JasonTrue

Mango and matcha sounds like an aggressive combination, from the perspective of someone who sells cooking matcha for at least part of my income; I tend toward more cautious fusions than this. I like matcha with azuki, sweet white beans, sweetened edamame purees, kinako (toasted soybeans), white chocolate, pine nuts, macadamia nuts. I might go for a macadamia/white chocolate soft cookie dough around matcha ice cream. Matcha tends to be comfortable with more mild, simple flavors or the complexity of the matcha disappears. My Japanese friends even feel vanilla is sometimes too much of a competitor to the matcha flavor. Based on Japanese sweets like anmitsu or mitsumame, I can imagine certain whole fruits like banana, peach and so on in the same dish, but I think it would be hard for a Japanese palate to have the flavor competition from mango and matcha without getting those in separate bites. Of course, your audience is not likely Japanese, so I guess the point is somewhat moot. I might do something like zunda (sweetened edamame puree) molded in a ring with the ice cream. I might prefer a layer of mango and a layer of matcha, rather than trying to digest the competing flavors all in the same ice cream. Chocolate+mango+matcha seems like a lot to process in one bite. I guess my usual limit for countries per fusion dish is about two I usually do fusions from a ingredient-functional perspective instead of a flavor-combining perspective, so I'm not the trendy New York type. In ice cream, matcha serves the function of chocolate for me; it provides bitterness and complexity. Though I wouldn't be as surprised by the combination of chocolate and mango, I might feel they compete with each other. I tried using a ring but I found it inconvenient since I don't have dozens of them, and I wasn't willing to wait for the ice cream to refreeze so I could separate the ice cream from the rings intact. I used them for a while and I ended up just scraping away excess and wrapping. http://www.baking911.com/cookies/storage.htm has some ideas on freezing, but doesn't answer the specific question about whether the soft cookies will stay soft. My thinking is that soft cookies will stay relatively soft; my crisp butter/sugar cookies started crispy but became softer with more time in the freezer. I think that if your fat content is high and you bake a cookie recipe at 350F, get a soft cookie when the dough cools, it will stay pretty much a soft cookie. I believe the ice cream cookies used in commercial, good-humor type doughs is shortening or similar, rather than more flavorful butter. It seems like you'll need at least an overnight test to be sure, but I can tell you the character of my crisp cookies changed substantially between day 1 in the freezer and day 7. If you're going for familiar, you might just choose a simple shortbread-like cookie.

Assuming you are not trying to create something industrial with a year-long shelf life, any cookie recipe will do. A couple years ago I created a lavender flavored sugar cookie and filled with a homemade lavender ice cream. The recipe was not particularly tailored to the freezer conditions since it was meant for consumption within a few weeks; I made small portions and wrapped them in lavender-colored clingfilm. If you're making something for immediate consumption you only need the cookie to be cooled to room temperature. For balance, one of the two components (the cookie or the ice cream) should be less sweet than customary, in my opinion. In my case, since I make ice cream at home quite a lot, I tend to make high fat, moderate sugar ice creams.

I believe so. You may want to use a bit more milk in such a case, but it depends on how thick you prefer your pancakes.

Robata-ya are essentially casual, after-work places frequented mostly by salarymen, more than by women. Izakaya, especially hip and trendy ones, might have a higher ratio of women as customers. They need not be stratospherically expensive. Newspaper hype will tend to focus on the extreme cases. You'll be paying pretty much the same as at any izakaya or grown-up restaurant (e.g. anything outside the family restaurant realm): 400-1000 yen for most single-serving beverages, nibbles from 350-1200 yen, and occasionally a small per-seat charge that includes some sort of pickle or tsukudani-like appetizer. This is simple food. Jaga-bata, grilled animal bits, shioyaki, yaki-onigiri, etc. It's humble food, for the most part. Japan has continued to have stratospherically priced restaurants even post-bubble, but that doesn't mean you have to eat in them every day to get passable food. Robata-ya are not generally extravagant ventures, and you'll go away happy at most of the busy ones.

I made these matcha-kinako waffles this morning. Both the matcha and the kinako create a kind of pleasant bitterness, serving the role often played by malted grain flours in commercial waffle mixes. The kuromitsu or, in this case, soba honey, makes a slightly more wafuu topping than maple syrup. Neither the matcha or kinako are outrageously strong in the recipe, but are recognizable parts of the flavor. Recipe details are at: http://blog.jagaimo.com/archive/2005/05/22/395.aspx

Like I said, mine were crispy. As the cookies cooled they became crispy. As far as I know the primary factors are baking temperature and to some extent the amount of butter and sugar. You will get "crispy" cookies from the drying out caused by longer baking, but 15 minutes @ 375F with lightly browned edges was more than adequate to get crispy ones for me. Mine stayed crispy for about two days even without special storage, though Seattle is less humid than Kuala Lumpur.

I believe you will get crispy cookies by baking until just the edges are brown. Mine were crisp in spite of the modest browning. The more brown the less the tea flavor will be there due to caramelization-like effects. For softer cookies bake at 350F instead of 375F.

actually that's probably one of the "milk substitute" type soymilks I'm thinking of, based on the ingredient list :) But you'll get what Kyoto folks really mean by yuba if you start with a soy milk that's thick and has only the ingredients soybeans and water.

Most of the ones that are promoted as some sort of milk substitute, by which I mean 99% of what you see in mainstream U.S. supermarkets, are too low in solids content to be of use for making yuba. The best is to make your own, but if you have a local Vietnamese, Chinese or possibly even Korean tofu maker nearby making fresh soymilk, they will be selling thick-looking, completely opaque (and most importantly, unsweetened) soy milk which works for the purpose of making yuba. They are usually selling exactly the same kind of soy milk they use for making tofu because their equipment produces it in the process of making tofu. If you can drink the soy milk warm and think "hey, that sure tastes like soybeans" instead of a more ambiguous "hey, this tastes nothing like milk", you're probably on the right track. I'm not sure if there's a particular name or label information that tells you if it would work, but if it looks like it's marketed for drinking, and especially if it comes in a tetra-pak, it's probably not the right thing. The ones I buy from the tofu shops are usually in transparent plastic milk-jug style containers in 1/2 gallon sizes. I'll see if I can post a photo, but it might be of little use in your neck of the woods since it will be from a local tofu maker. What is the name for that kind of soy milk? ←

It occurred to me that in the original version of this post I didn't make it clear that you should chill and set the godoufu before cutting and serving it. I've modified the original post for anyone who prints it out, and I am replying as well just anyone subscribing to the topic can catch my mistake

Their US distribution, at least in Barnes in Noble, seemed to fizzle early 2003 and I couldn't easily find it in Japan either. I never actually succeeded in finding it in Japan even when they were up-and-coming. I remember their web site outlasted their US distribution, but I can't find it anymore. http://www.i-eatsite.com/ was their old web site.

Final question, maybe :P is the matcha used only on the topping or also in the cookie dough itself? I reduced the cinnamon considerably in the sugar/cinnamon coating -- the ratio was probably 1/4 tsp. to 200g of sugar. So there was a hint of cinnamon in addition to the matcha. Works well but, as I said, I think I'll add one more teaspoon of matcha next time. And there will be a next time. ←

Were you using matcha as a substitute for cinammon or in addition to it? I DID give it a try and they are goooo-oood! My recipe calls for 360 grams of flour and I added a tablespoon of matcha. Next time I'll try 4 teaspoons instead...I think it could take a touch more of the tea flavor. ←

No problem, Kiem. I've posted more details on a new Godoufu topic.

And the promised photo. Described in excrutiating detail on my blog, there are three godoufu dishes on this plate, served to me in a restaurant in Arita, Saga prefecture. In the center, godoufu no hiyayakko, with ginger, grated radish (probably), and soy sauce. Upper right: some sea vegetables (maybe ohitashi), godoufu with a slightly sweetened miso something like dengaku, seasoned with, if I remember correctly, some ginger... maybe it was ground white sesame seeds. And the soup on the bottom right had godoufu, fu, and tamagoyaki, I believe.

On another thread I mentioned gofoufu, a specialty of Saga-ken which I nibbled on in Arita. If you read Japanese, you can see serving suggestions and find domestic ordering information on GoDouFu.com. Here are the basic proportions, which I always double or triple because this is more work than making risotto. I usually serve it when I have parties. It seems to have a similar lifespan to tofu, maybe slightly longer. 600 ml scrupulously fresh, high-protein soy milk.* 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup in US measurements) Katakuriko 1 tablespoon Kuzuko * I have usually made my own, essentially in the manner of Torakris' tofu eGCI forum, but if you have thick Vietnamese-style soymilk like I can get from a little tofu shop in Seattle, you might be able to simplify. Combine in a pot and stir to dissolve as much as possible. Initially, you can use a whisk, but eventually you'll need to switch to use a wooden spoon because this will get very thick. On medium-high flame, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir frequently. The recipe I followed wanted me to stir constantly for about 40 minutes, which seems about right. You must be careful to avoid letting the bottom of the pan burn, because this is supposed to be custard-like rather than grilled. Accordingly, stir frequently, scrape from the bottom of the pan, and watch like a hawk. You need enough heat to create bubbles so that the thickening agents will work most efficiently. When the liquid is quite thick, you'll remove it from the heat, and put it into a mold (I use an airtight Rubbermaid-type container). Usually cut into manageable chunks after it's chilled and set. I will post a photo that I took in an Arita restaurant when I get to my other computer later today. Suggested toppings: - Dengaku miso (equal parts mirin, miso and sugar, sometimes with a splash of dashi, boiled) with grated ginger added at end. - Simmer some soy sauce, ground black sesame seeds and sugar - Simple grated ginger and soy sauce To eat warm: - Use in a suimono (clear soup) with konbu-porcini-shiitake or konbu-katsuo dashijiru, seasoned with soy sauce and salt as needed, garnish with negi.

I would think that the ice water would just be the classic lettuce leaf perk up trick... not really intended to change the fundamental flavor, but it can make the leaves look a little more lively, a little less wilted.

I'm a huge fan of 天然生活 (Natural lifestyles), which is actually publication of Whole Earth. It's not strictly food focused, but has a beautiful layout, and has a very rustic-contemporary aesthetic that I'm a bit of a sucker for. It has recipes and techniques for things like yuzu marmalade, a "renkon steak" (grilled renkon with soy sauce, olive oil, and pepper), some southeast Asian food, and of course more typically Japanese dishes. It tends to profile a lot of Japanese who live abroad seeking some sort of simplicity. About a third of the pages seem to be dedicated to handicraft and so on, but the food sections are really nice. http://www.chikyumaru.co.jp/ten.html

I stayed in the Tenjin area of Fukuoka (Hakata) a few years ago, and this area is fairly well known for the assortment of Yatai (street stalls) that set up shop at night. Ramen, oden and so on are standard fare in such places. I tended to avoid them since I'm vegetarian and street vendors, save the occasional yaki-imo, are rarely offering things even remotely in that category. Unfortunately, I'm not likely to be able to recommend specific locations since addresses usually require parsing by multiple police box attendants before they become useful, and I mostly discovered everything in Fukuoka by accident rather than by research, and the Japanese friends who were my fellow travelers were much the same way except they were the ones with the guidebooks. We only actually ate moderate amounts of very Hakata food. I visited Tsujiri, a Kansai-based green tea soft ice cream parfait-focused shop. We ended up at a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki place. We must have had some Fukuoka-specific specialities, but my memory isn't serving me well 5 years later. If she can spare a day trip to Arita, she can try "godoufu" which is a kind of katakuriko and kuzuko thickened high solids-content soymilk which has a texture like mochi and the nutritional and culinary function of tofu. Shops that sell Godoufu are everywhere in Arita, making things like hiya-yakko and suimono and so on from it. I craved the sappari-ness often enough that I went through the trouble of researching how to produce it at home in the US. My friend and I just chose a convenient godoufu-ya-san on the way to ceramics hunting. I wish I could remember what I ate in Karatsu, Yanagawa or Dazaifu. Too long ago. The only food photographic evidence I can find in that area involved me chowing down on some candied strawberries on a stick and some grilled ume-stamped daifuku-like sweets in Dazaifu.

OK, slightly behind my original intended delivery of the recipe, but today I was able to make some matcha cookies. For those interested in the recipe, please see my blog entry. The recipe itself is simple, meant for one batch of about 16 drop cookies. You could add a bit more matcha than I did; I was a bit conservative. For more dramatic color and more bitterness, you could reasonably add a fair 1/2 teaspoon more. My housemate felt the vanilla flavor was a little too strong, so you may want to reduce the suggested amount.

On my blog I wrote about my first attempt at making a Matcha White Chocolate Mousse since 1996. When I was a starving student in Germany I made a version of this using one of my Japanese friend's stash of matcha. She was so afraid it would be bitter that I under-utilized matcha and it was more like a discolored white chocolate than a green tea mousse. This time, the result was almost what I was after, but a little too sweet, which I blame on the white chocolate I used. I might be able to get away with a lighter hand on the matcha, but it wasn't too bitter. This method eschewed the use of gelatin so it's not a dramatic pipeable thing. But the result looks ok. I think next time I'll just use a touch of whipped cream for the presentation, though.

Alas, I don't use a rice cooker; I'm using a heavy pot instead, so rice isn't ready for me in the morning. I don't have a microwave either, so warming rice up is out without setting up a steamer... Since the tea isn't quite enough to bring the rice up to a steamy temperature, that means nighttime is best for me. I think my favorite is after nibbling on a few little things and maybe 1-go of mild sake. (I'm not a heavy drinker, so the standard "after you're nearly on the floor, just before the last call for food orders at your neighborhood izakaya" occasion for Ochazuke doesn't apply to me). But on such occasions, I'd be equally happy with some yaki-onigiri.

On the question of which tea to use: I personally can't imagine wanting ochazuke with any tea other than a decent sencha, but that's probably because it was my first, and usually what I end up with when ordering it in Japan at some izakaya or robataya. I can imagine matcha-genmaicha, mugicha, and maybe even corn tea, but I would avoid bancha or houjicha. Oolong might be interesting to try. I suppose the rule should be like wine: if you wouldn't drink it, why cook with it? Maybe I'm a little too picky about tea.

Goodbye to Spazzo (seen on Komo's 11pm news). Apparently Bellevue's Key Bank building was sold to someone who didn't want to extend a new lease to Spazzo, and will convert it to office space. I can't imagine office space being more a more profitable leasing choice unless it has something to do with parking costs, since lease rates for restaurants usually run a bit higher than same-geographic-location office facilities, so I doubt this is the complete story. Spazzo had shut down their lunch operation a while back so I think it may have been a failure of minds to meet pocketbooks. In any event, Spazzo will apparently expire on Friday night. It wasn't a great place, but it was sometimes one of the better moderate-budget late night nibble options in downtown Bellevue. And except for Flo (Japanese), I'm not sure if there's anything else offering tapas-like dining in downtown Bellevue. (Since I live in Fremont and my business is not wildly profitable, I'm not doing lots of dining out even of modest extravagance, so apologies if I'm not aware of new/interesting options in downtown Bellevue).

I thought of Cafe Ori as Taiwanese food, with a few "cafe"-like features such as bubble tea/milk tea... then they have Chinese-style Indian curries. I can't remember seeing westernish food... did they have spaghetti on the menu? I always ordered garlicky green beans, some tofu dish, or vegetable curry... maybe my memory isn't what it used to be, and I haven't been there in a while... but I would have never first entered the place had my Taiwanese coworkers not craved it... It took going inside and seeing the menu and tasting things for me to realize its potential.