…was the sort of fellow who wore a jacket to dinner every night in his own house. Not always a tie, but when he didn’t wear a tie his shirt was always buttoned right up to the top under a herringbone or houndstooth coat. He was a serious man, never lacking for a purpose, which […]
READ ONQuite a few, but by no means all. Some are actually poisonous, so it’s important to take care when selecting your blooms. Happily, quite a number of common varieties can be eaten, among them lilacs (one of my personal favorites), pansies, petunias, daisies (English), hollyhocks, nasturtiums, roses, tulips, honeysuckles, violets, hibiscus, orange and apple blossoms. […]
READ ONIt all boils down to water. Sugar is what’s known as a hygroscopic substance, which means it draws water molecules from the surrounding environment by absorption. Microbes like bacteria and fungi need water to metabolize, grow and reproduce, and sugar denies them that. Thus, even though a few microbes might be present on a candied […]
READ ONIf you want a dessert garnish that’s sure to knock your guests’ socks off this spring or summer, nothing does it better than candied flowers. Not only do they taste amazing (like flowers, only candy), they give anything they’re applied to a kind of elegant, homey, fussed-over touch. They take a little time of course, […]
READ ONJust look at those dogwood blossoms will you? The tree in our back yard is positively covered in them. Say, that gives me an idea…
READ ONWell it was a weird week. Technical troubles, work troubles, and in the end no Napoleons. Since the project seems cursed I’m going to put it aside for the time being and not drag all of you into third straight week of un-made mille feuille. And anyway it’s Derby week, time to perk up and […]
READ ONSorry gang, I’ve had ISP troubles the last few days and haven’t had any access to the site. Add to that I’ve been called out of town on business for the next three days, and this week is stacking up to be a bust. Back fresh and willing on Monday.
READ ONI was little heard from on Friday, primarily because of the earthquakes that rattled this old town early that morning. Most of us in here in the Pastry household slept right through the first one. It was 4:30 or thereabouts in the morning after all. Our youngest stirred and complained, but we chalked it up […]
READ ONYes, pastry cream has a lot. Two and a quarter ounces in this recipe, which is a ton when you consider that pie fillings have maybe a tablespoon. Is it really necessary? It is if you plan on using the pastry cream for a thing like a Napoleon, in which case the pastry cream is […]
READ ONAnyone know what the term is for heating and/or cooling a liquid or melted substances in stages? That’s right tempering. Where a food substance like chocolate is concerned, tempering can be a somewhat involved process (designed as it is to produce a certain type of fat crystal that gives chocolate it’s sheen and brittle “snap”). […]
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