sanrensho

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.

Those look beautiful, you lucky b*stard. Looking forward to your reports.

At least locally, we call this kazunoko kombu here in Vancouver. That is how we've always called it in the Japanese community. You might try asking for it next time you're in Vancouver, or requesting it a few days in advance, since it does take some preparation. I'm sure you can also buy it from Fujiya or Angel Seafood. My mother usually prepares kazunoko kombu for Oshogatsu (New Year's).

Do a search for "Sekizo" and "knife", and you will find some info on your knife. (The stamped/etched/engraved name on the knife is "Sekizosaku.")

Did you happen to catch the name of this item? It looks sort of like a pain de genes (almond cake).

Pierre Herme uses a fan of (glazed) raw apples for his Melody cake. What exactly is it about the raw apples that bothers you? Is it specifically the pairing with a fruit tart?

If it's your first time in Japan, then I think a trip to Kyoto would be a better choice than Osaka. (Ignore my advice if you've already been to Kyoto.)

Scud is in Vancouver, right? He can pick up (the Korean version of) taiyaki at Hanareum Market in Coquitlam and downtown. I think I've also seen them at some Chinese food courts in the Lower Mainland.

The comic is Kuishinbo, also made into a live action film (2007).

It works really, really well. And packed with umami goodness.

Johnnyd, you're right, there aren't that many recipes for making mentaiko (even in Japanese) because I think most people are used to buying it. The recipe I linked to is for the spicier karashi mentaiko using hot pepper powder, but I think you can modify it to make a regular mentaiko by leaving out or minimizing the hot pepper powder. This is a rough and dirty translation, so I've left out some of the finer details, but this should give you an idea of the process. The steps correspond to the ones in the link. http://www.ajiwai.com/otoko/make/ment_fr.htm Pre-brine: 120 g raw pollock roe salt 170 ml sake 30 g salt Main brine: 190 ml sake 6 g katsuobushi (bonito flakes) 1/2 tbs shoyu (soy sauce) 20 g hot red pepper powder 5 cm section of kombu 1/2 tbs yuzu (optional) 1 tbs sugar 1. Sprinkle salt on the roe and refrigerate. After one hour, wipe away any excess moisture and place the roe in the sake to clean and kill some bacteria. 2. Set the roe aside, and strain the sake to remove anything that came off the roe sacks. Add the 30 g salt and bring to a boil at low heat for about 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol. 3. Remove salt/sake mixture from heat and cool using ice bath. 4. Pre-brine: Place roe in ziploc with the boiled (and cooled) salt/sake mixture and brine for 10 hours (7-12 hours). 5. Shaping: Says the oviduct that attaches the roe sacks to the stomach are ripped/open. Scoop up the roe using a spoon and place the sacks with the opened oviduct face down in the strainer. Place plastic wrap over the roe sacks and leave for 10 hours. Apparently, commercial producers use this step to firm up the sacks and improve absorption of the flavored brine. 6. Mix hot red pepper powder, sugar, soy sauce and yuzu juice (optional). 7. Bring 190 ml sake to boil and simmer at low heat for 5 minutes to burn off alcohol. 8. Remove from heat and cool using ice bath. Add kombu. After 30 minutes, bring to boil and add katsuobushi. Simmer on low for 1 minute. Remove from heat. 9. Strain well and add mixture from step 6 to above mixture while still hot. Cool this mixture over ice bath. 10. Place roe in ziploc and add above brine mixture. Refrigerate at temperature of 0-5 degrees Celsius for one week. Shift the roe sacks around in the brine mixture several times during this time. 11. After one week, remove roe and place in strainer to drain any excess liquid for 1/2-1 day in fridge. The finished mentaiko can also be frozen for reuse later.

A typical mentaiko spaghetti recipe might be mentaiko, softened butter, shot of cream, squeeze of lemon juice. I see recipes calling for soy sauce as well. I'll try to dig out the last recipe I used. Bear in mind that this is using brined and flavored roe (mentaiko). Toss the above just with the residual heat from the pasta (as in a carbonade). Top with chiffonade of shiso (or basil) and nori, both are a must. I've never cooked with raw roe sacks, but in lieu of mentaiko, you could lightly brine the roe sacks first in sake, touch of dashi, soy sauce, salt and sugar before cooking as above. Jonnyd, I will try to transcribe a Japanese recipe for mentaiko, if someone doesn't get to it first. This is the one I'm looking at (for karashi mentaiko): http://www.ajiwai.com/otoko/make/ment_fr.htm

I think it sounds great. Karashi mentaiko is fairly well spiced, and I think it holds up due to the richness of the protein.

Rape blossoms or rape flowers, I think.

Brine and marinate as the Japanese do for mentaiko and karashi (spicy) mentaiko. Or toss with pasta. That meal looks amazing by the way. I wonder how it would taste slowly poached in flavored olive oil?

Similarly, insert any utensil to the 200 ml mark and mark it off. Reinsert occasionally and stop when you reach the marking.

If you want to separate the cream (fat) to effectively concentrate it, you can throw the can in the fridge. After a few hours, the cream will solidify and you can just scoop it out and leave the water. Not sure if this is what you're after.

It really depends on the type of rice you want (long grain, short grain, medium grain, etc.). If you're looking for recommendations for a short grain Japanese rice, then you might want to post in the Japan forum. There is some discussion of Californian Japanese rices in this thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=69939

Either that, or you've had too much to drink.