sanrensho

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).

Has anyone else been making the Gatten-ryu Curry yet (from the Tameshite Gatten show)? http://www.nhk.or.jp/gatten/archive/2007q1/20070131.html I have to say, it makes for a wonderful Japanese curry, and is well worth the extra effort. In general, that was a very interesting show, including the tasting/judging part where they found that attempts to "doctor" commercial roux with the addition of too many umami components actually produced a less tasty result.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the best tamagoyaki pans (restaurant or "professional" use) will have a non-stick coating. The link below shows the type that is sold to restaurants in Japan. The smallest ones start at just over 3,000 yen. The description doesn't say a lot about the construction, except that it's welded steel. http://www.ippintei.com/page045.html Unfortunately, I have no idea where to get a similar pan here in North America. Perhaps you could ask someone from Japan to order one for you and forward it to you.

That bar is likely to be pretty low/average, in the absence of any specialty soba shops in Vancouver. I guarantee that any shop serving cha soba in Vancouver will either be using dry noodles, except for the remote possibility that they would use a vacuum pack (non-dry) soba. The latter wouldn't be economically feasible for the vast majority of restaurants. I'm just saying that there isn't anything special that you can get at a Vancouver restaurant, except for some extra attention to the dipping sauce and condiments perhaps.

I think your friend might be slightly confused about the terms. Zaru soba can be any type of cold soba including buckwheat and cha soba (green tea soba). Unless you can find a place that makes handmade soba (none that I know of in Vancouver) and cha soba in particular, I would recommend just picking up the supplies at Fujiya (Japanese grocer) and making it yourself. Or in true Egullet fashion, you could try and make your own cha soba, which I've never attempted before.

Roll on a large silicon sheet and rotate the sheet/dough intermittently.

^^^I'm also fairly sure that dairy products are quite prevalent in Korea as well, and it wouldn't surprise me if the situation in Taiwan were similar to what you describe in Hong Kong. Diary products and foods that contain dairy products are consumed on a daily basis in Japan. Let's debunk the myth that "Asia" and "dairy" are mutually exclusive--it's at best a gross generalization, and really doesn't do justice to the diversity of the region.

^^^I think you'll find it will pay off down the road if your boyfriend can develop a few dishes or recipes that he "owns" or is good at. (In addition to ones you can have fun doing together, like making pot stickers or summer rolls, etc.) It could be something as simple as a chili or Bolognese sauce or even beans. Maybe a few beer-based dishes like braises, if he likes beer so much. Think of it as building a repertoire. It may or may not ignite his cooking interest, but at least it will give you something to fall back on when you don't feel like commanding the kitchen. However, dealing with big differences in taste/food preference is another matter entirely.

Every household is different, and in mine, there is often a window of a few minutes that makes the difference between ideal and under/overdone for many baked goods. So I know by now to do it myself, from start to finish. No way does anybody mess with my cakes, bread or tarts.

Reading the original post, my first reaction was "Welcome to my world!" In addition to the suggestions provided here, you might also find it helpful to delineate between dishes that you can do together, those that you can hand off partway, and those that only one person can do. In my household, I wouldn't dream of handing off a baking project halfway. Through experience, I know that this is the path to failure. On the other hand, I'm fine with taking over pastas from the boiling stage through to finishing. Some of these things can only be learned through experience, but it's fine for each person to have a different repertoire. Now treatment of knives and microplanes, that is another story.

Maybe you could use paneer for this application, in keeping with the Indian theme. Although I don't think it would melt like other cheeses.

As Annachan alluded to, macaroni gratin topped with parmesan cheese (and it's cousin, doria, which is made with rice instead of pasta) is a very common and everyday dish in Japan, and is particularly well-liked by kids. http://images.google.ca/images?q=%E3%83%9E...m=1&sa=N&tab=wi

Freeze one loaf! Or freeze half the dough.

It's really just what your used to. My first knife was a santoku and it comes naturally to me. The only limitation for me is chopping large quantities. Then I want a gyuto or chef's knife (as long as it uses Japanese steel). My casual observation from having lived in Japan is that the santoku style is most popular as a casual housewife's knife. This makes sense, for a couple of reasons: small, cramped urban kitchens and small cutting boards, and greater need for finesse over large amounts of chopping.

Since it appears that you have the larger Korean perilla, you could use them like lettuce "wraps." Wrap them around bite-size pieces of grilled meat/vegetables, sauces, etc. Even a bit of rice if you wanted. Each diner makes their own "wrap" with their favorite fillings and toppings. Also, chiffonade and add to salads or to top cold tofu. Or toss in warm pasta at the very end, much like basil.

Pierre Herme also has a recipe for Tarte Tropezienne in his Desserts book, that is along the same lines as a bienenstich cake (brioche cake with vanilla custard/buttercream) filling.

What is the situation with local/independent coffee roasters in Italy? My understanding is that hathor/Judith is in Italy.

Is this anything like a bienenstich (bee sting cake)? Google doesn't produce many results for "bienenstuck."

You've never heard of Double Devon Cream? Surely, you can't be talking about the Spotted Dick, because it's a rather famous and well-known English dessert. Even I know about it, and I've never even had it.