sanrensho

Thanks for the info. I'll look out for the plastic rounds and maybe ask a cake shop to sell me some acetate/rounds. Will check out Michael's this weekend. I'm still undecided about the Tupperware option. Not the nicest looking option, but if it works... Also, apologies to JeniH for hijacking her thread.

How are you transporting your cakes? I have refrained from making four layer cakes (2 x 9" rounds split into four layers) chiefly because I don't have a way to transport them safely or even store them in our fridge. I suppose I could go to a bakery and offer to buy a few of their boxes, but I'd prefer something airtight for refrigerator storage. When I was a kid, my parents had a tupperware cake holder, but I haven't seen one for sale locally.

Thanks for the suggestions, Ling. I did check out Ming Wo and wasn't able to find much of what I was looking for. No acetate and cake holders of any kind (glass or plastic). I didn't even bother asking about the magi-strips. Do you reuse your cardboard rounds? I also need some deep, rectangular cake pans, so I thought I would try to find an equipment supplier where I could buy everything at once.

Would appreciate if you could post any bakery suppliers that sell to the public. I would like to purchase some acetate (for lining mousse cakes) and other supplies for making cakes (magi-strips, bulk cardboard rounds, etc.).

All of the Papa Beard choux pastry is made in one of three central plants and shipped frozen to franchises. The fillings are made at each location. http://starbulletin.com/2005/03/02/features/story1.html

Puree and sieve. Doesn't even have to be all that fine.

That would be outright cruel, if not plain mean.

Not to get too far ahead of the discussion, but I would love to hear what your guests have to say about their impressions of our best French bakeries.

I totaly understand, then. My SO has done her share of those (she used to work in the imported bread business).

Personally, if I were to host someone from out of town (Paris), I would try to focus on what we do best, rather than what they do best (authentic French breads). This is my oblique way of saying that your guests might be disappointed, unless they are bread freaks and specifically want to see what our take is on French breads. Sorry, I know this doesn't really answer your question. I would love to hear which bakeries are considered best for baguettes and so forth by my fellow Egulleters.

Matcha powder is high on my list for my SO to purchase when she visits Japan in July. Lacking the room for another appliance, we simply mix matcha powder with good quality vanilla ice cream that has been slightly softened. I agree, freshly made matcha ice cream is miles better than a commercial matcha ice cream that has been sitting around for weeks (months?).

In defense of all things gooey (melted chocolate, Nuttela, etc.), I must insist that it be excluded from the "nebaneba" list. Just so nobody gets the wrong impression, "nebaneba" implies more of a sticky or viscuous texture. Of course, some gooey foods do happen to be sticky, but not all. Favorite nebaneba food: yamaimo.

Out of season US (California) strawberries used to be almost uniformly atrocious until 1-1.5 years ago. Recent US strawberries have been much better and are, more often than not, acceptably sweet.

This link might be helpful: http://www.junglecity.com/enjoy/food_english/meat.htm The US Export Meat Federation has a chart that, while useless from a translation perspective, could be shown to your butcher to indicate what you want: http://www.americanmeat.jp/database/parts_b.html Here's one more for good measure: http://www.geocities.jp/wallabiesroom/cook3.htm Basically, you are looking for a "kata roosu."

I always thought it was considered a lunch staple. My usual pho joint usually doesn't have any left by late afternoon.

I'm sure you've already visited this site: http://www.westcoastseaweed.com/seabean/nscp_toc/index.html Don't see any prices listed. Fascinating, I would definitely try some if there was a local source.

Have you tried the Japanese blueberries? If so, how do they compare to the US blueberries? Blueberries weren't commonly available when I was living there. Although we would ocasionally pass by the odd small blueberry farm when driving around in Nagano-ken (Matsumoto and surrounding areas). Someone mentioned figs. In my experience, most Japanese aren't familiar with eating raw figs, much less dried ones.

Interesting. For those who don't read Japanese, the sites that Hiroyuki linked to state that an abundance of "mitsu" in an apple is an indicator of ripeness, and that apples with "mitsu" tend to be sweeter as a whole. I'll have to tell my wife about the "injecting apples with honey" myth. She'll get a laugh out of that.

As someone who loves Japanese apple varieties, I have to say that the situation on this side of the ocean has improved dramatically. Five years ago, NZ Gala apples were my default eating apple for their crispness and sweetness, since Fuji apples weren't commonly available. Nowadays, Fuji (or "Fugi" as it is often misspelled) apples are as common as our traditional North American varieties, at least here in Vancouver. The size of the local Fuji apples has also increased, and the flavor (and percentage with mitsu) seems to improve with every passing year. The imported Chinese Fuji apples we get here in Vancouver are also interesting, but lack the sweetness and density of the real thing. Good crispness, but least similar to the real thing. NHK had a fascinating documentary on the development of the Fuji apple last year, and the trials and tribulations it went through before achieving widespread popularity in Japan.

The syrupy interior is referred to as "mitsu" and, for Japanese, is highly prized as an indication of an apple's sweetness. (I have no idea if this latter part is actually true.) Basically, an amber "vein" that shows up in the cross-section of the apple. Found in Fuji apples and I'm pretty sure other Japanese varieties. Fuji apples from Washington and BC also sometimes have "mitsu," but not always. My wife comes from an apple growing region and has relatives who own an orchard, so she's pretty picky about her apples.

As Smallworld pointed out, this is not true. If that's the way CNN reported it, then it's misinformation. When I moved to Japan in '92, Japanese apples were plentiful and could be had for as little as 50 yen/piece in Tokyo. By the time I left in '98, US apples were commonly available at supermarkets but the price of Japanese apples wasn't affected. (It's been awhile since I've visited, so I don't know what the situation is now.) The US varieties being sold in Japan at the time were no competition for Japanese apples, at least from the standpoint of Japanese preferences in an eating apple. Furthermore, the US product didn't have the highly-prized "mitsu" like a good Japanese apple, so they were two distinct products from the point of view of the Japanese consumer. Sort of like comparing apples and, er, oranges. As for quantifying "inexpensive," I always thought that Japanese apples were inexpensive and great value considering their size (Japanese apples are typically huge!) and the cost of living in Tokyo.

Have you tried Patricia Austin's bran muffin recipe? If you overfill your muffin pans so that the batter is mounded above the height of the pan, you will get crunchy/crisp tops every time. However, you may have to use a lower temp (longer baking time) as my last batch came out a little raw inside. (I was trying not to overcook the bottoms.) http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=63111&st=30

Thanks for the heads up. Sorry to hear they are gone.

The popcorn store, the vendor selling books across from Liberty Wines, and the malaysian place are also gone. To be honest, the place was looking a bit barren when we were there two weeks ago. I hope management has the good sense to get in some new vendors before the peak tourist season. There's a new pastry/cake shop on Lonsdale and 3rd, but I haven't tried it yet. The dessert place close to the Quay is Piece of Cake. I think it's worthwhile to take a bus to upper Lonsdale and work your way down from there. Lost of interesting Persian food stores and bakeries along the way to explore.

If you're talking about the dim sum restaurant next to the Holiday Inn (on the corner), I would second that recommendation.