The emerald is a type of beryl. Very often they contain inclusions (internal flaws) or fissures (flaws that break the surface). For this reason, although quite hard (7.5-8 Mohs scale), emeralds are not very tough and must be handled with care.

The famous green color of the emerald is caused by chromium (and sometimes vanadium) impurities within the mineral structure of the stone. Often, emeralds are treated with oil in order to mask or diminish the visibility of fissures. Cedarwood oil is often used and it is generally expected in the gem trade that emeralds will have been treated with oil. However, treatment with dye in order to enhance the stone’s color is not considered acceptable. It is possible to create emeralds synthetically, but the seller must disclose the fact.

I found a nice recipe at Malissa’s Food Blog. She had tried so replicate the 99 Ranch bread, using a Hokkaido bread recipe.

Remember that raw taro is toxic, because it contains calcium oxalate, which is destroyed by cooking.

It took me some time to use them, so they had sprouted.

Taro Paste 

1 ½ cups taro, cubed
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
10 drops blue food coloring
6 drops red food coloring
pinch salt
3 tablespoons corn starch
¼ cup water

Steam the taro cubes until tender. Blend the cooked taro and 1/2 water until it becomes a puree. Mix the corn starch with water. Combine it with the taro puree, sugar, food coloring, and salt in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for about 4 minutes, stir after every minute. It will thicken more as it cools.

Hokkaido Bread 

540 grams bread flour
60 grams cake flour
10 grams instant yeast
30 grams milk powder
80 grams sugar (3/4 cups)
9 grams salt (1 tsp)
1 large egg
250 grams milk (1 cup)
150 grams heavy cream (1/2 cup)

Heat milk and whipping cream until 100 degrees. Mix in egg. In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then gradually add the wet ingredients. Continue kneading for about 15 minutes. Shape into a ball. Cover and let rise until doubled. Divide the dough into two and shape into balls. Let rest, covered about 15 minutes. Shape into a rectangle about 6 x 12 inches. Spread with the taro paste (recipe below). Roll the dough one section at a time and crease with each rotation. The roll will spread out as you roll and will end up about 8 to 9 inches long or a perfect fit for your loaf pan. Place the rolled dough in a parchment lined loaf pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled. Bake in a 175ºC oven for approximately 45 minutes. Let it cool down before slicing.

And this is the result. I didn’t have a loaf pan, so I used a cake pan with a whole in the middle. I also was lazy to knead, so the Thermomix made it for me, he, he. The only problem was that I put some food coloring in the bread, and instead of looking purple as I intended, it turned out green, like a martian! It was delicious though. Just the flavor I was going for.

Friend, remember that things don’t last forever, and that’s even good. I’s ok to use it, and if at some point they get broken, you can replace them by new ones and enjoy new designs.

Thanks for the gifts….they came a bit late, but they are really cute.

This is the result.

It was easier to make than it looks. Circles of felt in different colors sewn together. And the stitches look pretty neat, right?

My mum loved it, but when I said it could serve as my gift for her oncoming birthday…she didn’t think it was such a good idea. Go figure!

Here is the recipe:

Matcha sponge:

• 7g matcha tea
• 50g flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
• 60g sugar
Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Weigh the flour and the tea, mix, sift and set aside. Mix the yolks with half the sugar till pale. Mix the whites with the rest of the sugar and whip them to a meringue. Delicately mix the yolks and whites. Once homogenized, add the flour and tea mixture, mixing gently. Pour the mixture on a removable ring mold, previously greased. Bake for around 12 minutes. With a 20cm mold the sponge is 2.5-3cm tall. When done, tip it out of the mold carefully and let cool on a wire rack.

Mascarpone mouse:

• 3 gelatine sheets
• 180 g whipping cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 60g water
•90g sugar
• 250g mascarpone

Place the gelatine sheets in a bowl with cold water.  Mix the egg yolks with the water and sugar. Heat the mixture in a bowl over boiling water for 8 minutes at 80ºC. Then rinse the gelatine sheets and add them to the bowl. Stir to dissolve and let cool. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. When the custard reaches room temperature, add the mascarpone and mix it. Then add the whipped cream and mix gently. Pour it over the matcha cake and put it on the fridge.

Matcha tea mousse:

• 3 gelatine sheets
• 100g milk
• 7g matcha
• 1 egg yok
• 1 egg white
• 40g sugar
•100 ml whipping cream

Put the gelatine sheets in a bowl with cold water. Pour the milk in a pot, add the tea, stir while heating it, but do not bring to a boil. Mix the egg wolk with hal the sugar till pale. Then add the milk-tea mixture and heat it to until 85ºC to make a thin custard.  Add the rinsed gelatine sheets to the warm custard, stir to dissolve and let cool. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, set aside. Then whip the egg white and the rest of the sugar to a meringue. When custard is cool, mix the cream gently. Then mix the meringue carefully, not to deflate it. Pour over the mascarpone mouse and bring it back to the fridge.

And done!

I used my family as guinea pigs. Some said the flavor was “weird”; some that the color was “weird”. The ones with the more discriminating palates asked for a second serving. Personally, the more I eat, the more I like the flavor….I think it might be an acquired taste.