate covered **** on a stick! I'm truely amazed that these places have that deep of pockets to waste time and money making such stupidly outrageous dessert selections. Is it Trotter that got everyone jumping over the edge? It's like fine art, idiots who don't get abstract art are always the ones making it...EEEEEKKKKK!

By W.DeBord on Friday, March 23, 2001 - 07:39 am: Edit

Hey, did any one else notice that Neil Sheldon was featured in the article about Baking in the Heartland? He used to be a regular here.


If you still check this site out....Big CONGRADULATIONS Neil!

By d. on Friday, March 23, 2001 - 08:49 pm: Edit

I agree with you on that W. I look at all these beautiful plated desserts and wonder how much time is actually spent saucing and plating. Have you taken a look at chocolate a la carte's catalogue? Same thing, very unrealistic plating of desserts. When I plan the plating of our dessert plates I have to keep in mind if the dessert is for a sit down of 20 or of 150, and plan accordingly.

By W.DeBord on Saturday, March 24, 2001 - 06:53 am: Edit

I've seen chocolate a la carte's catalog.I haven't ever seen a plated dessert from them that I "wished" I could do. I think I'm providing something better. I wrap items in chocolate all the time, but it's a nice thin coat.
Who wants to eat some mousse out of a shell, then discarding a bundle of money in the garbage. Similar to eating the cake from with-in a cookie sculpture. I'd rather buy some great plates or trays with the money, if I could. Although my job won't go there.

Don't get me wrong I love a show, I love to flaunt my abilities too....but there should be balance when you eat the dessert. Not a pile of stuff the customer set to the side of the plate.

By W.DeBord on Saturday, March 24, 2001 - 07:18 am: Edit

I judge my plating a little differently then the rest of you. For me it's do I want to give up my free time to stay here and personally plate a dessert that may or may not be eaten?

Last year we served all our parties buffets. Which was great!!! I really love doing a variety of items and I can pace myself. When were doing a 1,000 people for the week I plan items that work for me. Before, I'd have one night with a sweet table, then the next 3 parties would be pass plate. That was MUCH harder.

The desserts we sell are obviously always the managers favorites. They seem to always sell what they like or something that really doesn't lend it's self to volume baking. Like individual apple tarts, UCK (only good freshly baked)! Is this just where I work? Sometimes I feel defeated by their choice of desserts. I've written sugestions but they never pull the sheet out, they still sell what they know. EEK!

By Yankee on Saturday, March 24, 2001 - 12:43 pm: Edit

Oh yes, that Chocolate A LaCarte stuff makes me ill. "Looks good. Tastes like sh*t."

Have you seen the new isomalt product line that Notter is pushing?

The colored droplets are fine, but what's up with those isolmalt cups for plating desserts? Did I read that right? I'm supposed to buy these edible, but crappy tasting, sugar cups to plate stuff in, only to have the customer leave it on the plate? Yeah, right?

A gold medal? That's what this guy just won?

By d. on Saturday, March 24, 2001 - 03:50 pm: Edit

What I meant about the chocolate's ala carte catalogue, I was referring to the painted sauces on the plate, not the chocolate cups. Some of the plating is just really ridiculous. I'm not crazy about using some of their products, but my bosses like them and when you're doing parties for 600 sit-down, I guess it is cheaper to buy the chocolate linen cups than for me to make them(specially if the party is kosher, because have you ever worked in a kosher kitchen? ugh!)
Best containers I make for mousses and etc. are still my florentine cups. Our clients always eat them up. I like putting components on a plate that people will eat, not just look at and say it's cool to look at. An exception would be when I use bubble sugar shards for garnish.

By W.DeBord on Sunday, March 25, 2001 - 05:16 pm: Edit

I used to do more with bubble sugar and melted sugar but I've had a few people ask me about their safety having such sharp edges. I've gotten my hands sliced by the sugar breaking it, so I've been avoiding it.


I guess I don't know specificly what you mean d. about their sauces...what are they showing? I'm always stuck having to "out-line" my design on the plate in chocolate so the guys can follow my plating. For my ala carte Valetines week I used those cheap coating pellets (in red) and thought they were the best way to go in the future. It also gives me more color possiblities.

I was really dumb founded by those sugar cups too! I can't see an application? But I'm very interested in the colored sugar pelets.....how much is that going to cost???

As far as using chocolate ala carte...hey, sometimes you have to do what you have to do....just like cakes mixes.

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, March 27, 2001 - 06:03 pm: Edit

I recieved Martha's (I know you all hate her but...) spring catalog. She's selling coffee cups, plates, bowls (I think) and a couple other items MADE out of sugar. More elaborate than the photos of the sugar bowls Notter is pushing.

Hum, she's already selling sugar cups with matching saucers and us "professional" are just hearing about this product.....

Either she's fast or Pastry art & design are slow?

By Yankee on Tuesday, March 27, 2001 - 10:52 pm: Edit

Pastry Art & Design is slower than molasses in January.

Martha Inc. makes too much money by being ahead of the curve, if not bending it herself. She has well paid staff that do nothing but "cool hunt" for what's new. PA&D relies on the old world steam of press releases. Almost everything in there is taken from some other media. Food Arts is also a bit pokey, but I doubt they care.

The other thing to keep in mind is that these publications all have three or four month lead times before they actually hit your mailbox. That April issue, which was mailed in early March, probably had it's editorial and advertising deadline back sometime before Thanksgiving.

I'm not a big fan of Martha herself, but you have to admit she runs a heck of a business.

Personally, I loath most of this trendy stuff. Do they have foamed, tobacco flavored, mini cups in red leather? This stuff is for people who can't bake and have to hide their hack slop in something fancy to save face.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, March 28, 2001 - 07:03 am: Edit

This catalog is just that, not a magazine (there isn't advertising). She always has a couple of baking ideas I can use. Her front cover was particularly interesting to me. It had a photo of a bee skeep (sp?) with marzipan bee's on it (she's selling the 3-d shaped pans). Well, I've been on a run lately making something extremely similar. First it started with centerpiece cakes of bee skeeps, then last month I had to make individual plated ones for a shower. I float my bee's on wires, etc... but the idea is exactly the same.


Careful Yankee your sounding like an old man complaining about trendy stuff.......your not old enough for that, yet. I'm definately curious, I still think theres more to explore with this new sugar medium. I like artistic trends to some extent...it let's me show off my skills.

If it is "for people who can't bake to hide their slop in", that's great by me. Let all the places use that stuff, it only makes us pastry chefs look better!