sanrensho

Thermos makes a bunch of these products, and in a Miffy version, too. http://www.thermos.jp/products/index.html

You know this could work. My girls love biking (taking after their dad), so it isn't hard to get them to wear helmets. The reason I ask is because there was a similar "scare" quite a few years back with the fruit-flavored konnyaku jelly cups sold in Japan (also HK, China, Taiwan). At least in Japan, there were a few reported incidents of kids choking on the jellies. Dragon Ball--love the name.

Has anyone ever choked to death on those things? I fear the day that one of my kids sucks up a tapioca pearl only to have it lodge in her windpipe. I feel like I should study up on the Heimlich maneuver before ordering one of those things. My only preference with bubble tea is that the fruit versions be made with actual ripe fruit. Fruit powders are a definite no-no. I'm not much for liquid calories so I don't drink bubble tea often enough to have a preference out of all the different varieties. Too many choices for me.

Is there any chance that someone could do a demo on tempering chocolate? I'd like to try my hand at this.

I find the title of that article grossly misleading ("Gourmet Takeout"). I'm sure some editor at the Vancouver Sun can be blamed for not reading the article before penning the headline. Basically, it's just a long list of takeout options other than pizza and fast food chains. I have no objection to the inclusion of more pedestrian options such as T&T and Fujiya, and in fact have purchased my share of take-out food from both vendors as well as the Yaohan food court. However, surely Vancouver must be more sophisticated than to consider take-out sushi or Chinese as "gourmet" food, as if it were something unusual and special. I mean, this isn't the 70's. A lot of the options given are common, everyday take-out options for typical Vancouverites. The article would have been more interesting if it had focused on upper scale take-out. Rant No. 2 over.

Love the last part of that sentence. For those with kids, I think it's fine in moderation. Taken to extremes, I think it's sad that some parents can't be bothered to place a priority on cooking quality food for their children. Furthermore, the opening paragraphs of the Sun article seem to reinforce the notion that cooking is a chore, rather than a pleasure. Which is just plain sad. The family meal (dinner) is not just another task to be scheduled, slotted away and quickly eaten. It is the highlight and central part of our day. That plus sleeping, of course. Rant over.

Weak or low protein flour. I'm not sure what the proteign content of Japanese flours is, but I can dig it up later.

You betcha. I stopped using condensed milk all the time because it leaves a bit of, er, fuzz on the mouth and tongue. Just using raw sugar gives a cleaner aftertaste. I almost always drink my Vietnamese coffee hot, probably due to our mild climate. OTOH, I always take my regular drip coffee (and tea) black. Not sure why I don't drink Vietnamese coffee black, except that I probably associate it with a certain sweetness.

Usually clear plastic containers. Shouldn't be any problem to transport that way.

A pasta salad with basil or sun-dried tomato pesto dressing would be easy to prepare the day before. Use tortellini or add protein if you are worried about having enough food.

We made the waffle recipe from Cake Bible for the first time on Sunday. Excellent crispy waffles and very easy to throw together the night before. We'll be making them again, although I really need a larger, more powerful waffle iron.

Lately, I've been enjoying hot Vietnamese coffee (Trung Nguyen brand) with just a teaspon or so of raw sugar. The few time that I've had to use refined sugar, I've definitely noticed a difference. I prefer the fuller flavor that the raw sugar imparts.

I'm way behind. The most notable things we had in the last couple of weeks were: -Flourless chocolate cake from the Saveur Italian book: Turned out great despite despite the poor recipe instructions. (The recipe lists 13 TBS butter but only 12 is actually needed for the cake. The remaining TBS is for greasing the pan.) I especially liked the lovely crust that forms on the top of this cake. My daughter's reaction when tasting this cake was, "Brownie!" She was right, too. The ultimate brownie. -CI's blueberry buckle recipe, frozen from a previous baking: A second tasting confirms my opinion that this recipe is way too sweet with the suggested amount of topping. -Birthday cake for my 7-year old daughter: Two layers each of choc. fudge cake and cocoa dacquoise discs filled white choc. mousse and raspberry BC. The single layer of raspberry BC was definitely the highlight of this cake. In the future, I'll up the raspberry quotient with a gelee layer or raspberry mousse.

Good call on the robatayaki. Something we do not have in our city at the moment. I also vote for the humble neighbourhood teishokuya as an alternative to family restaurants. A gruff, silent owner is a plus. I would also kill for a Cozy Corner cream puff right now. Mostly because I haven't had one in about 6 years.

Clearly, the solution is for Shelora to move to Vancouver and open up a Mexican restaurant. I guess we can dream... mtigges: I bought a small epazote plant from one of the ladies selling planted herbs at the Trout Lake Farmer's Market. If it self-seeds as she promised, I should have some to share next spring. If she doesn't have any epazote when you go, she can bring it in the next week. At least, that's what she told me when I inquired about a curry plant.

I would unequivocally say to throw out all the batter. And dock your assistant's pay. Okay, I'm joking about the last part, but how many test batches did he successfully make before putting together the bad batch? I agree completely with your assessment about putting out sub-standard product.

Based on what we can't get here (Vancouver, Canada), my top choices would be: 1. Good tonkotsu ramen 2. Tempura restaurant (just tempura), counter style and made to order 3. Unagi restaurant (again, just unagi) 4. Teuchi soba (preferably somewhere deep in the country in Nagano Pref.) 5. Houtou noodle soup/stew (a specialty of Yamanashi Pref.) 6. Mini croissants at your favorite depachika, hot out of the oven This is aside from the obvious ones like good sushi, sashimi and fresh fish. I've tried monja yaki several times and never found it appealing.

Any chance you could PM me some of that info? As I mentioned, I'm always on the lookout for Vietnamese grocers. TIA.

It sounds like you have the Hachiya persimmons that taper at the bottom. The other persimmons I'm familiar with are the crisper, rounder Fuyu variety (also a Japanese variety). Here's the other thread that I was referring to. Also, FWIW, I've read and heard that it is possible to contract bubonic plague from squirrels. Not sure if this applies to the type of squirrels you are dealing with, as I'm well out of state. http://www.nps.gov/public_health/inter/inf...s/fs_plague.htm

There's a little bit of information about persimmon jam in this thread in the Japan forum. Also, there was a thread a week or two ago about persimmons on the cooking forum. As I mentioned in that thread, you can peel and hang the persimmons to eat dried in the traditional Japanese way. After shooting all of those squirrels, of course.

I would recommend the Vietnam Market at 1691 Kingsway (north side). I think the filters are about $4-5 each. I'm sure they can be found for a buck or two cheaper in Chinatown, but this store also carries the Trung Nguyen brand of Vietnamese coffee in the large 2-bag boxes. (My previous Vietnamese grocer only carried the small packages.) I highly recommend the Trung Nguyen brand for cafe dua sa, etc. Also a great place to pick up large bags of Thai basil, mint, etc. for about a buck each. Nice people, too, and not far from the Trout Lake Farmer's Market. I also have a request: If anyone knows of any other Vietnamese (not Chinese) grocers, could you please post or PM me the info? Apologies to KT for hijacking this thread.

Do you mean 20 minutes from start to plating, or 20 minutes of prep? Most cakes can be banged out in less than 20 minutes. After baking, cool and frost with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

Both bay leaves and rosemary can be frozen. The rosemary can be frozen on the branch and will lose some its color, but will still have plenty of kick. You could also make a anchovy-rosemary sauce zipped with some olive oil. Keeps well in the freezer. Great over potatoes or as a pasta sauce. I would also be interested in some ideas for preserving sage.

I've never met Ling, but skinny people with low body fat have more room for their stomachs to distend. That's why they can pack down so much in one seating. (Keywords: "competitive eating" "Takeru Kobayashi")

If you're talking about vegetable salads, I agree. As a cyclist, I can tell you that I would definitely appreciate a large plate of pesto salad (fusilli or tortellini) with some chicken or other protein. I'll also take some cherry tomatos with that.