sanrensho

Most Japanese santoku knives do not have a scalloped edge.

I pretty much do what Tino does, proof seam side up in proofing baskets. In my case, I actually use deep bowls (I mostly bake boules) lined with cheesecloth or dishclothes. Well-floured, of course. I also give the dough a light dusting of flour before it goes into the "basket," as added protection against sticking. When proofed, I usually give the seam side another light dusting of flour, and gently tip the dough onto a peel liberally dusted with cornmeal. You could also flour the peel to prevent sticking, although I generally haven't found it necessary. I usually bake two boules at a time. Since I only have one peel, I use my Epicurean cutting board as a second peel. It's thin enough to work decently for this purpose.

The formula for the homemade baking powder can be found here. I was also looking at this the other day and want to try it.

Thanks for the info, Jason. I can't say that I'm an expert at detecting the grade of macha in baked goods, but I can see how the cheaper grades of Japanese macha might come across better in a finished bread product (as opposed to something more delicate like a mousse or cakes). Needless to say, if something is advertised as containing macha/green tea, I expect some flavor to come across, and not just green color!

To my knowledge, I've never had a stromboli. But I'm intrigued. Would someone care to enlighten me about the differences between a stromboli and calzone (which I've had)? Googling seems to suggest that the difference is mainly in the fillings and the shape. Are there any other differences, such as the dough? And is it an Italian-American invention? Please, teach me the ways of stromboli.

I agree wholeheartedly. Wetter doughs are simply a means to an end. Wetter = more holes, and the pendulum (fashion) right now seems to have swung toward more holes or breads of this type. In the end, it's largely a matter of personal preference and the crumb that we associate with certain types of bread. Early on, I realized that I prefer a tighter crumb minus irregular holes for most of my daily breads (pain au levain, pain de campagne, pain de seigle, sandwich breads and challah). My kids and wife have the same preference. Of course, I still like to shoot for an open crumb for certain breads: baguettes, ciabatta, pizza dough, focaccia, etc. It all depends on the application.

Thanks for the clarification, Ling. The reason I ask is because I've always been disappointed when buying "green tea" goods from our local Chinese bakeries here in Vancouver (and moon cakes from HK). I never detect much macha flavor, so I had assumed they were referring to the use of "green tea" as a broad category, rather than Japanese macha.

I'm not familiar enough with Persian cuisine to make an informed recommendation, but this thread might help: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=46832 The thread is slightly out-of-date, but maybe someone can give an update.

Great report! I have a minor question for you, Ling. When you say "green tea," is it safe to assume you're talking about Chinese green tea and not Japanese powdered macha? And are desserts or baked goods made with Japanese macha common in HK and Taiwan?

Yes, at an angle. Another trick with wet doughs is to slightly oil the blade. I use scraper blades from the hardware store.

I always slash immediately before putting in the oven. If you're not getting enough rise, try introducing steam. Or your loaves could be overproofed, in which case you won't see much oven spring. Some people use a cold oven method to get oven spring. (Place bread in cold oven, crank to high, lower the oven temp when it reaches your desired temperature.) With this method, I find that you need to watch for overbrowning of the crust. In that case, tent some foil over the loaf once it gets close to your desired color. You could try increasing the hydration. I think it would help the bread mavens to know what kind of recipe/proportions you are using.

When I read "brioche using a levain method," my first thought was a sourdough brioche.

Are we talking about a sourdough (wild yeast) starter? I thought "levain" traditionally refers to the use of a sourdough starter.

Thanks Susie Q and KitchenMom for the comments. It sounds like I need to pick up a Waring Pro.

The episode just aired today in North America (via TV Japan). I found it thoroughly enjoyable, although I wish they had shown more actual dishes.

How long does the Waring Pro take to bake a waffle? And does it need to warm-up again between waffles? Thanks.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. The service that I use does not use PO boxes--all shipments are sent to their street address in my name. This circumvents the issue of certain carriers not delivering to PO boxes. BTW, the service I use only charges per shipment received in my name. No monthly or other charges at all. Where is your desired pick-up point? Maybe you can post in the closest regional forum.

This might not answer your question, but the place that I use (just across the border in Washington) is a dedicated mailing service. You phone them up, give them your name and telephone number, and they call you when a package comes in. No P.O. box, just their physical address.

Yes, please do, for the sake of other diners.

No, it's more of a niche thing. Fortified foods (like CalorieMate and energy drinks) tend to be sold at drug stores.

The original recipe is referring to mizuame, a Japanese invert sugar. You could try using corn syrup, which is a little bit less dense than mizuame. Lyle's Golden Syrup is a little closer to the thickness of mizuame, but sweeter I would say. I think either would be fine and not ultra-critical. Also, you may be able to buy mizuame from a Japanese grocer. (However, I wouldn't expect to find it at an "Asian" grocer, because it is a specialty Japanese product. Ask for "me-zoo-ah-may"). This is referring to whipped cream (typically available in two percentages in Japan), but you should be fine with the standard whipped cream in your supermarket. I've only tried one recipe from that site, but was very pleased with the results. Judging by the overall level of care and detail put into the instructions and the site, I would tend not to fault the recipe. The author's instructions are _very_ detailed. BTW, this is the separate thread I started with a focus on baking shokupan. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...=shokupan&st=20

Rose Levy Beranbaum recommends leaving cold eggs in warm tap water for about 10 minutes to bring them up to temperature. Although you'll be fine leaving them out overnight unless your house is quite warm. Cream cheese is also fine left out overnight, again assuming that your house is a reasonable temp. If you're worried about leaving it out overnight, you can nuke it in the microwave instead.

I'm going to say it's due to consumer apathy, bred by the general Japanese emphasis on moderation in diet. ("It won't kill me since I don't eat it every day.") I'm willing to bet that many Japanese are at least aware of the issue, but not to the extent of significantly dissuading consumption. However, I think it would only take some well-placed media coverage to generate a significant public reaction on this issue (think "expose" style reporting). On the other hand, I think the level of emphasis on organic/pesticide-free foods is about the same as in North America. Am I wrong?

I have no problems with "foodie." It's unpretentious and has no meaning to me beyond a strong interest in food. I never use the word, however, in writing or conversation. However, I sense that "foodie" has become a term of condescension in certain circles, including food professionals. That's too bad. I would want the hide of anyone who called me a "food geek."

I second the recommendation for Angel Seafood, and Fujiya further down Clarke.