Hi Fuss Pot,
Hope this is not too late for you.
Are you proposing to run a production line? This is possible if you are catering for a longer period and it allows you to do some hot canapes. You could for example do mini Yorkshire puddings filled with rare beef and gravy. Or, hot prawns in pastry.
I recently catered canapes for 100 guests for 1 hour, which worked out at 600 canapes. These were broken down into fish, meat, vegetarian, cheese and lastly savoury. If I had been asked to do this for 2 hours it would have meant 900, but I would have gone on to some hot for the second hour.
Sounds like fun. What is the event?
David 
Hi Posset
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, 2009 is going to be an expensive year as I have just got my first Grandson as well!
Like your idea for a pud, might well try that.
Cheers to you and Tina. I have enjoyed this post, best for a while.
Bye
David
Hi Tina,
My personal preference is for cooked cheesecakes, I find them lighter. So a recipe with eggs would be my choice.
Hope all goes well for you. Allow lots of time and check all the ingredients well in advance. Preparation is 80% of the work.
It would be nice to hear how it all went.
David
Hi Tina
Thanks for the kind words!
With a posset I serve either langues de chat biccys or brandy snaps. The latter are excellent with cream and not quite so sweet. Really any dessert biccys are ok.
As to a starter, since you mention salmon you could try this: Take a ramekin and rub with a little oil then line with cling film, leaving some hanging over the sides, then lightly oil the cling film.
Line the base and side with very best, very thin smoked salmon slices, allow them to hang over the edges, lay a layer of cooked prawns on the salmon and top with a thin layer of mayo, flavoured with fine lemon zest, then a slice of salmon, another layer of prawns, then mayo again, keep going till the top is reached, make sure you pack it all in tight, no gaps. Finish with a layer of mayo and then fold the salmon over the top and cover with the cling film, so that you have a sealed pot. Chill for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, thinly slice some iceburg lettuce to form a base for the stacks, peel the cling film back then pull gently to remove the whole stack from your mould, invert and remove the remaining cling film. Serve with circles of toasted brown bread, buttered and sprinkled with a little black pepper. Depending on the size of your moulds you can serve two each. Lemon slices and extra mayo on the side.
Your mango choice is spot on, but remember to buy more than you need as ripeness is everything. You can always serve unused ones for breakfast.
Happy eating.
David
Hi Tina
Congratulations! I serve Boulangere potatoes with a herb crusted rack of lamb. as I find too much cream with lamb is a bit rich. As to a starter, would need to know your likes to make useful suggestions. As Posset says, keep it simple! The stars of the meal are you 2!
Your sorbet after the lamb should be excellent, if you add a shot of vodka to the mix before freezing it will make it softer and easier to scoop.
Mango cheesecake sounds fine, although getting quality ripe mangoes can be a bit of a faff. If you have been careful with the fats in the rest of the meal, how about a lemon posset to finish?
A good rule for an easy life in the kichen is, cold starter prepared in advance, hot main, cold pud prepared in advance. Some champagne to start and off you go! This has worked for me, we hope to celebrate 40 years of married life next year.
Will help as much as I can. Just ask.
Good Luck
David 
Hi Lacey-cat,
I had a Bar-B-Que last year when half the guests were delayed by traffic, so they got some cold for a nibble when they arrived. The rest got eaten for breakfast and were enjoyed by all, so I guess the answer is they are fine cold.
David
Hi Jocaster,
Oops! Always use a stand for hot pots. Granite will mark, but you should be able to polish it out. I suggest you call your local stone mason for advice, he will give the best advice. Your supplier should have left you with some care advice as well.
Good luck
David
Hi Bizzy Lizzy,
Pinot Grigio is a good choice as it is aromatic (Spicy) and therefore goes well with most foods. Storage in a garage is fine, but make sure it is not allowed to get too hot, if Summer finally arrives. Also, if it has a tendency to be damp, watch for mould forming on the boxes. If it is very dry, a little water sprinkled in the vicinity of the boxes once a week is a good way to keep a little moisture in the air. Screw top caps are fine for 12 months or so. Remember to make sure the bottles are stored standing on their bases. As opposed to cork bottles which should be stored on their sides, to keep the corks moist. This is how your should store sparkling wines, and rest assured it will not loose it's fizz in 12 months.
Final tip, try to avoid stacking boxes of wine higher than 2. This is because the boxes can start to weaken, if they get damp, and you may go in one day to find broken bottles on the floor. It happen to me when we first started to use a very old cellar and stored some boxes of wine. Let vigilance and ventilation be your watchword!
Hope that helps.
David
Hi Bizzy Lizzy, congratulations on a June wedding, lucky you!
Wine will keep for at least a year if kept at a steady cool temperature and not likely to get too hot, so avoid places like a shed or the loft of a house as these can get very hot in the summer.
Modern white wines wines will keep for a minimum of a year. Champagne is no problem for several years, I am of course talking non-vintage, a vintage champagne will keep for year. Reds are fine for the same time and certain reds like Chateauneuf du Pape will again keep for years. Think about a Beaujolais as a possible red, you can serve it chilled, if the June weather behaves and I think that chilled it is better than Rose. Rose wines are best drunk young, but if you get one with a 12.5 - 13% a/c you should be fine.
Taste as much as you can and buy by the case and then keep them sealed.
Final tip, if you see a champagne by J. Dumangin Fils a Chigny-les-Roses buy it! Oh, and buy champagne in Magnums, it is easier to manage for large numbers and you get the best flavour. Don't know why, but extensive personal testing has proved this to be true.
Bon Chance!
David
Hi Posset
All I got back was 'use your common sense, it is not rocket science'!
Glad to see you have a surfeit of the same!
I think it is up to everyone to experiment and find their own solution. I for one will add a note to my own book. Maybe the publisher will have a view on how to approach this issue, I will ask.
Happy setting.
David
I understand the reason for the revised size was to give more control over amounts! Somebody did not think this through as the above comments illustrate.
As to the problem. As an example where 2 sheets are specified and assuming this is not a new recipe I would apply the following:
25 div by 8 = 3.125 x 2 = 6.25g
25 div by 15 = 1.666 x 3.75 = 6.25g
I 'Ghost Write' recipes from time to time and have just e-mailed my most recent client to ask what he suggests. If I get a sensible reply I will post it.
David
Hi Katherine. Final thought, try making your own. It was originally produced in farm kitchens. As I understand the process take unpasteurised milk, in France what else? Add some whipping cream (2 parts milk to 1 part cream) and blend. Leave to stand at room temp for 8 hours, then heat very gently until the skin or clots form, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Skim and keep cold. Will last for 3-4 days.
Might try this myself.
David
Hi Katherine, I think I have seen Cornish Clotted Cream on sale in Intermarche or ATAC. My local supermarkets in Cavaillon are LeClerc and Auchan, both of which are good for 'odd' produce from time to time. If you have a good Deli they may be able to help. My Neighbour, who is Italian says that she has seen Clotted Cream on sale in Paris. Not a lot of help I know.
As to the French not allowing PDO produce into the country, I cannot understand as they are massive importers of products like Parmesan and Cavaillon is twinned with Parma. We have a celebration each year around the melon harvest when both products are consumed by the respective Mayors' and attending masses.
Good Luck.
David
Hi K80. I have frozen clotted cream in small quantities and for no longer than a couple of weeks. Generally, cream does not freeze well.
As to clotted cream, it is a product of the British West Country, Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. I have found something similar in Creme Epaisse, but technically this is a double cream. I have seen Cornish Clotted Cream in France, where it has PDO status, which the French respect as they protect many of their products using similar processes.
I understand that you can buy Clotted Cream by mail order direct from some UK suppliers.
Hope that helps.David
Hi Animal. Yes a steel wok. You need a Chinese wholesaler for the woks. They sell everything used in the food prep way, knives, woks, pans, strainers etc..
David
Hi Animal. Find out where your local Chinese get their wholesale ingredients from. Go there and buy your wok. It will need degreasing and then seasoning with groundnut oil. I have never spent more than £20 on a wok and they last for years. Just purchased a small flat based one for single meals for my Granddaughter and that cost £6. Remember that once you have seasoned the wok you do not use soap or anything else to clean it. Hot water and a brush does the business.
Good Luck
David
Hi kiwi-cook, I am not a fan of freezing dairy products as they are very prone to splitting due to their high water content. My local supermarket in Cavaillon (Leclerc) usually has coolwhip or similar.
However, if you are freezing for a short time, ie., to firm up a recipe you should be able to get away with a high fat cream.
It would be interesting to hear how you solve the problem.
Good Luck.
David
Hi Ekay, I seem to remember that Jersey farmers used to spread seaweed on the land before planting. It would seem possible that the EEC has banned this practice and if true that may be the reason for the change in flavour, which I agree it not as good as it was.
David
Hi Flo, I am very impressed that a Uni Student is up and working at 0657! What is your secret? My three had no trouble at the end of the day, but early starts were a no no!As to your question. It is a gray area legally. Ownership of recipe is very hard to prove in law as there are almost no totally original recipes. That said, Heston B at Bray is an example of new approaches with common ingredients and he could probably argue with some success that he is unique in the way that he prepares a particular dish.The main problem is that even if you marketed your fish curry in this country you would only be protected here if you could link the recipe to the brand name. As soon as you start to export the dish you run the risk of copies being made and in the case of India, fighting your case in the courts would be lengthy and you probably will not win.Your best bet would be to ask the company what they intend to do with your recipe and ask for a payment if they use it. Your best approach here is probably a one off payment as you will have no way of checking how much is sold if they market it.
Sorry to be a wet blanket, but if you put yourself in the place of this company and then work out what you would offer an aspiring cook for a recipe, you will probably see how you will be treated. Good LuckDavid
Hi Grisinni, using butter excludes the air and if freezing helps to reduce granulation and discolouration. I use clarified butter.
David
Hi Jooley, sounds like a good idea. If he is going to do that, I suggest he slices the chicken into thin strips and uses some mayo mixed with a little chopped basil leaves in place of any spread on the bread. However, if he is having to make this in advance and keep it for a few hours, I would spread the roll with some butter to stop it becoming too soggy.
As an alternative, a few drops of extra virgin olive oil on the roll and use the ham to hold the chicken and mayo mix in the centre. Serrano ham being dry will act as a good seal and the use of olive oil will add a little taste and texture to the finished sandwich.
Good luck.
David
Option 2.
Cook and drain some rice. Slice some bacon and cook in a non stick pan with a little oil. Dice a portion of cooked chicken and add to the bacon with a small can of drained corn and a handful of frozen peas, stir in the rice and add some soy sauce, if the mix seems a bit dry add a little water, stir and season to taste, check it is all hot and serve.
David
Hi Jooley,How about roast potatoes with chicken wrapped in bacon. Optional extra, a portion of baked beans, or corn.Oven to 200c. Boil a few small new potatoes till just cooked, drain and allow to cool slightly, then halve and toss in a little olive oil with some salt and pepper, put around the edges of a small oven tray.Take a skinless chicken breast, lightly oil and season, wrap in a few slices of streaky bacon, tucking the ends under the chicken. If he wants to add a bit of effort, get him to stretch the bacon first by holding one end and running the back of knife firmly along the slice. Spread a little olive oil on the space in the centre of the tray with the potatoes and place the chicken with the bacon slice ends under and put in the oven for about 30 minutes until the bacon is crisp. If the potatoes are not crisp enough, remove the chicken to 'rest' while they finish.
If the school says it is too bit for a snack, say it is for two people!
Hope that helps
David
Hi chantilly42,
As a general rule I do not freeze pate as I think it is at it's best when made a couple of days before use. With the pot sealed with melted butter it keeps for several days in the fridge.
That said, there is no reason why you should not freeze. I am assuming that you are not making a large quantity and that you cook your livers. Put your pate to freeze in a small pot, top with melted butter and refrigerate until cold. Double wrap in cling film and freeze and keep for no longer than a month. When you defrost, do so in the fridge.
Hope that helps.
David
