椰丝面包（汤种）

“汤种”在日语里意为温热的面种或稀的面种。

汤种面包与其它面包最大的差别在于淀粉糊化使吸水量增多，因此面包的组织柔软，具有弹性，可延缓老化，迎合现代人口味。

汤种制作：

1. 水和高筋面粉的比例为5：1。做的少的话一般15克面粉75克水。做的多的话100克面粉（大概是1/2cups+3/2Tbs)，500克水(3cups)。Mix water and bread flour 5:1 ratio. For small portion, 15g of bread flour and 75 g of water. Or for bigger portion 100g of bread flour and 500 g of water.

2. 把水和面粉搅拌均匀。Mix the bread flour and water well.

3. 把混合物加热至65C (149F)，需不停搅拌，以防锅底烧焦。Heat the mixture above to 65C or 149 F, mix frequently to prevent mixture burn at the bottom of the pot.

4. 到65C离火。在面糊表面加保鲜膜，降至室温后使用。Take off the heating element at 65C or 149F. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap to keep in the moisture.

汤种若未用完，可以密封放入冰箱保存1-2天。若汤种变灰就不能再使用了。

材料：

A：
高粉210g
低筋粉56g
奶粉20g
細砂糖 42g
盐1/2茶匙
速溶酵母 6g

B：
全蛋30g
水85g
汤种84g
C：
无盐发酵奶油 22g

椰蓉馅：
无盐奶油50g
50克糖(1/4cup)
1个鸡蛋
椰丝100g
奶50g

酱油分为酿造酱油、配制酱油和化学酱油三类。

酿造酱油——是指以大豆或脱脂大豆、小麦或麸皮为原料,经微生物天然发酵制成的液体调味品; 　如果是纯酿造酱油的成分应该只有“大豆、小麦、盐和曲子”。
配制酱油——是指以酿造酱油为主体,与酸水解植物蛋白调味液、食品添加剂等配制而成的液体调味品。这里面的添加剂还挺多的。常见的有苯甲酸纳，是防腐剂；谷氨酸钠（味精 的主要成分）是增味剂；还有焦糖色，通常是老抽里面加的，用来上色的色素；。
化学酱油——也叫酸水解植物蛋白调味液。以含有食用植物蛋白的脱脂大豆、花生粕、小麦蛋白或玉米蛋白为原料,经盐酸水解,碱中和制成液体鲜味调味品。

酱油的营养指标——氨基酸态氮（国内的酱油瓶标签上有，这边卖的好像没见到过）含量越高表示蛋白质分解得越好,营养成分也越高,味道也就越鲜。氨基酸态氮含量≥0.8g／100ml为特级，≥0.4g／100ml为三级，两者之间为一级或二级。

推荐我们家现在一直用的金味王（酿造酱油）。

My new finding at Costco is this tasty black bean veggie burger. Look at this nutrition information. Can you believe it is tasty and somewhat healthy? It comes in a 10 patty pack about $10 at your local Costco.

周末和朋友去了温哥华。周日早上本来是奔着少林面庄去的，结果发现自从火灾就关门了。倒是在不远的一家，吃了听说还挺正宗的陕西凉皮。还真挺不错的。什么时候自己想试试。

凉皮的做法
1、适量高筋粉加水和成面团。(我用的不是高筋 估计就是面筋劲不筋道的区别吧 普通的面就可以)
2、然后把和好的面团放进清水中反复清晰，洗出面粉中的淀粉，洗到出了面筋为止。把面筋盖好,几小时后, 放到笼屉里蒸25分钟左右。
3、把洗好的面粉水放入冰箱冷藏室，我一般是放一个晚上，反正时间越长越好。（姐就等了几个小时 等待在咽口水中度过。。。也差不多 追求完美的还是多沉淀沉淀吧）
4、第二天，取出沉淀好的淀粉水，把上面的清水倒去，剩下淀粉湖。稀绸可以自己掌握。
5、烧开水，放好笼屉，放入一个小的托盘，托盘上抹上稍许食用油，然后倒入2-3毫米的淀粉湖，大火蒸5分钟即可。如果要厚一些可自己掌握，不过皮子薄了更好吃。
6、把蒸好的皮子放到凉水中，用手轻轻揭下，放到盘中。每层凉皮中间要抹上适量的食用油，一是以防粘连，二是色泽好看。

Ingredients:

Eggs, 3 separated
Granulated Sugar, 6 tbs
Cake Flour, sifted, 3/4 c
Confectioner’s Sugar, 6 tbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then brush 2 baking sheets with softened butter and line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
3. Gradually beat in the ganulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form again; the meringue will be glossy and smooth..
4. Lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork, and fold into the meringue with a wooden spoon.
5. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in gently.
6. Pipe the ladyfingers: Fit the pastry bag with the large plain tip and fill with the ladyfinger batter.
7. Pipe strips of batter 5 in. long and 3/4 in. wide diagonally onto the baking sheets, leaving 1 to 2 in. between each strip.
8. Sprinkle half the confectioner’s sugar over the ladyfingers; wait 5 minutes and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
9. Holding the parchment paper in place with your thumb, lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess confectioner’s sugar.
10. Bake without opening the oven door for 10 min.
11. Then, rotate the baking sheet so the ladyfingers color evenly.
12. Cook until lightly golden, about 5 more minutes.
13. Remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and let cool on a rack.

Hobby’s coworker bought these back every time he visits India. One night, after dining out at a local Indian restaurant, he wanted to order it, only found out that it is not available widely here. So we went to the Indian grocery store next door, and after long explanation, they  told us they don’t have the exact thing, but they have something similar. So we got our sugar fix, however, we were told the real thing we’d have to go to Vancouver BC to get it.

Here is a recipe that I found online. I guess when I get bored one of those days, I would attempt it.

http://saffronhut.blogspot.com/2006/10/simple-sweet-kaju-kathli-cashew.html

Ingredients:

1 cup of cashews
3/4 cup (or slightly less if you prefer) of sugar
1/4 cup of water

Yields about 20 diamonds.

Method:

1. Finely grind the cashews to a powder. A coffee grinder does a great job of this.
2. Mix the sugar and water in a wide saucepan.
3. Heat till small bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
4. Stir gently and let it come to a rolling boil. No need to check for string consistency etc of the syrup.
5. Pour in the cashew powder and stir well to avoid lumps.
6. Keep stirring for a few minutes and you should notice the mixture getting a little thicker.
7. Put a little drop on a chilled plate and test to see if it hardens slightly. You should be able to roll it into a loose ball.
8. If it does, switch off the heat and move the pan away from the hot surface.
9. Let it cool slightly and dump out the contents onto a board or a clean countertop.
10. Knead well with your hands (much like you would knead bread dough) to make it smooth and glossy.
11. Roll out with a rolling pin into 1/4 inch thick sheet and cut into diamond shaped pieces.
12. Gather all the end bits and knead again and repeat the process. No wastage!!
13. Let cool/dry and pack in tins between sheets of waxed paper.
14. Store at room temperature for a week or in the fridge for longer.

Tips:

1. If the mixture remains runny after it has cooled down, you can heat it up a bit more or microwave it to get it to thicken up.
2. If you have over cooked it and the mixture becomes powdery, add a few drops of milk to knead it. This will reduce the shelf life a bit, but won’t make any difference in taste.

The talented chefs at Ray’s kindly obliged our request and sent us this delectable recipe for Scharffen Berger Chocolate Indulgence with Chocolate Ganache and Chambord Sabayon – yum! Homemade date night dessert anyone? Preheat your oven now – you are going to love this!

Ray’s Catering, Seattle, Chocolate Indulgence Cake Sharffen Berger Chocolate Indulgence:

1 pound Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao solids), chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
Fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a double boiler, or in a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of the bowl touch the water), heat chocolate and butter until just melted. Remove from heat. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip eggs and sugar until they reach maximum volume, about 15 minutes. Eggs will be frothy, pale in color and hold a stiff peak. Remove bowl from mixer and use a spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining egg mixture and stir just until combined. Do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Place cake pan in a large roasting pan and place in the oven. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come one inch up the sides of the cake pan. The water bath will help the cake bake evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top has a dry, matte appearance and tiny bubbles form. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight (can also be frozen until ready to serve). To remove cake from pan, run a knife along the sides of the cake pan. Dip pan into hot water for 5 to 10 seconds. Place serving platter over the top of the cake pan and turn over. Cake should slide out. The bottom is now the top. Pour Scharffen Berger Chocolate Ganache over the cake and spread evenly with a spatula, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Serve with Chambord Sabayon and fresh raspberries.

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream
5 ounces Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped

In a saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer. Place chocolate in a separate bowl and pour cream over chocolate. Stir until smooth.

Chambord Sabayon

3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Chambord liqueur
1/2 cup heavy cream

Prepare a large bowl of ice water. In a small stainless steel bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and Chambord. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of the bowl touch the water) and continue whisking until it has thickened to the consistency of pudding. Immediately place bowl in ice water and stir until cooled. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Whisk into cooled egg mixture.

RECIPE: Xinh’s Oyster Sauté in Asian Sauce

(Provided by Xinh Dwelley, Chef, Xinh’s Clam and Oyster House, 221 W. Railroad Ave., Shelton, Washington)

1 quart fresh shucked oysters, any size
2 T. butter or vegetable oil
1 T. minced garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1 T. Hoisin sauce
1 T. oyster sauce
1 T. cooking sherry
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
2 stalks thinly sliced celery
1 C. sliced red & green peppers
1 T. sesame seed oil
1 T. soy sauce (optional)
1 tsp. lemon grass
3 chopped green onion
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, boil one quart of salted water. Add oysters, stir gently for 2-3 minutes. Remove oysters from pan, wash and rinse, set aside. In a large sauté pan, heat oil or butter, add garlic, onion and lemon grass and sauté approximately one minute. Add oysters and simmer 2-3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring gently until heated through. Add cilantro and green onions and stir well. Serve over steamed rice.

One of our favorite thing to do after a good hearty Thai meal is to order their coconut ice cream with mango sticky rice. However, a good coconut ice cream is not always easy to find. We really liked the one from a small restaurant called Noodle Land around Redmond Town Center. We liked it so much, a friend asked the owner for their supplier’s phone number. I was willing to order more than I can ever eat from their wholesale supplier, sadly, when I called, the supplier no longer carry it. I went there couple times afterward, and it is not bad, just not the same. Not the rich, creamy, with shred coconut pieces inside.

Being in the Northwest, especially around Seattle area, we are spoiled with the amount of authentic Thai restaurant selection. Even though, I still haven’t able to find the lovely coconut ice cream that I once had.

This homemade coconut ice cream recipe comes fairly close, I’ve made a little modification when I made it the first time over the weekend. I think I’ll maybe try with some fresh baby coconut next time.

Homemade Coconut Ice Cream
Tools: cookie sheet, sauce pan, strainer, ice cream maker

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place in the hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the coconut turns a light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

NOTE: be very careful, my coconut turned dark brown the first time after 4 minutes in the oven, and burned 2nd time after 2 minutes, the 3rd time, I turned the temperature down to 250, and kept it in the oven for about 3 minutes with frequent checks. Not sure if it is my oven, so just make sure you keep an eye on it.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs with a hand held mixer until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the cornstarch and salt. Set aside.

Combine the half-and-half with the coconut milk in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and slowly beat the hot liquid into the eggs and sugar. Briefly rinse your saucepan and rub dry with paper towel or cloth. Pour the eggs, sugar, etc mixture back into the saucepan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble. (I used double boiler for this, and it might not be necessary. I figure it’s good to be safe than sorry.) Remove from the heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly, about five minutes, then stir in the toasted coconut, heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold (about 5 hours) or overnight. (This step is very important.)

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 3 hours. (We froze ours overnight and had perfect, scoopable ice cream the next evening.)

This delicious recipe is from: The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More by Bruce Weinstein. The ice cream was made with a Cuisinart ICE-20 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, and Sorbet Maker.

So what’s so special about Kasutera? It is make of all natural ingredients. There is no oil, butter, or baking powder, baking soda. Yet, it is still airy, fluffy, and moist…

查了无数个recipe最后决定试试这个。
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 large eggs, separated
1 cup cake flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon green tea powder or unsweetened cocoa powder (optional-if using omit the lemon extract)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 C). Use parchment to line the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan, preferably with a removable bottom or 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans. Grease the parchment. In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon extract, and salt into egg yolks. Place bowl in a large pan of hot water. With an electric mixer, beat about 5 minutes on medium-high speed until pale yellow and doubled in volume. Gently fold in sifted flour.

2. Wash beaters. In a large bowl, beat egg whites in electric mixer on a low speed 1 minute, increasing speed to medium-high. When foamy, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff but not dry. With a spatula, fold the egg whites in thirds. Pour batter into pan. Tap gently on the counter to remove air bubbles.

3. Bake on middle rack of oven 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. When done, cake sides will pull away from pan slightly; top will be flat and feel spongy when pressed with finger. Cool 20 minutes. Run a small knife between edge of cake and pan. Remove from pan carefully. Pull off parchment and cool completely. Serve or store airtight.

Makes 12-24 servings depending on which size cake pan you use.

NOTE: This recipe is adapted from the Kastutera recipe in “Japanese Cooking for the American Table” by Susan Fuller Slack.

心得：

1。原食谱有加1茶匙柠檬精(Lemon Extra)，我不喜欢就省略了。
2。我只放了1/2杯＋１汤匙白糖，如果喜欢甜味可以多加糖。
3。用圆底的容器搅拌鸡蛋液比较方便。
4。如果蜂蜜有结晶，建议加热融化结晶，口感滑一些。