Sue Duda's Page

Hi Sue - the cake fell over? Wow - no, I've never had that happen.  Did you feel it was really stable? A topsy-turvy, while it LOOKS unstable, should be no more unstable than a typical 2 or 3 tier cake since they are stacked flat.  Did you have a dowel through the middle?  The reason I'm asking is, if it fell over, is it possible it did that as someone was moving it when it happened? Thereby not making it your fault? Do they have pictures of the destroyed cake?

I typically don't cash someone's check, or even deposit their money, until after I hear from them that the cake was o.k.  That way, if they DO want a refund I don't have to do anything but return or void their check, or just hand them their cash back.  (knock on wood, haven't had to do that yet).

Personally, if I was confident the fault was entirely mine, I would return the whole amount.  If it fell over as someone at the party was moving it, I'd want at least enough to cover ingredients - especially if it had pricey ingredients (high-end chocolate or fresh fruit out of season).  I don't know if this helps you out or not.  I'm sorry you're in this situation at all - it's a tough one. :(

Hugs,
Eileen

Hi Sue, I have had a commercial kitchen in my basemet for a few years now. It will depend on the county that you are in and might be different than what my country required. For me it required a 4 section sink, self-closing doors & raised door jams, covered light fixtures, cleanable wall/ceiling surfaces, seperate refrigeration, oven, etc. Pretty basic. If we had been in the next county, there would have been more regulations. I only bake special orders, so no daily customers. Insurance is about $500 a year for me, however our homeowners now has decided it doesn't want to continue with it, and I am in the process of finding another company. Contacting your county about getting a Food Processing License is your 1st step. Hope this helps.

Hi Sue - they have them at Trig's over in the gourmet foods section by the deli. If they don't have them out, ask at the deli counter -they sometimes keep them in the freezer because they are so seldom requested. I love tiramisu!!!!! They also have the Mascarpone cheese there in the same section.