Sobaicecream

Nope, not talking about mushi pan (steamed cake). The Japanese cheesecake I'm talking about is baked, and it's sometimes also called souffle cheesecake because the batter contains a lot of whipped egg white, making the texture very light and airy. Here's the recipe that I used: 250g cream cheese 200g sour cream 110g sugar 1T lemon juice 2 egg yolks 1/2 tsp vanilla oil (I didn't use this) 40g flour 3 egg whites 1. Beat softened cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/3 of sugar until smooth. 2. Stir in lemon juice, yolks, vanilla. 3. Sift flour into the mixture and mix. Make sure it's well incorporated. 4. Cover bowl with saran wrap and let sit for 1/2 hour (I have no idea why). 5. Whip egg whites and rest of sugar until soft-peak stage. 6. Spoon 1/3 of whites into the batter and gently stir. Then carefully but thoroughly fold in rest of whites. Pour into pan. 7. Bake in 180'C oven, with water bath, for 50-60 minutes (sorry, I'm not exactly sure what size tin this was for--I quartered the recipe and made mini cakes--but I think an 8-inch cake tin would be good). NOTE: After doing a bit of online research, I found the following tips but have yet to test them, so don't know if they work or not: -if you overbeat the egg whites and they get too stiff, they won't mix well with the batter and you'll get cracked tops -don't use boiling water in the water bath but warm water Also, like I said before, I've seen other recipes that called for cornstarch/flour, and I don't know if this makes a difference. I would love to hear (and see) how other people's cakes turn out, please!

Mmmm, this is making me hungry! That looks so good, Kristin. Unfortunately, the last time I grated yama imo, I forgot about the itch factor, and it was not just itchy, my hands turned fire-engine red, and it was really uncomfortable! My husband quickly searched on the Internet, and told me about the vinegar trick, but it didn't work at all. Oh well, the suffering aside, I mixed karashi mentaiko (spicy cod egg) with the grated yama imo, and it was really good! By the way, did anyone else notice what I think of as the "Super Slime Bowl" at Maguro Ichiba (chain restaurant) this summer? It was a bowl of rice, very prettily topped with natto, grated yama imo, okra, raw squid, those tiny slimy brown mushrooms, and a raw egg. I guess you were supposed to swirl everything together and watch the slime webbing fly!

I just tried making the fluffy Japanese-style cheesecake and it rose really nicely...but then shrank and sunk. Plus it started cracking up quite badly soon after it went into the oven. The end result was delicious though, if not very pretty. Has anyone tried making it and managed to keep their cheesecake standing tall? Also, the recipe I have just asks for regular (薄) flour, but I've seen other recipes that use "corn flour"--is that the same as corn starch? Does the corn flour make a big difference?

Hmmm, great ideas, Helen! Thanks. I just tried making a miso souffle cheesecake and it was actually pretty gross--too much miso. I think I've learned my lesson: miso in desserts has to be subtle. Back to the drawing board, with your suggestions in mind.

Thank you so much, Hiroyuki, for translating. And thanks, Kristin, for the miso brownie recipe! Chefzadi, I'm just experimenting in my own kitchen for fun. But you made me ask myself an important question: am I trying to make something that tastes good or something that tastes novel? I'm definitely leaning toward the former, so maybe the miso doesn't have to hit me over the head when I take a bite. On the other hand, I love miso and I do want the miso flavor to shine through. I don't want a cake that someone would taste and say, "Oh, you can't even tell there's miso in here!" I guess I was hoping someone else out there has played around with miso and could share some info, like what pairs well with it, and also perhaps what other forms miso might take: like maybe a sweet tart or a cheesecake.

Oh yeah... I just saw their menus. Ouch. And I thought Tokyo was expensive! Okay, no, it still is. I know, those early meal deals are awfully early. I guess I'll be jetlagged and maybe the weird eating hour might even suit me, but I don't know about the rest of the people. Decisions, indeed!

Mmm, this sounds interesting. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind listing just the ingredient amounts, Kristin?

Thanks so much for the links, Hiroyuki! My Japanese is pretty bad, but I *sort of* roughly figure out the recipes. Looking at the pictures though, the cakes all look very light in color. I was wondering, is this because they use very little miso (so the taste would be hardly noticeable)? Do any of these sites comment on the flavor? I want something quite bold!

You know, that could be good! I couldn't decide if I should pair the dark miso with something equally sort of dark and rich, like dried figs. Or if I should try to lighten things up with something fresher. Will have to experiment. Thanks, Luckylies!

Thanks, Kristin! Will go check it out. (My husband was thoroughly grossed out when I told him what he was about to put in his mouth, but then he admitted my miso cake was pretty good. Just not that miso-ish, according to him.)

Hi everyone! I just posted about a miso cake I tried making in the pastry and baking section here. Has anyone tried miso manju? Well, I was rather inspired by that, so I thought I'd try making a cake with red miso. It's all there in the other post, so I won't repeat too much. But essentially, I would love any comments (unless you just think it's a disgusting idea--but truly, it's quite good ) on how my cake could be improved. Thanks!

The first (and only) time I ate miso in something sweet was when I tried miso manju--which is sort of a small, steamed cake with red bean paste filling. The miso used was the dark red kind, so the flavor and fragrance were quite pronouned. It was delicious. I just made a fairly basic cake with red miso, and I can't decide what to think. On the one hand, I'm pleased that the miso shines through (which is one reason I didn't choose the milder white miso). On the other, I think it smells a bit too strong, almost cheeselike (I'm still playing around with how much miso to use). I also haven't eaten such an unadorned cake in such a long time, I almost longed for something to complement the miso, like some nuts or fruit. So then, as an experiment , I cut little slices, and topped one with a dried cranberry, one with a chocolate chip, and slathered one slice with a dribble of honey. Each tasted good, but I wasn't sure that these additions didn't overly cloak the miso. I want it to be clear, when one takes a bite, that this is a miso cake, not a cranberry, chocolate chip, or honey cake. Alone, however, I think the miso cake is a bit too stark. Are there perhaps more subtle flavors that might add *something* to the cake without taking the spotlight away? (I'm considering chestnuts.) Has anyone else tried using miso in desserts and come to any enlightening conclusions?

Hi Ling, thanks for the info! I just noticed this dinner is probably going to happen some time during Dine Out Vancouver 2005, and two restaurants that are participating caught my eye (both the menu and the decor): C restaurant and Raincity Grill. Nobody's mentioned either of these yet...any particular reason? Edited to say: Okay, I'm going nuts. I got the dates for DOV confused, and this dinner is unfortunately going to be one month too late. Damn. Oh, but in that case, what about West Restaurant (which I noticed is fully booked for DOV)?

Yeah, and I'm kind of shooting for something memorable, not memory-less!

Well, I wouldn't want to go anywhere so stiff we can't enjoy ourselves. I'll always choose food over ambience. But since this is a special occasion, I wanted something a little *more* than we'd usually go for. Thanks for all the suggestions, Cru. Oh, that's sad.

Thanks, everyone, for all the helpful advice! Mooshmouse, right after this, I'll go check all the links you included. Thank you! That's interesting what you said about restaurants not being that fancy in Vancouver, compared to other big cities. I guess it was years and years ago, but when I was pretty young, I remember a small, lovely restaurant called Star Anis--I don't suppose anyone's heard of it? It was tiny but elegant, and the food was wonderful. Chef Metcalf, good suggestion about trying to get a special deal for a larger party; something to think about. And what kind of fellow eGulleter would I be if I ignored that heartrending plea for sembei (jeez, ten years--were you living in Japan?). If you give me an address, I will happily post you some wasabi sembei when I get to Vancouver...although, to be honest, I've never seen wasabi sembei, so maybe I should scout some out before getting your hopes up. Deborah, I appreciate your approval. I know there's one girl in our group who was hoping to see some dancing men with toolbelts...um... I'd much rather splurge on a delicious dinner. And will take your advice and just dress up if we feel like it!

*Deborah*, I don't think any of us are real big drinkers, so if we weren't including alcohol in the $60 per head quote, does that open up more options? Chef Metcalf, this dinner is going to be toward the end of February. How early in advance would you recommend I make the reservation? Mooshmouse, thanks for the Cru recommendation! I'm amazed at the great price, but from what I could see on the website, it looks just a tad more casual than what I had in mind. Perhaps that was not the clearest photo? I've got to admit, I don't know yet how many people will be coming, but I want to keep it somewhat small and intimate--so, no more than say eight people. Neither will I know everyone who's going to attend, so I think I should play it safe and stick to "Western" cuisine.

It's been ten years since I left Vancouver--have things changed a bit since then? I've been charged with a really important task. A good friend is getting married, and I'm going home to help. Things are going to be kind of crazy, but I thought we'd skip the strippers and have one really nice dinner, as a combination of the bachelorette party and wedding shower. Since we're treating the wedding girl, I would really like this dinner to be somewhere memorable, both in terms of quality of food and ambience (and good service...or am I now just getting greedy?). But I have to consider the budgets of the other guests as well, most of whom will be in their late 20s. I have absolutely no clue where to begin! And living abroad has skewered my understanding of "reasonable" price range. So I think we, the guests, wouldn't mind spending a little more on something special but not frightfully expensive ("frightful" being anything over...$60 a head...?). Any recommendations at all would be truly, truly appreciated. Thank you!

Thank you so much, nightscotsman. Once my arms have recovered from my previous brioche workout, I'm definitely going to try your recipe.

Unfortunately, I don't own either a mixer or a food processor, so I won't be able to try Wolfert's recipe either. This is sort of why I asked about making brioche by hand, specifically. Additionally, this recipe seems to produce a cake-like brioche, which I did achieve with Reinhart's recipe. Nightscotsman, I'm interested in your version of kneading the dough first before adding the butter. Did this result in a more silky, elastic brioche (versus cakelike)? And would you happen to have a recipe you'd be willing to share?

Thanks for the tip, mktye. If I ever try Reinhart's recipe again, I'll see if I can knead the dough before I add the butter, and maybe that will make a difference. Yes, please! By the way, Sinclair, out of curiosity, what exactly didn't you like about Reinhart's brioche recipe?

I guess I've been in Japan long enough that I've started to forget what is supposed to shock/surprise me. Is corn in salad really that strange? I will admit it: I don't mind corn on my Pizza Hut pizza. I wouldn't request it as an extra topping, but if the pizza came with corn, I'd eat it. I'd like to point out though that the few times I've gone out for Neapolitan-type pizza in Japan (with the wood-fired oven, etc.), I've never seen corn as a topping. And the same really goes for corn topping on anything in a semi-decent restaurant: you don't see it. I don't know much about the treatment and preservation of corn, but I kind of have the feeling that the kind you find in conbini salads, instant soups, and delivery pizzas are long-lasting and cheap and are a good filler (just ask any dog-food maker). One thing that never stops surprising me is how expensive vegetables in Japan are. So for whatever reason that corn is cheaper, I would venture a guess that that's the reason it's everywhere.

I baked brioche yesterday, using the recipe from Peter Reinhart's Crust & Crumb--which tells you to mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes. (I did watch the streaming video of Julia Child and Silverton making brioche, and recalled one of them saying that you definitely should use a mixer. Unfortunately I don't own a mixer, but really wanted to make brioche.) I actually beat for 20 because the dough was *incredibly* stiff and was nowhere near smooth after 10 minutes of intense struggle. Then put the dough in the fridge overnight, as instructed. When I pulled the dough out, it was the consistency of chilled cookie dough. Question one: does that sound right? I thought it was pretty soft, and found the dough began melting within seconds of being in my hands. In some ways, the brioche came out surprisingly good: wonderful oven spring, unbelievably light and delicate. Not so good was the way the baked brioche left the hands feeling greasy. Also, I will be quick to admit I'm not a brioche expert, but I was a bit surprised at how sponge-cakelike the brioche was. Is this correct? I was expecting a more satiny, elastic feel. Were these problems probably due to the dough being mixed by hand?

I heard on the news yesterday that in November, even 100,000-yen ($1,000) osechi had sold out at a particular store. For anyone who doesn't know--or in case my spelling is incorrect--osechi is traditional new year food that is often arranged in stacked trays with a lid on top, forming a tall box. What I want to know is, what exactly might a 100,000-yen osechi include??? Sure, probably abalone and things like that. But can good ingredients really add up to that much? Or is it merely a case of stores jacking up the prices because they know there will be a demand regardless of cost? EDITED to add price in US dollars

Thanks so much, torakris! I tried googling for karin, and kept coming up with girls named Karin. Argh. But then I just *knew* you'd help me find some good links. What would we do without you?