I understand your reaction, and second your husband’s timeline. In the last several years there has been a trend toward restaurants with tasting menus, with the French Laundry paving the way with a very high bar. Since it is next to impossible to get a reservation at the FL, my husband and I have not been there, but one night we did go to Manresa in Los Gatos. It was initially very fun, getting these tiny bites; some were great, but some I gave to my husband because they weren’t anything I wanted. Close to 3 hours later, we couldn’t help ourselves but to ask them if they could speed it up. I’m sure that went over great in the kitchen. Perhaps if we had been at the FL, or Alinea in Chicago, we wouldn’t have “rushed” it. As with any other type of restaurant, there are mediocre, good, great, and outstanding places. But, the thing with a tasting menu is summed up succinctly in “Life, on the Line...” by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas when Kokonas said he’d go the restaurant, Trio, once a month, but if he could get a whole plate of the short ribs, he’d be there every night.

I have been making some peanut brittle, the flaky, soft style with baking soda. However, I’ve made it about 6 times, and sometimes it comes out more compact and not as soft. I can’t tell what I am doing different on these batches so I can avoid the change. After reading this, I am thinking maybe I should use a little brown sugar, or add a little cream of tartar with the soda: Any advanced advice from anyone would be very appreciated.