[Mycroft Holmes]

Haven't tried nougat. I've been focusing on baking breads because that seems to bring more smiles than the sweets. Candy gets old, bread is forever.

But I may give it a whirl, we have chickens and excess eggs. When I realized that the chickens were happy to eat all of my failures, it liberated me.

[Silentgypsy]

Can chickens eat chocolate? Dogs aren't supposed to. My husband wants chickens. I'd prefer guinea hens because they're reputed to be voracious tick-eaters. Do chickens eat ticks, too?

I've been making bread for about 40 years, but have only recently been moderatelysuccessful w/Navajo fry bread.

Am weak on theory. Do you have a favorite cooking science book? I got one out of the library which answered a few questions but it wasn't the comprehensive resource I need so I wouldn't buy it. America's Test Kitchen publications include rationale and methodology--I need something encyclopedic on the molecular level.