FrederickCooke: Hello everyone! Welcome to CuisineNet Live! Tonight, we will be chatting with Dorie Greenspan, food writer and cookbook author. Most recently, she collaborated with Julia Child to write the book Baking with Julia. She's currently working on a new book called The Pleasures of Pastry: French Pastries for American Bakers, due out in late 1998.

FrederickCooke:
At the end of tonight's chat, we will randomly choose 3 chat participants to win a copy of Dorie's book Pancakes: From Morning to Midnight. Anyone who entered their email address before coming into the chat room is eligible. Winners will be announced at the end of the chat and contacted by email tomorrow morning. Good luck!

Kenny:
Hi Dorie, love your "baking with Julia"

FrederickCooke:
Welcome Dorie! Thanks for coming by. Everyone, feel free to ask away...

Kenny:
Dorie, whenever I make meringues, they get stuck on the baking sheets. Do you have any suggestions for keeping them from sticking?

DorieGreenspan:
Kenny, I know the problem. You should make sure the meringues are really, really baked -- dried, actually -- and if you can't get them off, run a spatula under them and the parchment paper. You do use parchment, don't you?

Kenny:
Yes, I do use parchment. But the meringue still gets stuck. If I bake them too long... it's too brown.

DorieGreenspan:
Hmm. Well, you should keep the oven low -- try 325 for about 30 minutes with the door slightly open. Then let them dry with the heat off for a few hours. Hope this works for you.

Chloe:
I've noticed that Martha Stewart always insists on parchment, and now you do too! Why is parchment better than greased cookie sheet? What about non-stick baking sheets?

DorieGreenspan:
Chloe -- parchment is better than nonstick for certain things, like meringue and ladyfingers. When you're piping batter onto a baking sheet, parchment's usually what you want to pipe onto.

Cookie Monster:
Are there any cookie cookbooks that you would recommend?

DorieGreenspan:
Cookie Monster, you might want to take a look at Rose Beranbaum's Christmas Cookies -- just right for now -- or, if you're feeling ambitious, Marcel Desaulniers new chocolate cookie book.

Chloe:
Dorie, HELP! I baked the Lemon Loaf from Baking with Julia and I totally destroyed it. I know it's an easy recipe, but I'm challenged. First of all, it took me a year and a half to get the zest of three lemons. I was grating for like an hour and ended up losing the skin off of two of my fingers. And the second problem was my oven: It never seems to have the right temperature, so it ended up burned on the outside and wet in the middle! What do I do about my horrible oven? I've ruined all sorts of desserts that deserved better.

DorieGreenspan:
Chloe, bravo for baking, despite your troubles. First, the lemons -- do you have the neat little tool called a zester? It's got 5 little holes on top -- makes fast work of zesting anything with rind.

DorieGreenspan:
About that oven -- we've all had the runaway oven problem. You've got to use an oven thermometer -- keep it in the oven all the time. It's a big help. I hope you'll try the cake again; it's actually a very easy recipe, and it's great!

food processor:
Do you include other baking papers with parchment? How about those expensive reusable (silicone?) liners at Williams-Sonoma?

DorieGreenspan:
food processor -- those silicon pads -- Silpat -- are swell -- they're terrific for baking. (you can also find them here -- ed.)

warren:
How do you feel about fruitcakes? Are any of them any good, or is their reputation deserved?

DorieGreenspan:
I actually like fruitcakes, as long as they don't have those funny "mystery fruits" in them -- you know, the ones that are red and green and stick to your teeth. Fruitcakes made with raisins, apricots, dried cherries and their kin can be great.

Valentine:
How can you tell if a waffle iron is "good" -- one that won't stick? Or are my waffles sticking because of the batter?

DorieGreenspan:
Unfortunately, you can't tell if a waffle iron is good until you use it (I've used the Vitantonio irons with success). Look for an iron with a nonstick surface and follow the instructions for seasoning. And make sure you're batter has enough butter or oil in it. Also, don't open the iron if the waffle is holding it together -- the waffle is done when the iron opens easily.

food processor:
While we're on waffles, what makes a waffle iron better than another? I find that my old one (lost in moving) made far better waffles than the two new ones I've gotten.

DorieGreenspan:
Was your old iron cast-iron? Was it blessed by the good waffle witches? I have one I bought at a tag sale for 75 cents and it's terrific -- cast-iron and used by a waffle-making granny.

Judy:
Is there such a thing as an electric waffle iron? If so, is it any good?

DorieGreenspan:
Judy -- yes, yes, there are electric waffle irons, and if you love waffles I'd urge you to get one -- they make life (and clean-up) easy.

FrederickCooke:
Did you enjoy working with Julia Child?

DorieGreenspan:
Frederick -- I know this won't surprise you, but Julia is GREAT! Just what you want your legends to be. The first day I met her she did Dan Ackroyd's imitation of her cooking a chicken -- too funny!

food processor:
What changes are necessary for American bakers that you address in your new book?

DorieGreenspan:
Food processor -- I need a little more info re: your questions on changes for American bakers.

food processor:
What I meant was, why is the title specifically French baking for Americans....or didn't I get it right?

DorieGreenspan:
Ah! The title French Baking for American Bakers comes from the fact that the book features the recipes of Pierre Herme, Frances most famous pastry chef, and all the recipes have been adapted and tested for American ingredients.