COOKING THE ANIME WAY

Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:03 pm

STRAWBERRY-TOPPED CAKE
(as seen on Cardcaptor Sakura)

Ingredients

18 14 ozs cake mix (white)
1 12 cups sweetener (frozen, strawberries pureed)
12 ozs cream cheese
8 ozs white chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ozs frozen whipped topping (thawed)
12 pt strawberries (sliced fresh)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.
Make cake per directions except substitute the 1 1/2 cups of strawberries for the water and add 1 extra egg, (if cake mix calls for 2 eggs add 3), and 8 ounces of the cream cheese at room temperature. Beat well and pour into the prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will not come out clean when this cake is done since it is so moist. Let cake cool fully before frosting.
To Make Frosting: Heat the heavy cream until just beginning to boil. Pour it over the white chocolate (chopped) and the remaining 4 ounces cream cheese. Mix well and let cool. Once cool fold into the whipped topping. Use to frost cooled cake and garnish with sliced fresh strawberries.

MELON PAN
(as seen on Shakugan no Shana)

Ingredients:
(makes about 12 buns)

Bread Dough:
300g bread flour
6g instant yeast
36g caster sugar
5g salt
6g skim milk powder (I used my boy's milk powder)
200g warm water (37~38 degC) (I didn't bother, just made sure water is not cold)
30g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)

Pastry layer
80g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)
90g caster sugar
80g egg, lightly beaten (oh, I hate weighing eggs!)
200g cake flour
2g baking powder
some melon extract (I leave this out as I don't have this)

some caster sugar for dusting/coating

Directions

Sift bread flour, caster sugar, salt, milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add in instant yeast and mix the powdered mixture a little.
Add in warm water. DO NOT add in all the water at one go, leave a little bit so as to adjust the texture of the dough.
Mix the ingredients with hand and slowly form into a dough. Add the remaining water if it is too dry.
Transfer dough to work surface. Knead until the dough longer sticks to the work surface. This should take about less than 5 mins.
Flatten the dough and add in the butter. Continue to knead. Initially, the dough will be very oily, after a few kneads, the butter will be absorbed by the dough. Continue to knead until the dough no longer feel sticky to your hand and will not stick to the work surface. This should take about 15 to 20 mins.
Place dough in a lightly greased (with butter) bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof for about one hour, or until double in bulk.
While the dough is proofing, prepare the pastry layer. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until mixture turns pale.
Add in a few drops of melon extract if desired.
Add in lightly beaten eggs in 3 addition. Beat well after each addition.
Sift over cake flour and baking powder. Mix with a spatula until flour mixture is fully incorporate. Divide into 12 portions, about 35~40g each. For the chocolate chips version, wrapped some chocolate chips into each pastry dough. Place in a tray and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
Punch out the gas in the bread dough and divide into 12 portion, about 45g each. Roll into rounds. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let the dough relax for 10mins.
Remove chilled pastry dough from the fridge. Roll out each dough in between 2 layers of cling wraps (I used clear plastic bags). Roll the bread dough again into rounds again. Remove the top layer of the cling wrap and place the bread dough onto the pastry dough. With the bottom layer of the cling wrap still intact, wrap the pastry dough around the bread dough. Carefully remove the bottom layer of the cling wrap, at the same time, smoothing the edges of the pastry dough. NOTE: DO NOT cover the Entire bread dough with the pastry dough. Leave the bottom 2 ~ 3 cm uncovered. The dough needs the space to expand, otherwise the pastry dough will burst and the resulting appearance will not be very pleasing.
Coat the exterior with caster sugar, stamp patterns on the surface with cookie cutters or decorate as desired. Leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 40 ~ 50mins.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 deg C (I set mine as 180 deg C) for 10 ~ 12 mins. Note: mine took 20mins to brown!

JAPANESE RAMEN(SHOYU)
(as seen on Naruto)

Ingredients

2 Chukamen noodles
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cup chicken soup stock
1 cup kombu dashi soup stock
1 Tbsp sake
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
For toppings: (optional)
chopped negi
nori (dried seaweed)
pepper

Directions

Heat sesame oil in a deep pan. Saute chopped ginger and garlic in the pan. Lower the heat. Add chicken soup stock and kombu dashi soup stock in the pan and bring to a boil. Add sugar, salt, sake, and soy sauce in the soup and bring to a boil again. Run the soup through a strainer. Serve hot soup into individual bowls. In the meantime, boil water in a large pan. Add Chukamen noodles in the boiling water and cook for a few minutes, or follow package directions. Drain the noodles and serve in the hot soup. Place toppings, such as chopped negi and nori seaweed. Sprinkle some pepper if you would like.
*Makes 2 servings

SHRIMP TEMPURA
(as seen on Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge)

Ingredients

3/4 cup (115g) plain flour
1/4 cup (35g) cornflour
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 cup (250ml) soda water, chilled
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
Plain flour, extra, to coat
1 carrot, peeled, diagonally sliced
1/4 butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, quartered, seeded
1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
300g green king prawns, peeled, deveined, leaving tails intact
Light soy sauce, to serve
Wasabi, to serve

Directions

Step 1
Sift the flour, cornflour and bicarbonate of soda in a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the egg and soda water and use chopsticks to gently whisk until just combined (do not overmix - the mixture should be lumpy). Place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with iced water.
Step 2
Add enough oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 6cm. Place over high heat. To test when oil is ready, a cube of bread turns golden-brown in 10 seconds.
Step 3
Place extra flour on a plate. Dip the vegetables in the flour to lightly coat. Dip one quarter of the vegetables, one at a time, into the batter. Shake off any excess. Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
Step 4
Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining vegetables. Dip prawns in the extra flour to lightly coat. Dip prawns in the batter, one at a time, then deep-fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Step 5
Place vegetables and prawns on a serving platter. Serve immediately with soy sauce and wasabi, if desired.

MONJAYAKI
(as seen on Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun)

Ingredients

Flour Batter 270cc 9floz
(Water : Flour= about 17:1)
Cabbage (chopped into small pieces) 130-150g 4.6-5.3 oz
Dried Small Shrimp (Sakura Ebi) 5g 0.18 oz
Dried Squid Strips 5-10g 0.18-0.35 oz
Tempura Crisps 20g 0.7 oz
Otafuku Worcestershire Sauce Gold (included in Flour Batter) 30g 1.1 oz

Ingredients as-you-like
Kimchi, Spiced Cod Roe (Mentaiko), Curry, Pork, Dried Squid (Ikaten), Cheese, Squid, Shrimp, Corn, Tuna, Rice Cake (Mochi), Udon, Soba, Snack Noodles, etc.

Directions

Water: 1020 cc/34 floz
Flour: 60 g/2.1 oz
Otafuku Worcestershire Sauce Gold: 120 cc/4 floz

Directions

Batter:

1. Mix the water and flour in a ratio of about 17:1
2. Mix the Otafuku Worcestershire Sauce Gold into the flour batter.
3. Add the cabbage, dried small shrimp, squid strips, and Tempura Crisps into 270cc of batter.
4. Add in other ingredients as-you-like.
*
1. Heat the electric grill to 325-350F and lightly oil.
2. Leave the flour butter in the bowl this time, and take only solid ingredients onto the heated grill.
3. Use the spatulas to mix the solid ingredients on the grill until the vegetable is cooked.
4. Make a 7-inch hole in the center with spatulas as shown on the picture.
5. Make a 7-inch hole in the center with spatulas as shown on the picture.
6. Let the flour butter simmered for a few minutes, and mix them with all the ingredients together.
7. Spread them thinly and ready to eat. Use the small spatula to eat from the grill.

OMELET/EGG ROLLS
(as seen on K-anime)

Ingredients
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Place eggs and milk in a blender. Add the flour, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set.
Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up omelet in pan, starting with a short side. Place with seam side down on a serving platter. Cut into 3/4-in. slices. Yield: 6 servings.