sanrensho

Ditto here. My kids can eat natto every day. In fact, it's something of a comfort food. If they don't feel like eating what's being served, they'll often ask for natto to eat with their rice.

I know what you mean. Most chickens are too small for our family of four, and my girls are only 4 and 7! Have you tried asking at 3P Natural & Exotic Meats? Maybe they could bring them in for you on special order.

I'm really sorry to hear that the buttercream failed for you this time. Please keep at it. The results are well worth it. I'm sure your next try will work perfectly using the advice from this forum.

Just checked and RLB's instructions do say to mix in a steady stream with the mixer running, when using a hand-held mixer. Then she goes on to describe a stop-start technique when using a stand mixer. I've always ignored the latter instructions and poured with the mixer running. I also dispense with the pyrex glass step mentioned by RLB and have never had a problem. Here's another good, long thread on buttercream.

I'll defer to the opinions of others, but the syrup should have been added with the mixer running. That would explain the puddle of syrup at the bottom. Also, I don't think you need to whip your butter before adding it to the meringue. At least, I never do.

Also, what was the temp of your butter when you added it to the meringue?

There's some info in this thread.

This sounds fantastic. I can't help you on the gelee front, but you could also chop the plums from the umeshu (Choya brand) to use for textural contrast.

There are also some stunning examples (3 pages) on the CakeChef site: http://www.galette.info/recette/index.html

That would be great! Thanks for the description as well. -Kenji

Is there any chance we could get a close-up shot of the cake composition? The Web site mentions the glaze, marzipan and cocoa creme, but not how the cake is layered (?) inside. Thanks.

If your friend likes bagels, she might want to check out the cinnamon bagels from Mont Royal Bagels. Although a bit over the top for a bagel, these are pretty gooey, sticky and sweet for the cinnamon lovers out there.

My kids (7 and 4) typically drink milk or water with their meals. They only get juice on special occasions or when we have guests over, and NEVER soda or pop. I think this is pretty typical of Japanese kids (my wife is Japanese, I'm Japanese-Canadian). I do agree that a lot of parents give their kids too much juice. Although it might be all-natural, that's still a lot of sugar to be chugging down. To my mind, the taste of juice interferes too much with the flavor of your food, especially certain Japanese foods where the flavors are pretty subtle and unadulterated. Hiyayakko with juice? Grilled fish with juice? Ohitashi with juice? No thanks.

A resounding "Yes!" I really wish we had a Bunmeido branch here in Vancouver...

An attempt to make less look like more? Is the "bottle can" (2nd from left, Pepsi link) style starting to fade away?

So, are the ones at Ikea any good?

Is a pineapple buttercream out of the question? You could puree the pineapple and cook it down if necessary before incorporating into your buttercream.

Hmm, I wonder if Lorna can give us the low-down on the chocolate buffet. Sadly, I no longer have the ability to gorge on a dessert buffet, or any kind of buffet for that matter. Until then, I will live vicariously through Lorna, our one and only dessert queen.

I don't have a definitive answer about what constitutes a "true" French mont blanc pastry. But, no, I don't think it's an entirely Japanese invention. I'm just saying that Glico's Mont Blanc Pocky is styled after the common Japanese version of the mont blanc, which is typically a sponge cake/whipped cream/chestnut paste cream confection. I personally never had the version with meringue when I was in Japan. Perhaps my tastes weren't expensive enough , or the style of preparing a mont blanc has shifted toward the use of meringue.

In Japan, a mont blanc is a French-style pastry whose basic components are sponge cake, whipped cream and a cream made from chestnut paste. The main flavor component is chestnut paste. It is wildly popular in Japan.

Sure they do. But perhaps not in France nor among French patisseries. Which is why I asked. It doesn't hurt to ask, does it? I still don't see the point of this generalization, especially as it applies pastries. Some things are made well at home, and some things are made well by dedicated pros working in a professional pastry kitchen who make the same pastries day in and day out. And, yes, this even applies to people that "know how to cook." Let's just agree to disagree on this point.

Also, you want to keep your batter chilled. Place it over an ice bath if you're doing a long session.

Did you phone up the manager or owner and give him your two cents? At the least, you'll feel like you've gotten something off your chest. At best, the restaurant will have a chance to rectify its mistakes and possibly makes things up with you. Or at least explain to you if there were unusual circumstances that led to what happened. Although I realize that it's probably too late to find out if there were any extenuating circumstances.

I always thought these threads got ignored for the plain and simple reason that the poster didn't do their homework...in other words, they didn't bother doing a search.

Ugh! Typo corrected. And no, it was not a Freudian slip...