2010/11/01
Jeanette and I got married last month! I'm super excited about that. But I'm also excited about all the amazing wedding gifts that people got us, as well as some big items that we purchased using cash gifts. Here is the haul. It's like Christmas times seven.
Posted by Barzelay on 2010/11/01 @ 22:21 | Comments (5) | Equipment, Life
Comments
what is pic #7?
Posted by: Chicken Fried Gourmet at November 2, 2010 3:33 PM
Big congrats to both you!
Is #7 a refractometer? Nice stuff all around.
Posted by: E. Nassar at November 3, 2010 9:04 AM
What plates are those?
Posted by: Steve at November 4, 2010 11:37 AM
Yeah, what's the refractometer for? I use one for measuring Brix in my grapes, but you're not growing vines are you?!?!
Bart (the guy who sat next to you at minibar)
Posted by: Bart at November 5, 2010 5:05 AM
Yep, it's a refractometer. Very useful for making sorbets (sweeten to a particular brix--25 to 32--to ensure proper texture), pates de fruits from fresh fruits instead of commercial fruit purees (to determine starting sugar content of your fruit puree so you know how much to add), and to ensure consistency across multiple batches where the batches' base ingredients may differ slightly. For instance, let's say I made a strawberry sauce in July, in the height of the season, and I took good notes and measurements. If I tried to repeat that sauce now using the same exact measurements but using the post-season strawberries currently available, it would be much less sweet. With a refractometer, I can determine the sweetness and adjust until it's consistent. Of course, I can just taste it and sweeten if necessary, but the refractometer is more precise. Plus, I may have forgotten how something tasted. I might have someone book a private dinner and request that I make them the same dish they had at a Lazy Bear dinner months before.
The plates, Steve, are Rosenthal Loft 11" Dinner Plate.
Posted by: Barzelay at November 9, 2010 1:14 AM