sanrensho

The sugar should not be necessary, unless you specifically want a sweeter glaze. (There is enough sugar in the chocolate used for the ganache...and the cake itself.) Some ganache recipes do call for corn syrup, but this is more to provide a sheen when set. To get a sweeter glaze, you could also use a sweeter chocolate.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing your pics...as well as a write-up of what you ate.

OK, it wasn't clear to me that you were actively seeking a subsitution.

See post #6 above. Just whiz some regular granulated sugar in your food processor.

RLB = Rose Levy Beranbaum (author of Cake Bible, etc.)

We recently received a box of Sugomori from my wife's parents in Nagano Pref. I guess you could call it fusion wagashi, based on the use of chocolate. Wow, were these good! It's been a long time since I've been really impressed with wagashi, so this was a pleasant surprise. These are simply kimi an enrobed in a thin glaze of white chocolate. They also make seasonal variations with flavoured kimi an, but the basic version was impressive enough. Yum! Now if only I could convince someone to send me some Bunmeida castella...

One option is to refrigerate, if that is possible. Try it. I have some of the RLB Mousseline BC in my fridge right now. At room temp, the (defrosted) BC was very soft, but has set up nicely in the fridge. I'll let others comment on the stability of this recipe, as I haven't tried a lot of other buttercreams.

Thanks for the info and reminder about the sugar. Can't wait to try out some coco mousse and biscuit recipes.

I am sending you a PM, as I believe it would infringe on eGullet's copyright rules if I posted the exact directions.

Thanks for posting this. I really need to explore that site more. The PDF link ("Download recept") gives the recipe in English.

Thank you! I can get this fairly easily, though I've never used it. Is the texture quite different from the Boiron puree? I'm concerned about how the substitution will affect baked goods (genoise/biscuit/joconde).

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I don't have access to any frozen coconut puree. From what I've read, the (Boiron) coconut puree is quite a bit better in flavour than coconut cream/milk. Could someone give me an idea of the consistency of the Boiron coconout puree at room or refrigerated temp? Is it very thick, indicating a lot of pureed solids?

Is there a passable substitute for Boiron coconut puree? I have some mousse/cake recipes that call for coconut puree, but no access to the Boiron product. Since I've never tasted it before, I have no reference point for comparison. The Boiron site indicates that their coconut puree has a 10% sugar content. Is there some combination of coconut milk/cream/extract that would get me close to the flavour of the Boiron puree? Maybe boil it down to concentrate the flavour further (plus 10% sugar)? I would welcome any suggestions, especially if you know what the Boiron coconut puree tastes like. Thanks. -Kenji

Tin Drum is one of my favourite all-time books. And I love eel.

You're doing an excellent job of convincing me not to pursue this quest any further. Have you ever tried jellied eels?

Looks great! What is the fruit (?) that is dotting the clear glaze?

Korean nori is really an entirely different animal from any Japanese nori. In addition to the sesame oil and sea salt, the nori itself tends to be lacy. This stuff is highly addictive and heavenly when wrapped around a moderate portion of perfectly hot, steaming short grain rice. I could easily make a meal out of a bowl of rice and a stack of Korean nori. We usually buy multi-packs in large squares (like Japanese nori), which you can find at any Korean grocery. I would guess that the Chinese nori is intended as a low cost option to Japanese nori. We usually buy the Japanese stuff, so I can't compare in terms of taste or flavour. -Kenji

I recently saw a fascinating documentary on the tradition of Pie & Mash shops in the East End of London. This was a documentary produced by NHK, the Japanese equivalent of CBC. Well, my interest is now piqued. I've never had pie & mash w/liquor, stewed eel, or eel pie. Is there anywhere in Vancouver that serves these? Thanks. -Kenji

Thanks for posting that. It doesn't surprise me that there are nori snacks somewhere in Japan, but availability is likely to be spotty here in Vancouver. (Although I'll be the first to admit that I haven't looked.) I believe that the original poster was referring to munching on sheets of plain nori or ajitsuke nori. I kind of doubt that many Japanese are grabbing for nori when they want a snack, although many Japanese snacks/foods do use nori. How about you, Hiroyuki? I would much rather grab a sheet of Korean nori for snacking purposes...sesame oil, sea salt and crisp nori...yum!

If you want to try pushing the seaweed (specifically kelp) envelope, you could try some of the kombu snacks available at Fujiya, etc. Just ask the staff for help. Unlike nori, these are actually eaten as snacks in Japan.

In case it wasn't obvious, I should add that I pour with the mixer running continuously. The only thing to be careful of is your aim. You want the syrup to hit the mixture and not the beaters or bowl. Even if you do end up with some hardened syrup on the beaters and bowl, you are still getting more syrup in there than using the pyrex method.

After my first time making RLB's mousseline BC, I dispensed with the measuring cup and have gone to pouring straight into the mixer. I have had zero problems since then. Getting every last drop of the syrup in there is not critical, in my experience.

Thanks for the offer! How big are the boxes and what is the shelf life? If the size works for me I will PM you about that and some gel sheets. Also, thanks for everybody else's suggestions.

While we're on the topic of nuts, does anyone know of a source for shelled unsalted pistachios. This would be for baking and dessert-making purposes. Somewhere on the North Shore or East Van/Burnaby would be great. Thanks.

Fascinating. The irony is that Japanese bakeries commonly sell (potato) croquettes on rolls, as a sandwich drizzled with tonkatsu or similar sauce! http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/images/P/E900306_P_5.jpg