sanrensho

Rona, you sure didn't disappoint. Needless to say, I'm enthralled to see that you started off your HK report with the most important course--desserts!

It was! I guess there's a recipe by the same name in Teubner's Chocolate Bible? http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=74179

Is this thread about the Cake Bible by RLB, or another book such as the Chocolate Bible by Christian Teubner?

Do you know the name of the dish? Fish sauce and butter also sounds good to me, since I like both in my fried rice (but haven't tried them together).

Supposedly tasty, according to our very own albiston: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...53entry880153

Isn't that what microwaves are for? Although they are limited in capacity, depending on the model (and your ingenuity).

No problems with kneading here. Thanks to my KitchenAid, it gives me a chance to clean up or enjoy a break or fine beverage.

Make bread or naan. I've made this sourdough bread and was pleased with the results: http://i12etu.com/2008/02/tangy-yogurt-bread.html

I'm not sure if your comment was specifically directed at dougw, but I use a 1:1 ratio (by weight) for a 100% hydration starter. As Jackal suggests, I also refrigerate my starter. If I need to build up starter for baking, then I take out some starter from the fridge, add flour/water and leave overnight, and use that as my refreshed starter. (If I have some left over after baking, I throw that into the fridge with the other starter.) When my refrigerated starter runs low, typically after 2-3 week, I just build up the starter again using the above method, then put it back in the fridge again. I can't remember the last time I had to throw out starter.

I would place it even earlier than that. I have recipe clippings from my mom's Japanese fashion/homemaker magazines from the 70s (Missessu or "Mrs" magazine), and they are full of tart, gateaux and other French cake recipes.

If you're interested, we also have a thread dedicated to making shokupan here.

I enjoy the show a lot. I see his emphasis on good, honest ingredients and simple technique as the antithesis of the "shortcut" approach that seems to permeate some programs. But my wife always says the same thing when she sees Oliver's programs: "They must hate cleaning up after that guy."

I believe the English (North American) equivalent for kata-roosu is "chuck." I'm not a huge meat eater, but I associate "roast" with a large cut that is used for roasting (prime rib, etc.). I think it would be called "thin-sliced" or "stir-fry" chuck here. The U.S. Meat Export Federation has a good chart showing US cuts (in katakana) here. I also found this chart of equivalents to be useful. According to the latter chart, sankaku-bara would be "chuck rib."

This is called "hooch" and is normal after the starter has been sitting for awhile. You don't need to drain it, just mix in as necessary. Just keep feeding as you normally would. I have never drained the hooch.

Add me to the list of people enjoying this blog. I haven't been a resident of Japan since 1999. Smallworld, what kind of changes have occurred since you started living there, with respect to the purchase and availability of food? Do you think people are eating differently at home, compared to when you first moved there?

This is about as convincing an argument as I have ever read. I will now pledge to buy chicken feet whenever I have the opportunity. My two girls will get a kick out of it.

How about doing the oreos but with new, adventurous or Island flavors? If they prove to be popular, you can introduce them at your shop.

Sounds like just a slopping way of saying, "Saute in olive oil and deglaze in white wine."

Has anyone tried the Haupia cake by Roy Yamaguchi? Is it any good? http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/haupiacake.htm

I wonder if you could do something like a hybrid between the mentaiko spaghetti I referred to and a carbonara. Break open the egg sacks (optionally brine in sake/salt/sugar/soy sauce first) and mix with a bit of cream and grated parmesan or pecorino. Maybe an egg yolk or two to help bind the sauce to the pasta. Toss this with drained spaghetti, letting the yolks and roe cook just with the residual heat from the pasta. Mentaiko spaghetti is traditionally topped with a chiffonade of shiso (or use basil) and nori. Mind you, I've never done this before, but maybe it will give you some ideas.

Thanks, I have been looking up recipes for shuijianbao and it appears to be even easier than baozi--fewer concerns about sticking and less room needed for steaming. I think I will be trying it soon. The baozi dough recipe I tried uses equal amounts of baking powder and yeast. I liked the chewiness but the yeast flavor was a bit strong.

The first thought that comes to mind is some kind of shiroan enrobed with tempered white chocolate. Or even a baked or steamed manju covered, again enrobed with white chocolate. Needless to say, I am a big fan of white chocolate. *Edited to add: Maybe a semi-preserved and semi-dehydrated strawberry or peeled kyoho grape center in the shiroan? Obviously, the treats would need to be eaten relatively quickly in that case. I may have to try this myself!

I wonder if you could make something similar to the Japanese delicacy mentaiko, which is usually made with pollock roe (and is expensive to boot!). Mentaiko, and its spicier cousin, karashi mentaiko, makes for a wonderful spaghetti sauce.

Introducing steam would be helpful for oven spring, but since that doesn't seem to be a problem, I don't see the need for it!

Wow, that is some tremendous oven spring you've got there! How did you bake it?