sanrensho

FWIW, the korokke entry from the Japanese Wikipedia site mentions that it could have come from the French (croquette) or Dutch (kroket). However, it favors the French origin because korokke were already in Japan by 1903 based on historical references. Wikipedia claims that croquettes did not make their way to the Dutch until 1909. Maybe Chufi can confirm the latter fact, as the Wikipedia entry does not give any supporting evidence. EDITED TO CORRECT DATES

Ah, I see. I parsed through D90's description too quickly. (Doh!) Thanks.

Mmm, the tataki looks great. What kind of soy sauce did they use in the aioli? Was there anything else added to the aioli?

To soften your butter, bang it into the microwave on high for 5 seconds at a time, until you can poke your finger through it. (Don't go so far as to melt your butter, however.) The other lesson is to never leave the critical end process to another person. (Ex. Never take calls when your cake is nearly done. Not that I have ever done this... ) When your cakes are done their done, switch off the oven and take 'em out. The crusts do look a little brown.

The presentation on the pistachio sorbet looks great--simple and elegant. In comparison, the dessert trio looks like an Exxon Valdez spill, although I'm sure it tasted great. Thanks for the photos!

Same here, I also use a saute pan on low-med heat and do other prep work while keeping an eye on the nuts. Shake frequently.

Thanks for the tip. I may check them out today!

If you've got a Superstore nearby, you could check their baking section. They were advertising brightly-colored silicon mats for $9.99 during the holidays. Unfortunately, they never showed up at my local store.

CanadianBakin', which method did you settle on and were you happy with it?

Not that I know of. Our Cobbs here in Deep Cove also moved in next to a Safeway, another one NV is adjacent to a SuperValu. Of course, most of Safeway's bread is crap and never fresh, so our local Cobbs is doing a screaming business by providing fresher bread that is a cut above Safeway (not a major feat, I know). The bread at Save-On is better and has more variety, so Cobbs seems to be targetting the lowest guy on the totem pole.

They've also just opened here in Mission and in Abbotsford. What's going on? ← Let me guess: Are they located adjacent to a Safeway?

You're right, there's no point in debating about this unless someone has some inside information and both sides are represented. I'd much rather debate the merits (ahem) of Blenz coffee.

No real opinion on nori brands, nor do I really snack on nori (always with rice). However, if you like salt and sesame oil, I would recommend a Korean nori. EDITED TO ADD: FWIW, we usually buy our Japanese nori at Fujiya or Angel Seafoods.

Maybe phone ahead. I definitely saw them at Christmas but haven't poked around there since then.

Michael's sells a plastic cupcake tray holder that doubles as sheet cake holder. Tupperware also has one. There were some other ideas covered in one of CanadianBakin's threads.

I resemble this comment. Perhaps we need another thread for Bakers Anonymous.

Great idea. I'd be interested in hearing comments and finding out which one was most popular.

Alan, thanks for the info and quick reply! I forgot to add, thank you for the excellent demo. Not something I am in a position to try, but a fascinating read nonetheless. -Kenji (TIA=Thanks In Advance)

Unless you have strong wrists, do yourself a favor and pick up a hand mixer. If anything, those recipes should warn people not to underbeat things like meringues and whipped cream. That's what I used to do and my results often suffered because of it. When you get your hand mixer, set aside some time to purposely overbeat some egg whites and whipped cream to get a feel for the different stages it goes through. With both, I can usually hear when the motor is straining to indicate that the cream/whites are getting stiff (this is on a stand mixer, however). There is also a very helpful thread on whipping cream.

I never trust non-stick pans to stay, well, un-stuck. I always grease and flour (or cocoa). You could also use Baker's Joy which already has flour in it. I find it more economical to mix up some baker's grease as mentioned in other threads--equal parts shortening, flour and oil whipped together.

I like to experiment with new recipes when the SO and kids are away. Being alone in the house means that I can try more time-consuming preparations that I otherwise wouldn't have time for. I also like to experiment with new ingredients, as I don't have to buy a lot or end up with a lot of waste if it doesn't work out.

Do you have a specific model and/or source that your can recommend? TIA

Here is the publisher's info for the Gisslen book that Wendy refers to. A link to the table of contents is also included. I wish I could preview a copy of this book before buying it. http://he-cda.wiley.com/WileyCDA/HigherEdT...llegeAbout.html

I was a baking dumbass until a year ago. (Had almost zero baking experience before then.) Nowadays, I'm a baking dumbass with a stand mixer and a copy of the Cake Bible. Seriously, though, the two things that made the biggest difference to me were RLB's Cake Bible (sorry Chris) and getting a stand mixer. Working through the different types of cakes in the Cake Bible has helped me to understand some of the theory behind cake baking and allowed me to work on technique. Her directions are precise and everything is weighed out, so it is hard to mess things up. I have a lot more confidence in tackling other recipes with less specific instructions. There is also a lot of good reference material in that book. The stand mixer just makes things immensely easier. I can walk away and do cleanup, so everything goes quicker. That means I'm inclined to bake more often, averaging one or two cakes a week for family and friends. (Any more than that and I wouldn't fit through doorways.)

That makes sense then. I can see them being given out for newspaper subscriptions and other commercial promotions. I was just wondering if these had perhaps became an oseibo item. Over here, except for the free sundae/cone coupons that are sometimes doled out trick-or-treaters, I couldn't imagine an application for gift certificates from McDonald's.