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Cakes, 美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Sweets, Vegan, vegetables, 和菓子

Japanese Vegetarian & Vegan Cakes: Wagashi/和菓子2: Recipe-Anko/Sweetmeats

November 29, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

WAGASHI-4

One main ingredients in traditional Wagashi/Japanese Cakes is “anko/餡子” (or more simply “an”) which can be translated as “sweetmeats” or “bean jam”.

I would like here to introduce a simple way to make one’s own “anko” at home:

INGREDIENTS:

Azuki/Adzuki/red beans (in Japanese: 小豆): 150 g
Sugar: 150g
Salt: a little

RECIPE:

a) Wash azuki lightly. Put in a large basin with an equal amount of water and turn on heat to high.

b) Bring to boil. If beans level is higher that of water, add water till beans are completely covered. Let simmer. Add water 2 or 3 times as soon as the water does not cover completely the beans and this until beans stop floating on water.

c) Drain beans, put them back into basin with same amount of water and turn fire to high. Repeat a) operation.

d) Cook as c) for 40~60 minutes.

e) Mash azuki beans lightly. Add sugar. Simmer and stir to mix, making sure the jam does not overboil.

f) Add a little salt (to your taste) and mix.
Let cool completely.
You can eat it as it is of course, but you will need it to make your cakes!
You can either sieve it to make it a very fine paste, sieve a part and mix it with the unsieved part, or use it as it is. In any case it will be easy to fashion!

WAGASHI-ANKO

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With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Cakes, Dessert, Desserts, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Wagashi, 和菓子

Japanese Vegetarian & Vegan Cakes: Wagashi/和菓子1: Introduction

November 28, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

WAGASHI-1

There is a traditional way of making cakes in Japan that ought to please no end vegans and people allergic to wheat flour and dairy products, namely Wagashi!

Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.

Wagashi is typically made from natural based (mainly plant) ingredients. The names used for wagashi commonly fit a formula—a natural beauty and a word from ancient literature; they are thus often written with hyōgaiji (kanji that are not commonly used or known), and are glossed with furigana.

Generally, confectioneries that were introduced from the West after the Meiji Restoration (1868) are not considered wagashi. Most sorts of Okinawan confectionery and those originating in Europe or China that use ingredients alien to traditional Japanese cuisine, e.g., kasutera, are only rarely referred to as wagashi.

WAGASHI-2
Assortment of wagashi for a tea ceremony

During the Edo period, the production of sugarcane in Okinawa became highly productive, and low quality brown sugar as well as heavily processed white sugar became widely available. A type of sugar, wasanbon, was perfected in this period and is still used exclusively to make wagashi. Wagashi was a popular gift between samurai, in significance much like a good wine. Wagashi is served as part of a Japanese tea ceremony, and serving a good seasonal wagashi shows one’s educational background.

WAGASHI-3
Wagashi in the shape of rape flowers/Na no Hana

There are many, many kinds of Wagashi.
I will (re-)introduce them in the next postings, followed by other postings on the basic preparation.

WAGASHI-ABEKAWAMOCHI-2
Shizuoka’s Abekawa Mochi

Just know that about every region in Japan has its own traditional Wagashi!

Avaibility:
Wagashi is widely available in Japan, but quite rare outside it.
–Minamoto Kitchoan (源吉兆庵)
Has a varied selection, and stores in New York City (shipping throughout the US), London (shipping throughout Europe), and Singapore, in addition to Japan.
–Toraya (とらや)
Has a full Paris store, stores in Japan, and sells a limited selection (yōkan only) at New York stores.
–Fugetsu-do
Family owned and operated in the USA, since 1903, Fugetsu-do now ships anywhere in the USA.

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French Cakes and Blueberries in Hamamatsu City: Abondance!

July 7, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

I paid a belated visit to Abondance owned by Bernard Heberle, a French national like me, in Hamamatsu City to see how well he was doing.
Mind you, I didn’t worry a iota as he has recently been elected the best Cake Shop in the Prefecture!

You can’t miss the elegant blue-colored shop in front of the Seirei Hospital!

Not many cake shops have a doormat, a sure sign of attention to customers?

The man himself who has been running his shop among many other concerns for the past 9 years!
Bernard hails from Souffleheim in Alsace, France!

His “Cuisinier de France” award!

Bernard has a passion for anything called a Citroen car!

Sophisticated biscuits are waiting for you!

And of course elegant macarons!

And now the cakes!
I didn’t have much time checking the names for fear to bother the customers!
Taking photographs was already quite a scramble!

I love the marbled chocolate finish!

Cassis cakes with locally-grown blueberries and raspberries!

Snow in Summer?
Don’t forget to check Abondance’s Homepage for the right names!

A fruit rainbow?

Cream to savor with a fork?

True millefeuille!

A favorite of mine with the little macarons!

Those two look like intimate lovers!

Bernard’s best seller!
Now, where do all these blueberries come from?

Well, Bernard always tries to get his seasonal fruit locally and his blueberries are grown for him at Aoitori Blueberry Orchard in Hamamatsu City!

Bernard with Satoshi Satoh/佐藤聡さん, first-generation blueberry grower for the last five years!

You can also pick blueberries there in season for a very reasonable fee!

A very clean and modern orchard where no pesticides are allowed!

Satoh San cultivates 20 varieties of these beauties for a regular supply.
Incidentally, he also grows some trees for Bernard’s sole use!

Aerial water supply!

Bernard’s trees are hidden behind these!

All fruits are ripened on the trees. These will be late bloomers.

Can’t wait to eat these when fully ripe!

Impressive crop!
Next, bernard is trying to convince Satoh San to grow raspberries!

ABONDANCE
430-0906 Hamamatsu City, Naka Ku, Sumiyoshi, 2-14-27
Tel.: 053-473-8400
Business hours: 10:00~20:00
Closed on Tuesdays and 3rd Wednesday
HOMEPAGE

AOITORI ORCHARD
431-1202 Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ku, Gomatsu machi, 2497
Tel.: 053-487-1092
Fax: 053-487-2750
Mobile: 090-7672-7886
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Dessert Plates at Rouge & Piquant

March 27, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Friendly, attentive and without any fuss
Facilities: Great tidiness, beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Very natural taste cakes, great artistic food design, late hours
Entirely non-smoking!

It’s been some time since I visited Rouge & Piquant which has become an institution of its own in Shizuoka City!
Last Friday I finally found a good reason to sample its supreme desserts after a great dinner at an Italian restaurant. We had decided to skip the dessert there for an extravagant finish to the evening!

Rouge Et Piquant is definitely an off-the-beaten-tracks cafe/cake shop.
The opening hours (14:00~24:00) are surely not the norm in Japan. Ms. Kanae Tsunogai’s confectionery concept shows some courage and determination in a very stereotyped country in spite of all its great creators. The accent is not on the sweetness, but on the true taste of the ingredients. So do not expect mountains of sugar or sweeteners. Her cakes are definitely for an adult audience in all the senses of the expression!

Cakes do not lay for an eternity inside a glass display, but their ingredients are assembled on order at the last second before being served. This is slow food cakes and desserts at their best!

Cakes are served individually or in dessert combination plates.
I opted for the “Rouge/Red” dessert consisting of two cakes:

A small red fruit tart with cassis, redcurrant, raspberry, blueberries, strawberry and apple slices mounted on a soft Chantilly Cream!

Raspberry, orange, pear, cassis sorbet balls, orange wedges and meringue artistically arranged on a sablé biscuit!
The sauce is raspberry coulis.

My friend opted for the “Chocolat/Chocolate” plate which consisted of:

Chocolate and banana cake with slices of chocolate génoise intersped with chocolate mousse and banana, the whole topped with Chantilly Cream and chocolate flakes!

And a sablé biscuit cup filled with (naturally!) home-made vanilla and caramel ice cream decorated with almonds and a chocolate ribbon.
The sauce is chocolate cream.

Need I comment any further?

Rouge Et Piquant
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-Cho, 2-4-29, Aspis Bldg. 2F
Tel.: 054-221-4538
Business Hours: 14:00~2:00
Closed on Mondays
Sits 2~3 at the counter and 8~10 at tables

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Cream Cheese Tiramisu (Japanese style?)

December 18, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

The Japanese are very fond of their cream cheese and cheese cakes, But they are also crazy about tiramisu!
Here is a simple recipe uniting both in a Japanese style!

Cream Cheese Tiramisu!

INGREDIENTS: For a mold 15 X 20 cm

-Cream Cheese: 200 g
-Fresh Cream: 200 g
-Sugar: 100 g
-Rum (or brandy): 1 large spoon
-Soft Biscuits: 150 g

Coffee syrup:
-Water: 100 cc/1/2 cup
-Sugar: 30 g
Instant coffee: 2 teaspoons

Finishing:
-Cocoa powder: as appropriate

RECIPE:

1- Pour the ingredients for the coffee syrup into a large cup and let heat in a microwave oven for 1 minute. If the sugar is completely dissolved, let it cool down completely.

2- In a large bowl drop the cream cheese and work with a spatula until smooth. If too hard warm it up lightly first inside the microwave oven for 30~60 seconds.

3- Add one third of the sugar to the cream cheese and mix well. Repeat the same process once again.

4- In another bowl pour the fresh cream and add the remaining one third of the sugar and beat up until 80% hard.

5- Add and mix the cream cheese into the fresh cream one half at a time and mix well both times. Add rum (or brandy) and mix well.

6- Line the bottom of a mold with one layer of biscuits (half of the total). Brush the biscuits with plenty of coffee syrup (half).
Spread evenly one half of the cream cheese over the biscuits.
Lay the other layer of biscuits. Brush plenty of coffee syrup over the biscuits and evenly spread rest of cream cheese over the biscuits.

7- Sprinkle plenty of chocolate powder over the whole cream cheese with a sieve. Chill well and serve!

Easy, ain’t it?

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Mango Cheesecake

August 28, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

When it comes to sweets in Summer, it is not always easy to satisfy yourself or your friends. Especially cakes tend to become either too heavy or too light.
The Japanese have struck the right balance with their notion of cheesecakes.
Here is a simple recipe that should please everyone, be the adults or kids!
Keep in mind this is the basic recipe. Obviously you can add for taste all kinds of liqueurs!

Mango Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS: For an 18 cm diameter mold (12 inches)

-Cream cheese: 250 g
-Sugar: 80 g
-Frozen mango: 100 g
-Eggs: 3 large
-Plain yoghurt (Before drainage. Sieve it through a coffe drip paper filter): 500 g
-Cornstarch: 40 g
-Cholate chips cookies: 150 g
-Margarine: 70 g

RECIPE:

– Bring back cream cheese to room temperatue. Drain water from yoghurt.

-Heat the margarine for 30 seconds in the microwave at 600 Watts.

-Drop the chocolate chips cookies in a food processor and break them up. Add the margarine and mix.

-Spread the cookies mixture over the bottom of the mold. Use a mold with a bottom that can be lifted up, or line th mold withh baking paper (oil it a bit then). Leave the mold inside the refrigerator.

-Drop in a (cleaned) processor the cream cheese, sugar, frozen mango, eggs (and liqueurs or other options) and mix well.

-Pour the mixture into a bowl, Add the drained yoghurt and mix with a hand whisker.

-Add the cornsrach and mix well.

-Pour the cheesecake into the mold over the biscuit mixture.

-Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. lower temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for 50~55 minutes.

-Cool down the cake completely before unmolding it.

-Easy, ain’t it?

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Halloween Chocolate Chou

August 26, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Halloween is not that far away and people will be looking for new ideas.
I personaly am looking forward to it as I need a welcome shiver in this hellish heat!
Here is a simple recipe for a universal favorite, chou or chou a la creme in French, to enjoy with your children and sweet-toothe adult friends!

Halloween Chocolate Chou!

INGREDIENTS: Enough for 30 small choux

Chocolate Custard
-Milk: 2 cups/400 ml/cc
-Sweet chocolate of your choice, crumbled: 1 cup/200 ml/cc
-Flour: 2 tablespoons
-Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
-Unsalted butter: 20 g
-Vanilla essence: a few drops

Whipped cream:
-Fresh cream: 1 cup/200 ml/cc

Chou pastry:
-Butter: 100 g
-Water: 180 ml/cc
-Flour: 100 g
-Egg yolks: 4
-Red liquid coloring: 5 measure spoons (such spoons are usually sold together with the coloring)
-Yellow Liquid coloring: 5 measure spoons
Experiment with the coloring

Decoration:
-Chocolate: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Heat milk to lukewarm. Add butter, flour, and cornstarch. Mix well. Heat in microwave oven at 600 Watts for 3 minutes. Mix from time to time.

-In a separate bowl, melt the chocolate over a bain-marie. Add vanill essence and mix. Take off fire and add milk mixture. Mix well.

-Pass the chocolate custard through a sieve.

-That’s how it should look!

-In a separate bowl mix the water with coloring liquid.

-Drop the butter into a pan with the colored water. Heat and stir until the butter has completely melted. Switch off fire when liquid starts boiling.

-Add sieved flour and mix with spatula.

-Mix until smooth.
Switch on fire again. Mix with spatula.
Once the diugh starts detaching easily from the bottom of the pan, siwtch off fire.

-Add egg yolks one at a time and mix well until smooth before adding the next yolk.

-On an oven plate lined with cooking paper, make 30 choux. keep them separate by about 5 cm/2 inches. Spray them with a water atomizer a little before baking them.

-Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 25~30 minutes.

-Take choux out and let cool completely.

-Whip the fresh cream until consistent enough.
Cut choux in halves.
Fill them with whipped cream. Top the cream delicately with the other chou half as shown above.

-Put the chocolate custard into a pastry bag and fill the choux with chocolate custard so as to hide the whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate.

Have fun and do not hesitate to experiment (other colors?)!

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Double Cheese Chou

August 25, 2010 dragonlife 7 Comments

The Japanese love their chou a la creme! Actually they call them chou cream! Mixing up connections? They particularly love the small version/petit chou that you would not find easily in shops in Europe or America. In this country they are everywhere!

Here is a typical Japanese version:
Double Cheese Chou!

INGREDIENTS: Enough for 6 fairly big (by Japanese standards!) choux (plural with an “x”!)

Chou Pastry:
-Unsalted butter: 30g
-Water: 20 ml/cc
-Milk: 20 ml/cc
-White sugar: 1/2 teaspoon
-Salt: a pinch
-Flour: 30 g
-Egg: 1

Cheese Custard Cream:
-Milk: 200 ml/cc/1 cup
-White sugar: 50 g
-Flour: 30 g
-Egg yolks: 2
-Vanilla Essence: a few drops

Cheese Whipped Cream:
-Fresh cream: 100 ml/cc/1/2 cup
-White sugar: 1 + 1/2 teaspoons
-Cream Cheese: 40 g

RECIPE:

-Cheese Custard Cream:
In an oven bowl sieve in flour and sugar. Add milk little by little and mix well.

-Add the cream cheese after crumbling it between your fingers. Wrap with cellophane paper. Put in microwave for 2 minutes at 500 Watts.

-Take off cellophane paper at once. Mix thoroughly with a hand whisker. Add egg yolks and mix well again.

-Wrap with cellophan paper again and put back into microwave oven for 2 minutes at 500 Watts. Take out cellophane paper. Mix well until smooth. Add vanilla essence and mix well again.

-Transfer into a fridge dish. Cover well with cellophane paper so as to prevent cream from drying. Mixing again with a saptula from time to time will help cream to chill more quickly.

-Chou pastry:
Sieve flour.
In a pan drop butter, milk, water, sugar and salt. Mix and cook over a medium high fire.

-Mixing with a spatula melt butter with other ingredients. Once the butter has completely melted and started “boilin”, add all flour and mix quickly with spatula.

-Once the water has evaporated take away from fire and mix again energetically.

-Once the pastry has become smooth and uniform and can be easily detached from the bottom of the pan, add betaen eggs little by little and mix weel until smooth.

-The pastry will be ready when it becomes “bright” and slightly adhere to the spatula.

-On a oven plate lined with baking paper place 6 balls of pastry with a spoon. Keep them sufficiently separated from each other.

-Wet the tips of your fingers with water and shape the balls. Don’t worry too much about the aspect. As long as they are roughly rounded, no problem!

-Lightly spray them with water and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 10~15 minutes ir until they have completely risen.

-Once they have completely risen lower temperature to 170 degrees Celsius and bake for 15~20 more minutes. Do not open oven halway and make sure to lower the temperature!

-Take chou out and let cool completely.

Cheese whipped cream:
-Bring cheese cream temperature to room temperature. Warm it up inside microwave oevn to soften. Don’t overheat it, just soften it! Transfer into a bowl

-Beat the cheese with a hand whisker until smooth. Add sugar and fresh cream and whisk until fluffy and light.

-Cut chou cream in halves and fill bottom halves with cheese custard using a spoon.

-Cover cheese custard with cheese whipped cream with a pastry bag. Top the whole delicately with the chou upper half.

Not that difficult, is it?

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Raspberry Tiramisu

August 16, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

The summer and the heat have this strange influence on me: I don’t seem to be able to get away from sweet comfort (I don’t much dessert usually) and soft drinks (I usually prefer beer or Japanese sake, LOL)!
Since I’m still in my “Tiramisu Mode” here is another simple recipe that will delight the kids (and adults, of course!)!

Raspberry (ies) Tiramisu!

INGREDIENTS: Enough for 10 (Japanese-sized) portions? Michael might not agree with that! LOL

-Frozen raspberries: 500~600 g
-Sugar: 6~8 tablespoons
-Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
-Mascarpone Cheese: 450 g
-Egg: 1
-Glazing sugar/fine sugar powder: 6 tablespoons
-Fresh cream: 300 g
-Fresh raspberries for decoration (the more, the better!)
-Lady finger biscuits: 30~34

RECIPE:

-In a large pan drop the frozen raspberries, sugar and lemon juice. Heat over medium fire for 20 minutes. Switch off fire when mixture has taken the consistency of jam. let cool down.

-A) In a bowl drop the mascarpone cheese, the glazing/fine sugar powder and mix well.
B)In another bowl beat fresh cream to semi-firm.

-Mix A and B delicately until smooth.

-Dip lady finger biscuits well into raspberry jam (but have a look at the next step, first!)

-In a large bowl of your choosing, first line the bottom with a layer of mascarpone mixture, then lay a layer of jam-dipped ladyfinger biscuits over it. Repeat the process three times.

-Lay the rest of the mascarpone mixture on top. Sooth it out with a spatula and decorate it with plenty of fresh raspberries.
Cover with cellophane paper and chill inside fridge overnight.
Sprinkle with plenty of glazing sugar before serving.
For people who like them add more color withsmall mint leaves!

So easy and so impresive!

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Marshmallow Tiramisu

August 16, 2010 dragonlife 8 Comments

I seem to have entered a “Tiramisu Mode” as this is my third (and I have more!) recipe in less than a week!
I might have found myself under the curse of a sweet tooth fairy!
Marshmallows are popular everywhere, even in Japan, so I thought a little “American note” was in order this time! LOL
This particular recipe has not only the merit to be yummy and fit for all ages, but is also so simple and adaptable!

Marshmallow Tiramisu!

INGREDIENTS:

-Cream cheese: 200 g
-Milk: 100 ml/1/2 cup
-Marshmallow: 100 g
-Sugar: 100 g
-Cookies/Biscuits/Sable: 1 “box” or whatever is appropriate
-Instant coffee powder: 2 tablespoons
-Water: 100 ml/1/2 cup
-Cocoa powder: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Get all your ingredients ready! Leave them outside long enough to reach room temperature (relative in summer. Say that 25 degrees Celsius is fine!). Above ingredients are shown as found in Japan. We also use Philadelphia cream cheese. As for the biscuits and marshmallows use whatever you fancy!

-Mix the coffee powder and water to obtain a strong coffee.

-Drop the cream cheese into a large bowl. Heat it for about 30 seconds in a microwave oven to soften it. Add sugar and mix well.

-In a separate bowl drop the marshmallow with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Leave in microwave oven for 30~50 seconds to melt the marshmallow. Mix well.

-Add the rest of the milk to the melted marshmallows and mix well.

-Add the cream cheese to the marshmallow mixture and mix well.

-Line the bottom a large glass terrine mold with one layer of biscuits. Brush enough coffee onto biscuits for them to absorb it. Cover with a layer of marshmallow/cream cheese layer of same thickness. Repeat the same process three more times or until you run out of ingredients!

-Smoothen the surface with a spatula and leave inside the fridge for at least 3 hours (overnight is best!). Sieve cocoa powder over it before serving (not before or the coca powder will sink in the cake!).

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Vegan Tofu & Macha Tiramisu

August 14, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but I’m certainly interested, not only for the sake of healthy food, but also for the challenge.
Tiramisu is difficult to imagine for vegans and even vegetarians, but don’t forget that the Japanese are blessed with both tofu for consistent food and macha for extra taste!

Vegan Tofu & Macha Tiramisu!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people

-Avocado 1 (ripe)
-Tofu/Silk tofu: 125 g
-Soy milk: 60 cc
-Agave Strup: 1.5 tablespoon
-Oatmeal: 70 g
-Vanilla Oil: as appropriate
-Macrobiotic coffee: 1.5 tablespoons
-Powdered macha: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Mix oatmeal with coffee. Add 1 tablepoon of hot water and mix. It will will turn up as soft cookie when all the liquid has been absorbed..

-Thorw in the cut avocado, tofu, soy milk, agave syrup and vanilla oil into a blender. Mix. Check taste and add syrup if not sweet enough.

-Line bottom of cup with oatmeal mix.

-Top with avocado cream, Chill inside fridge.

-Top with plenty of macha powder and serve!

Simple, ain’t it!

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Tiramisu Cupcakes

August 13, 2010 dragonlife 16 Comments

The Japanese are famous for miniaturizing (making smaller) anything in sight, and it does apply in cooking, especially desserts.
Tiramisu is “usually” made into large affairs to be scooped from.
Here is a Japanese home-style version which will prevent fights between children and adults alike!

Tiramisu Cupcakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 5 cups

Sponge cake:
-Whole egg: 1
-Sugar (white): 2 tablespoons
-Flour: 2 tablespoons
-Salad oil: 1 Tablespoon

Coffee Syrup:
-Hot water: 2 tablespoons
-Instant coffee powder: 1 teaspoon
-Coffee Liqueur: 1 tablespoon

Cheese Cream:
-Egg yolk: 1
-Sugar (white): 1 tablespoon
-Mascarpone cheese: 100 g
-Fresh cream: 50 cc/mm (1/4 cup)
-Egg white: 1
-Sugar (white): 2 tablespoons
-Cocoa Powder: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Sponge cake:
Beat the egg and sugar together until they have properly risen.

Add oil and mix well. Add flour through a sieve in three steps and mix.

Fill each cup with an equal amount of sponge cake mixture. Bake for 13 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

-Coffee Syrup.
Dissolve completely instant coffee powder in hot water. Add Coffee Liqueur and mix well.

-As soon as the spong cake has been baked brush in the coffee syrup on it while it is hot top allow for a good soaking.

-Cheese cream:
Beat egg yolk and sugar together until mixture whitens.

-Add mascarpone and mix well.
Beat fresh cream in a separate bowl until 7/10 hard.
Add to mascarpone and mix

-In another separate bowl beat the egg white and sugar until hard risen.
Fold inside mascarpone mixture.

-Fill each cup with cheese mixture.
Sieve chocolate powder on top.

=Chill inside fridge!

Easy, isn’t it!

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French Cake by Bernard Heberle: Thé Citron

May 13, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

My good friend, Bernard Heberle, the owner/chef of Abondance in Hamamatsu City has recently been elected the best patissier in Shizuoka Prefecture (4,000,000 souls) by the biggest Food Blog Community in Japan, namely Tabelog!

He was kind enough to send me his latest creation with the following comments in French:

“Voici le Thé citron
Donc un mousseux a la bergamote sur un pain de Genes a l’earl grey entoure d’un biscuit joconde bicolore
Comme si tu mangeais un Royal milk tea , a ne pas prendre avec un espresso ou autre café…
Bonne dégustation.”

“Here is the Tea Lemon cake
A mousse perfumed with bergamotte on a pain de Genes perfumed with Earl Tea surrounded by bicolour joconde biscuit
Like if you were eating a Royal milk tea, not to be eaten with an expresso or other coffee…
Happy tasting.”

Hope you understand!
In any case another absolute marvel!

Abondance
Address: Hamamatsu Shi, Sumiyoshi, 2-14-27 (in front of Seirei Hospital)
Tel.: 053-4738400
Fax: 053-4738401
Opening hours: 10:00~20:00. Closed on Tuesdays.
Homepage

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French Gastronomy: Pigeon at Pissenlit

April 5, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
!

When I saw the new “noren/entrance curtain” at the entrance of Pissenlit the other day (secret?) I knew it was a lost cause!
I just had to check what was on the menu, which evolves so well with the seasons!

The chef, Mr. Tooru Arima, told me that he had just received pigeon from Ibaraki Prefecture!
-Okay, I’ll go for it!
-It will take some time. How about an hors d’oeuvres first?
-Fine, I leave it to you!

What came was a very unusual combination of North African and Japanese cuisine!
Actually, when you think that Japan imports vast quantities of squid/cuttlefish from North Africa, I shouldn’t have been surprised.
The squid is called “mimi ika/耳烏賊”, meaning squid with “large ears”. It is comparativeley small but with large “ears”.
The dish consisted of a taboule salad with Moroccan couscous and home-marinated, very soft mimi ika squid, and plenty of local trefoil and herbs.
A very sophisticated hors d’oeuvres!

And then the whole pigeon came!
It is prepared in two steps, first a l’etouffee/pan steamed and then roasted before being cut and served with its sauce and vegetables (organic vegetables from Shizuoka).
Cooked to perfection, well roasted and crunchy on the outside and tender and half raw in the middle. Going through many textures in a single bite!

The head has been cut to reveal the brains, a real delicacy if a bit gross!

Now the “stick” is very japanese in concept. It is simply a yakitori made with the liver and heart of the smae pigeon!
Barbarous again, but so delicious!

It was lunch and I had been ravenous. I therefore finished with a small plate of cheese to go with the red wine:
Aged gruyere, Trou du Cru, Crottin Chavignol, Roquefort and Explorateur!

What’s in next? LOL

PISSENLIT
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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French Cake by Bernard Heberle: Foret Noire

April 2, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

My good friend, Bernard Heberle, the owner/chef of Abondance in Hamamatsu City has just been elected the best patissier in Shizuoka Prefecture (4,000,000 souls) by the biggets Food Blog Community in Japan, namely Tabelog!

He was kind enough to send me his latest creation with the following comments in French:

“Biscuit léger au chocolat surmonté de copeaux de chocolat imbibé de liqueur de griotte sertie d’un moelleux au chocolat blanc et griottine et une mousse au chocolat amer et finition a la crème chantilly vanillée.”

“light chocolate biscuit topped with chocolate flakes imbibed with griotte/cherry liqueur surrounded with a white chocolate moelleux and griottine/cherry, and a sour chocolate mousse and vanilla scented Chantilly cream.”

Hope you understand!
In any case an absolute marvel!

Abondance
Address: Hamamatsu Shi, Sumiyoshi, 2-14-27 (in front of Seirei Hospital)
Tel.: 053-4738400
Fax: 053-4738401
Opening hours: 10:00~20:00. Closed on Tuesdays.
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