sanrensho

The whipped ganache will hold up fine overnight in the fridge. However, depending on how stable your recipe is and how you build your cake, you may experience some sliding around if frosted between the layers. A buttercream would be much more stable in that respect. Having said that, I would pick a whipped ganache over a buttercream any day, for a moist/dense chocolate cake like the double chocolate cake. In terms of portions, you might also want to weigh your cake layers and figure on a rough estimate of xxx grams per person.

I forgot to thank you about the clay pot info. I'll try it with my glazed nabe pot (Chinese made) and report back. My pots also have hairline cracks but have held together, despite using them both on a butane stove and electric coils.

Good call. My "change of pace" salad dressing (as an alternative to standard vinaigrette) is a light drizzle of sesame oil, a few good shots of fish sauce, pepper and freshly squeezed lime juice. And some cilantro if I have some lying around.

Let us know if you come up with a good recipe. I suspect that the eggplant bhartha at Handi's and Maurya might be of a similar style, which can happen in the same town. I also squeezed lime juice on the final product to wake up the flavors a bit.

Miso cucumbers. Partly peel some Japanese cucumbers and slice in half or quarters lengthwise. Spread the cut surface with a moderate amount of your favorite miso paste. Salty and refreshing.

My experience with Indian cooking is extremely limited, so I'm almost hesitant to post this. However, I've tried two different recipes so far and had better success with this recipe: http://www.indianfoodsco.com/Recipes/VegeP...tablePurees.htm My reference point is the eggplant bharta/bartha/bhartha served at Handi's, which may or may not be similar to the one at Maurya. The above recipe has a larger proportion of onions and less tomatoes than other recipes I found. It lacks garlic/ginger paste, which can be added to taste. I need to go back to Handi's to see if I can detect the garlic/ginger. The changes I made to the above recipe were to puree the eggplant and tomatoes, and I added peas and a bit more tomato juice. I also improvised by adding some cream at the end (before reading sazji's post). The taste was good, but I think the version at Handi's uses considerably more oil and perhaps more onions, or the onions are browned more thoroughly. Roasting the tomato might also be a nice touch to caramelize the sugars, although I don't know if it is typical.

I don't really follow what is happening with Tim Horton's, but they should do more "limited edition" donuts to generate consumer interest. Of course, this is a familiar tactic with the Japanese donut chains. The Lemon Drop donut would be just the thing to pull me into a Tim Horton's out of occasional curiosity.

I don't see the ratio listed on the product page, although it might be be buried somewhere in the site. It's probably listed on the box. Can you post a photo of the box from different sides?

Is the ticket price $15 for kids? If so, we'll be going for sure next year--as long as it doesn't interfere with my kids' soccer games/practice.

There's always honey toast (scroll down to post #22/24).

Somewhat along the same vein, Inn Cogneato on upper Lonsdale also makes a very nice Barbary bread that can be purchased for take-out. (They are mostly a casual restaurant but started out as a bakery.)

That's a great idea. I have a few glazed nabe pots, I might have to try it out. Have you experienced any cracking with preheating the clay pot? Any sticking issues?

Since it hasn't been mentioned, I highly recommend a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo. You could easily spend a day in there with your son.

COBS is actually an Australian chain (Baker's Delight) renamed for the Canadian market. And the actual breads look pretty similar to me (COBS vs. Baker's Delight). http://www.cobsbread.com/about_us/index.htm http://www.bakersdelight.com.au/cms/docume...hp?objectID=102 I don't mind their basic white sandwich bread. But most everything else I've tasted has been barely a notch above Safeway bread.

I would avoid the Thai place on upper Lonsdale (I'm sure that Paul B is referring to the one lower down on Lonsdale). I almost gagged on the sickly sweet green curry. Indian Fusion on upper Lonsdale (across from London Drugs) is good and also a great value for Indian. Inn Cogneato two blocks down also has wonderful bread and does a good job of more standard fare. Personally, I would avoid all Japanese on Lonsdale and head to Westview instead. The Chinese restaurant at Westview is also decent for the shore. There are also a number of Persian restaurants, although I don't know which ones are best.

I've done large batches of raspberry and strawberry jam using Bernardin Freezer Jam Pectin. I like the results because it gives a very fresh, uncooked flavor to the jam, and I can cut the sugar down significantly (not a fan of super-sweet jams). Tastes something like a thickened puree of fresh fruit mixed with sugar. I've also simply frozen small batches of jam that were made using Chistine Ferber's method (usually no added pectin). Also a good way to go.

Whoops! You're right, sorry about that.

It sounds like your trip was a good one. Personally, I would like to hear what you thought about the pastries that you had during your trip (and which shops you tried), since you mentioned it was one of your interests.

For the oyaki, I recommend the nozawana (a type of green) filled ones. Also good are the ones filled with kabocha squash and, if I recall correctly, miso-flavored eggplant.　I think I've had walnut miso filled ones as well that were quite good. Here's a blog with lots of photos of lunch options to whet your appetite. http://www.matsuaz.com/blog_bozu/ There's also a massive wasabi farm in nearby Hodaka, if you want to stretch your legs a bit. A little bit touristy, but still fascinating and lots of wasabi products on sale including various tsukemono (pickles), fresh wasabi and wasabi ice cream. http://www.daiowasabi.co.jp/ Matsumoto proper is quite compact, so with three days, you might also want to schedule a trip to a nearby onsen (hot spring).

I wish I could help you, because my wife is from Matsumoto and I used to visit quite a bit. However, it's been a few years for me personally, and whenever we visit my wife's parents, we try to enjoy as much food from the garden as possible. The best soba I had was a long drive outside of Matsumoto (accessible only by car), so I wouldn't even know where to start to give you directions. In addition to soba, another specialty of the region is "oyaki," which are filled buns. Apples too and, to a lesser extent, basashi (raw horse meat). I'm sure the Tourist Information Office can point you in the right direction for a ryokan or kaiseki meal. (If you can read Japanese, there's a ton of information out there...) I hope you have a great honeymoon.

The herb on the right actually looks like rau ram to me, both from the shape of the leaf and the pattern on the stems/stalks. I've been growing this for the last 2 years. http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/essentials/herbs.htm

^^^Was it Maurya?

Eggplant bhartha? I'd love to find a good recipe myself, after thoroughly enjoying the version at my local Indian restaurant (Handi, West Vancouver location).

Roasted cauliflower for me. Has saved our family meal on many a night. And my kids love it.

OK, I have to come clean. My wife made it, not me. But I thought it was delicious and worth the extra effort (on the part of my wife).