sanrensho

You might want to look into a Japanese publication called Cafe Sweets that is aimed at cafe owners. I have an issue from a few years ago, and it has tons of recipe for various cold drinks.

Whatever you call it, I want some now. I also want to know what those Cambodians are doing with their flounder roe.

Good cheese, jams/marmalades.

This would be my recommendation, too, and seemingly the least fragile of your options. The chocolate is also in keeping with the typical elements of a black forest cake (sponge cake, cherries, syrup, whipped cream and [shaved] chocolate).

I agree, the whipped cream could break down. Also, I don't find (Italian meringue) buttercream and whipped cream to be a good mix generally because they work at different temperatures. I would recommend going all buttercream or all whipped cream, but if you do a black forest cake with all buttercream, you have a completely different cake.

Just a splash, since there is no cooking going on. And entirely optional. I think I would have used less mentaiko for that amount of soba, maybe half, so I could see how it would seem salty. Looks darn good, though.

Better late than never, here is the last mentaiko spaghetti recipe that I used, although it was with regular mentaiko and not karashi mentaiko. The sauce can be loosened up with cream or the pasta boiling liquid if desired. Mentaiko Spaghetti 440 g spaghetti 120 g tarako roe 40 g butter, softened 1-2 tsp lemon juice Pepper Shiso (chiffonade) Nori (cut in very fine strips) 1. Mix together roe, butter and lemon juice. Toss with hot pasta, using residual heat . (Do not cook over heat.) Top with shiso if available and nori.

Okay, I reread the original instructions and this should make more sense. The part in brackets below is my interpretation, because the original instructions aren't exactly clear. Terrific work, JohnnyD. Truly pioneering work. But I'm still waiting for you to work up to some mentaiko spaghetti.

Too funny--this is my mom exactly, although not specifically for doughnuts but almost everything else. I can honestly say that I never cooked with my mom nor was I specifically taught anything by her at any point before I moved out, and rarely thereafter. (I have asked for and received recipes and tips since then, but we almost never physically cook together.) However, seeing the effort and care that my mom put into preparing good food was more than enough of an influence. Thanks mom!

Darn, that looks good. I'm glad the recipe worked out for you. Two questions for you: Did the brine penetrate the roe (sacs) evenly? And are the sacs tough? Also, I think it would be less messy to freeze the mentaiko in the sacs, this is common if not the norm. The sacs can be removed after defrosting.

*Hanging on edge of seat, waiting to hear how it tasted...

I should also add that we use Kadoya primarily as a finishing oil, much as you would a better grade of extra virgin olive oil. A cheaper grade of sesame oil would probably be fine for use as a cooking oil. So you might opt to use two grades of sesame oil.

If a Korean gal recommends Kadoya, then I would consider that to be a ringing recommendation.

I would recommend taking a look at Korean brands in addition to Japanese brands. We usually buy the highest quality Kadoya, but haven't done any extensive comparisons. The Kadoya oil is more than fragrant enough for our purposes. The Korean brands can be bought at Hanareum, while Kadoya can be purchased pretty much anywhere such as T&T.

Our official dessert here in British Columbia, Canada would have to be the sugar/calorie-bomb known as the Nanaimo Bar. I can't even remember the last time I had one. http://www.nanaimo-info.com/gpage.html

Thanks for documenting your day at J&W. What exactly did Mitch have to say about imperfect razor angle and cut depth?

Which of the places mentioned has the largest selection?

Coming along nicely, I see. That looks really, really good. I'm sure it'll be perfect with a bowl of hot, steaming rice or as a filling for onigiri (rice balls).

I bet it would also be nice if you steamed it with rice.

No, I wish. The crackling batter test (sound of the batter cooking) is probably the first thing I notice when pulling cakes and quickbreads from the oven, then I check to see if the batter is still jiggling. On some rare occasions, I also press down on the batter. The toothpick check is the last check I do, if I think the batter is ready.

Not sure if that is a rhetorical question. "Done" doesn't have a sound, but "raw" means I can clearly hear the batter cooking inside the product. (Actually, the batter continues to cook and I can hear it even after it is done, but the sound is less noticeable.)

That was fast! I'd also love to see what kind of loaves and sandwich breads are common in your part of the world. Especially pictures of the crumb. Thanks!

This is spot on. I can listen to my quickbread and cake batters and know if they are done even before testing with a toothpick.

Takuan are picked (daikon) radishes. I'm enjoying your blog immensely, especially the dessert photos. Can I request some photos from bread bakeries and patisseries?

Try phoning a few Italian markets. Although I usually see baccala more around Christmas.