sanrensho

Superstore also offers good value for Grade B maple syrup. A large (plastic) jug is $9.99.

I would leave the mayo out and go with the wasabi mayo. A mayonnaise or tartar-style sauce is pretty common with kani korokke, which is in the same vein as your crab cakes.

Good call on the wasabi-mayo dressing and yuzu koshou. Kent could also make a dashi-based dipping sauce, possibly with a citrus accent or yuzu koshou.

Yes, a lot of the kani korokke recipes do use potato and a bechamel sauce.

I wonder about that. The sure signs of too much water are soft, soggy rice that lacks bite. I don't get that from the photos. It looks like the opposite to me (not enough water).

BTW, if it's any consolation, this looks like perfectly cooked Japanese rice. I know it's not what you are looking for, but Japanese rice should have some "bite" and not be soft.

Well, Japanese rice is the wrong rice to be using if you want soft, "fall apart" rice. (I'm assuming that's what you mean when you say "separate grains". Although Japanese rice is sticky, the grains should still be distinct/separate.) A long grain rice like basmati or jasmine is the way to go if you want rice that isn't sticky. I haven't had any problems cooking long grain rice with "separate" grains in our rice cooker, but "fall apart" is a different matter. Are you looking for the type of "fall apart" texture like you would get with a wild rice? EDITED TO ADD: I agree with Ben's comments above.

If you're referring to S&B karashi, that would technically by a Japanese mustard, since S&B is a Japanese company. (Although it is often used with Chinese dishes.) I'm not really familiar with the Chinese mustard, but the taste might not be the same. The Chinese mustard that I've had at dim sum restaurants seemed a bit more vinegary and yellow, although I could be wrong.

Oyster sauce is not a traditional ingredient in Japanese cooking, but it is very common and widely used in Japan for Chinese dishes, etc. To be honest, it sounds like you're halfway to a kani korokke (Japanese crab croquette), which is very common in Japan. If I recally correctly, Iron Chef Morimoto did a version on the crab battle. I think a Japanese version of your recipe would avoid heavy seasonings like the creole seasoning and oyster sauce in order to avoid killing the flavour of the crab. Perhaps you could mix some sesame (but not oil) in for textural interest. It isn't silly if it tastes good.

Is there a reason for this?

I've noticed that the pad thai in served in Thai restaurants here in North America generally tends to have a distinct red tint to it. I always assumed it was from using chilli sauce. In contrast, the pictures of pad thai that I have seen from Thailand do not have a distinct red tint.

Japanese voltage is 100V, North America is 120V. Frequency is not an issue, but a 120V mixer would probably run slightly slow if used in Japan without a transformer.

Michael's sells virtually the same rectangular cake/cupcake holder with the reversible bottom. I think it was CA$30-40, less with the 40% off coupon that they always run in the paper. I know for a fact it is available locally as I was looking at one last month (North Van and West Van store).

That doesn't surprise me, but couldn't you pick up one in Canada for ~CA$270+ taxes and run it off a voltage converter? A 300W step up converter is only US$30 or so and I'm sure you could purchase a similar model to the one below in Japan. Of course, this is assuming that you can bring it to Japan yourself. http://www.international-electrical-suppli...panvoltage.html

Portuguese egg tarts are everywhere here in Vancouver, via Chinese bakeries. However, I have no idea how close they are to the "real thing."

Hi, I know this isn't Jmahl's recipe, but here's a really simple souffle-style cheesecake Mid-Atlantic recipe There are also Japanese cheesecake recipes (I know you're familiar with these, Lorna!) that give a similar, fluffy texture. Again, these are leavened with egg whites but typically use a small amount of flour or cornstarch. I much prefer these to the (too) heavy NY-style cheesecake. http://www.kyokoskitchen.com/recipes/recip...esecake〈=en

I noticed that both versions omit the deep-fried noodles. Is this more of a condiment and not an essential part of khao soi? I've been thinking about making this dish for quite some time, but was put off by the deep-fried noodles (I dislike deep-frying). Also, is the dish typically made with a wide or narrow noodle? Fresh noodles are the norm, I take it?

I'd say Kristin nailed it, it doesn't really have a taste. The texture is cruchy like Asian pears with the stickiness of natto. I bet it would also go well with cilantro and some of the citrusy dressings used in Thai cooking, although I haven't tried it myself.

I'm partial to eating yamaimo fresh as a salad. Peel, slice and chop into matchstick size pieces. Top with nori (optional) and dress with your favorite rice vinegar-based dressing. A citrus or ume dressing works nicely for this application.

Where can you typically buy tartaric acid? Edited to add that apparently it can be purchased from a pharmacist of winemaking supply store. I should have done a search first.

I'm assuming we're talking about cooked rice. Chill it in the fridge before frying. That will help to separate the grains and remove excess moisture.

Find a glass jar with a screw top, punch some small holes in it and fill with a sugar-vinegar solution. The suckers will drown in the vinegar.

We use fresh bay leaves almost exclusively. Our neighbour has a tree and gives us piles of bay leaves. We simply wash them, towel them off and pop them in the freezer for later use. I haven't noticed the medicinal quality you mention.

I believe you're referring to Kombiniya.

I second tom kha gai, it will definitely make the coconut milk disappear fast.