Verrine Thoughts

Grainy caramel.  Don't let it happen in the first place.  Follow the instructions in the book.  ALWAYS use honey, Lyle's Golden Syrup or corn syrup in with the white sugar.  Problem solved.  But if you don't do that and if you do get graininess, try to slowly--SLOWLY--low heat--remelt the mixture.  You have to be patient.  Once sugar burns, you can't go back.

Here's the real solution.  Start over.  You probably won't get it right the first time.  And sometimes you're distracted and even though you've done it correctly 10 times, 1 time it doesn't work.  Don't waste time trying to fix it.  It's not as though the ingredients are super expensive.  Altho I do have to say the price of butter makes me cringe.  Especially when I have one of the dogs getting up on the counter and helping herself to anything I'm not guarding.

I didn't know people were going to be this interested in verrines.  I was attracted to the lovely, colorful layers but didn't realize other people were as well.

Rice Pudding with Summer Fruits

I made a cookie today and I attempted to color it red.  It was so awful, so neon pink--although they tasted wonderful,  they looked like a nightmare--I threw out the few of them I made.  Usually when I'm experimenting, I start with a small batch so any catastrophes don't hurt too badly.  This was just some flour, sugar and oil and 2 egg whites.  The dogs get the yolks.  They're excellent, yes, raw.

Changes

Yes, I changed the Verrine cover already.  And I'll change it again if I feel like it.

I rarely hear the word changes that I don't think of Phil Ochs.  He was a talented and misguided young man.  May have been bipolar, I don't know that he was diagnosed that before he killed himself.  The suicide note said something like "I have no more words".  A loss. 

Verrines: Sweet and Savory Parfaits Made Easy

I got it done.  It seemed like it took forever to get the formatting.  When you're doing something like this, I feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience.  It's overload. 

Barnes and Noble got it live in a couple hours.  Amazon mocked me and said 24 but I know it'll be more like 36 or 48.

Here's the blurb.  I hate writing them.  It's almost as bad as writing a synopsis which I just realized I will never have to do again in my life.  So YIPPEE!

Have you ever wanted just a little something to eat that was delicious and probably sinfully fattening? Don't we all? Some years ago the French invented verrines. A verrine is a sweet or savory delectable. Like the familiar parfait, it's served in a glass but a small one making it the ultimate in portion control. While most of us want to eat well, most of us aren't trained chefs and we rarely have access to exotic ingredients readily available elsewhere. VERRINES: Sweet and Savory Parfaits Made Easy makes it possible for everyone to create luscious treats quickly and with a budget in mind. You don't need a kitchen full of special tools, and you don't need expensive ingredients. You need some small glasses, a sharp knife and a trip to the grocery store. Whether you need intriguing appetizers for a party, a light lunch or dessert, you will find something in this book to help you achieve your goal.

So now I can devote my thinking to purchasing the wrong items on ebay (come on guy, you think I don't know what I'm talking about but French White isn't stovetop safe), fighting with the Amazon Marketplace sellers who didn't ship the book I really really need for my new book, and in general bothering everyone I come in contact with.  C'est la vie.

I think I will probably change the cover since I did this over a month ago and took a lot of photos that I...I'm fickle.  I can like you one day, Miss Photo, and the next day I've moved on emotionally.  Sorry.