Hi all,

So I tried making marshmallows at home today for the first time and they ended up flat and disappointing, I'm hoping I could get some help?

The mixture looked pretty much like the video I was watching (joy of cooking) until I removed them from the pan. They weren't springy at all, just left a dent where I pressed. Then after I started stacking them they slowly started to deflate. Now they're in the fridge because they were all melting into each other and I panicked.

For reference, I followed the Joy of Cooking marshmallow recipe exactly http://www.joyofbaking.com/candy/Home... (except for the changes mentioned below):

Some points of concern:
- My candy thermometer is old and only goes up till 220... I had to estimate when it reached 240.
- I may have over mixed? I mixed closer to 15/16 minutes on my kitchenaid.
- the gelatin I used may have been at fault. (Please see pictures attached). It expires in December and was opened ~8-10 months ago. I can't use the regular gelatin because of dietary restrictions (pigs - any other animals are fine though) which is why I'm using this stuff. Maybe you guys have a better gelatin suggestion?

I let them set for 12 hours.

They did taste good though! I really wanted to put them in hot chocolate but that's not happening. (See pictures)

Thanks in advance for all help and suggestions!

Hi all,

I will be visiting your beautiful city in December with my two younger sisters (19 and 21). I would like to take them out somewhere really nice for dinner, as I've enjoyed NYC in the past and would like the same for them. They're both very excited about this and are really looking forward to trying new food and experiencing fine dining in NYC.

But the problem is, their tastes are a bit young and they are completely unadventurous in their food choices (the little one is also a bit picky), so I feel like most of the tasting menus I'd like to try just won't work for us. (If you'd like examples... foie gras, octopus, oysters, caviar, OH and... any type of meat that is cooked anything less than medium-well. So I can kiss tartare goodbye).

*sigh*

But I DO want them to have an extravagant experience. I feel like a vegetarian tasting menu would be the best loophole. Or just... a fancy restaurant that caters to non-fancy tastes, lol.

Thanks in advance for all suggestions!