More kitchen equipment

January 16, 2010

Today George and I traveled twenty miles into the country to return to the lovely store where I’d bought chocolate a couple of months ago.  The mission today was to find a good candy thermometer, and some small ramekins to make individual Charlotte aux pommes (Charlottes aux pommes? – My French courses were very long ago).  Unfortunately, they were out of candy thermometers, and had no ramekins in the right size (about one cup).  I was able to get a cute, yellow pastry scraper to replace the one I’d given away some years ago.  (Today’s equipment is so much more colorful, and fun to use.)

Just before we reached home, I decided to try the tiny kitchen ware shop a few blocks from our home.  It is so packed with different things that it is hard to walk around in, but sure enough, they had what looks like a great thermometer.  It is calibrated from 100 degrees to 400, and has a large dial that I can almost see without my glasses.  For chocolate work, I’ll still have to use my thirty-some year old mercury one that measures from below 80 degrees to 120-some.  They had two white ramekins in a 10-oz. size that will make a generous individual Charlotte, but the one cup size looked too small, once lined with bread.  At the country store I passed up a real French Charlotte mold, not being able to justify the $40 price.  I returned home happy with my finds.  Getting good equipment and utensils makes me feel rich at a modest expenditure.

I currently have a traditional cheesecake in the oven.  I followed the lady’s directions from the Web
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to start at 350 degrees, and after putting the cake in the oven,  to immediately reduce the temperature to 250.  After an hour and a half of baking at 250, she says to turn the oven off, and leave the cake in the oven for at least three hours.  So far there are no cracks – the good news – but the question is, “Will it be sufficiently baked?”  I won’t know until about 10:30.

For dinner I did another bouillabaisse, and it was lovely.  George and I are both finding that dining in restaurants isn’t as enjoyable anymore.  Julia is spoiling our palates for ordinary food.

Nancy