goyatofu

hmm.....let me rephrase that..... wouldn't it be nice if there's a chinese cooking school with international acclaim like Cordon Bleu or CIA?

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a structured chinese cooking school for professionals, in China or Hong Kong perhaps? There's Le Cordon Bleu for French cooking, and the CIA for America, what about Chinese cooking? I know of many cooking schools for non-professionals (read: housewives) in Hong Kong, but nothing for professionals. Wouldn't it be nice if there is an institution like that in China so that more people around the world can learn about this wonderful cuisine? (which I think is the best).

passionfruit with green tea (no milk! no tapioca!) is divine!!! The green tea balances out the sweetness of the passionfruit. Green tea (cold) with milk is also nice. In Toronto, Canada, this little drink has sprouted enterprises like "Tea Shop 168" with too many franchises to count (I would say they're challenging Timmy's ) Too bad I don't live in Toronto any more...I miss my passionfruit and green....and my Hong Kong style milk tea (if you have not tried it, you really should! you won't miss coffee) cheers, goyatofu

I will probably be shot for saying this...but I own about 4 SMAP cookbooks....There's actually a really good pasta recipe in there : a napolitan (blasphemy, I know!) with a mascarpone cheese drizzle...so what I'll do is include it and let you all be the judge (remember! it's yoshoku!!)....but seriously, I've enjoyed the "Orange Page" series (beautiful pics, a must for cookbooks). So here's the recipe, I'm translating it from japanese, so hopefully it makes sense. SMAP Napolitan cream cheese sauce pasta ingredients (serves 2) >Special ketchup 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 100g ketchup 200g canned whole tomato 1 bay leaf >napolitan 8 mushrooms, sliced 1 red or green pepper, sliced into rings 4 spears asparagus 1/3 bunch spinach 1 onion, sliced 100g bacon, sliced into 1cm pieces salt, pepper to taste 100mL special ketchup (see above) 160g spaghetti 2 tablespoon pasta water >cream cheese sauce 100g mascarpone cheese 50mL milk INSTRUCTIONS: Special ketchup: 1) in a saucepan, lightly saute garlic, add ketchup, tomato, bay leaf, cook over low heat for minutes (I used my kitchen shears to roughly cut the tomato) cream cheese sauce: 1) melt mascarpone cheese with the milk in a saucepan over medium heat napolitan: 1) asparagus, diagonal cut into 4 parts each, cook in salted boiling water 2) spinach, precook in salted boiling water 3) cook spaghetti 4) in a fry pan, saute bacon in olive oil, add onion 5) add mushroom, pepper, asparagus, spinach, salt & pepper to taste 6) add special ketchup and mix well 7) add 2 tablespoon boiling water that you used to make the spaghetti into the pan and add the spaghetti, mix well 8) serve with cream cheese sauce drizzled on top 9) enjoy and don't think about where the recipe come from.... goyatofu

thanks torakris and smallworld, I found this recipe to bake "Double Soft" (similar result to the product with the same name made by Yama--ki) and the recipe calls for both strongest and strong flour. I'll see if I can just substitute with bread flour and get the same result. Goyatofu

since we're chatting about bread, thought I'd ask for some help. I love Japanese bread, I'd live inside Kobeya if they let me... I'm trying to duplicate things here in North America....looking at japanese recipes for bread making...does anyone know which type of flour the following refer to? 最強力小麦粉--this translates to "strongest flour" I'm assuming this is bread flour 強力小麦粉--this translates to "strong flour" I'm not sure if this is all-purpose flour or not? I know the highest gluten level here would be bread flour, followed by all-purpose and then the least gluten is cake flour. 水あめ--this translates to "water-sugar" literally; which I assume is glucose...can I make this on my own by mixing equal parts water and sugar?? or do I need to buy glucose?? thanks in advance!! p.s. torakis, yakisoba pan is awesome!!!! wait til you try Kobeya's Croquette pan (omigosh good!!)

Thanks Kenk! I went to Mandarin for dim sum today and it was really good! Definitely better than the one I went to in Chinatown. Went to Beckta last night, the food was really really good. The price is also quite reasonable. The desserts sent the entire table moaning....(even the guy in our group) so you can imagine.

hi all, newbie here. Will be dining this saturday at Beckta. Funny story about why I'm going. I went to "Daniel" in New York for dinner last weekend, and got to meet Daniel himself. We starting chatting and I told him I was from Ottawa. He then asked me to bring Steven Beckta a card. Needless to say I was stunned speechless by this "New York moment". I've always wanted to go and try the restaurant anyways, now I have another reason. As for restaurant recommendations...I have to say "Signatures" is good value for the food they serve. (not just because I go to school there.... ) but seriously, it is good! I went there for Valentine's dinner before I starting studying there, service is EXCELLENT and not snooty at all! The Foie Gras terrine appetizer changed the way I felt about cold foie gras. I'm still searching for a good chinese restuarant....anyone who can help I'd appreciate it! goyatofu