Japanese hot sandwich maker dessert heaven: Making a jumbo obanyaki the easy way【Recipe】

https://ift.tt/KUziErA Casey Baseel

Who’s got time for sandwiches when there are delicious Japanese sweets to be made?

You could make an argument either way about whether the hot sandwich maker is the most accurately named kitchen appliance or the least. On the one hand, yes, it’ll definitely make sandwiches, but it’ll make a whole lot of other delicious things too.

Case in point: today we’re going to use our hot sandwich maker to make an obanyaki, one of Japan’s favorite desserts.

Usually obanyaki are made with a specialized piece of cooking equipment and come out shaped like hockey pucks. With our sandwich press, though, we’re going to make a jumbo obanyaki, but even with its extra-large size, it’s still super simple, thanks to the recipe we’re following from our friend at YouTube channel Ken Outdoor Cooking.

Ingredients

● Egg (1)
● Milk (50 milliliters [1.7 ounces])
● Pancake mix (80 grams [2.8 ounces])
● Vegetable oil
● Anko (sweet red bean paste)

Step 1: Place the egg and milk into a bowl and mix well.

Step 2: Add the pancake mix and mix until there are no lumps. As a side note, the amount of pancake mix and and milk we used (80 grams and 50 milliliters) were per what was listed on the package for our pancake mix, so you’ll want to double check the brand you’re using and adjust the ratio as necessary.

Step 3: Lightly apply vegetable oil to both sides of the inside of the sandwich maker. Use a paper towel to make sure the oil gets in between any grooves.

Step 4: Pour in the batter your prepared in Step 2. You’ll want to fill the sandwich maker up about 2/3 of the way.

Step 5: Add in the anko. How much to use is up to you and your preference, but remember to leave some room to add in more batter after this.

Step 6: Pour in as much of your remaining batter as you can while still leaving a little leeway underneath the top of the rim. The batter will plump as it cooks, so if you go all the way to the top of the rim you’ll get some spillage.

Step 7: Close up the sandwich press and cook on low heat for three minutes.

Flip the sandwich maker over and check to make sure the outer layer has browned nicely. If it has, cook the other side for three minutes as well.

Once both sides have cooked you’re done!

OK, technically you might have one more step to do. While you could just grab hold of the jumbo obanyaki with both hands and start eating, you might feel more dignified if you slice it in half first. This will also help the inside cool down to an edible temperature, and may also be something you’ll be forced to do if the tantalizing scent of fresh-baked Japanese sweets has attracted any nearby friends or family members who are now begging you for a piece.

▼ Ken Outdoor Cooking’s video demonstration

Depending on where you grew up, obanyaki may be a reassuring comfort food that brings back memories of festival snacks you enjoyed as a child, or it could be a brand-new experience, especially if you’re a newcomer to sweet bean desserts in general.

Either way, though, it’s delicious, and it’s going straight into our hot sandwich maker dessert schedule rotation, right next to this sandwich press choco banana pie.

Related: Ken Outdoor Cooking YouTube channel
Photos ©SoraNews24
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From a random alley in Tokyo, it’s the Running While Carrying a Giant Stuffed Panda Championships

https://ift.tt/V7dN6Ff Casey Baseel

It’s the moment none of you have been waiting for, all thanks to the mind of Mr. Sato!

We’ve all been there. You’re clocked in to work, sitting at your desk and plugging away at your regular responsibilities, when your boss taps you on the shoulder and says he needs you to stop what you’re doing and carry a giant panda across town.

No? Just us? Huh, we’re starting to think our jobs might not be normal.

In any case, though, that’s what happened to our crack reporter Mr. Sato earlier this week. Really the only silver lining was that our boss, SoraNews24 founder Yoshio, didn’t order Mr. Sato to carry a live panda, just a gigantic plushie.

In addition to the SoraNews24 offices and the SoraHouse in the mountains, we also have a SoraApartment in downtown Tokyo that serves as temporary housing for some of our long-term assignments. That apartment is where we’d been keeping the giant panda plushie (which we got from Costco, where we go for our all our ridiculously huge stuffed bear needs), but Yoshio had decided it wasn’t the best use of the limited living space, and that it was time to put it somewhere else.

That’s about as far as Yoshio thought things through, and so the panda has now taken up residence in the SoraNews24 office. Granted, there’s a lot of stuff that just sits around the office (like our vintage PaRappa the Rapper toaster), but because the panda is so big, it’s hard to ignore, and Mr. Sato felt like he had to find some sort of use for it, and out of that sentiment was born…

…the first-ever Running While Carrying a Giant Stuffed Panda Championship!

Naturally, Mr. Sato himself would be competing, and he invited/forcibly coerced three of his fellow SoraNews24 reporters to take part as well. Let’s take a look at the competitors and what might give them the edge over their rivals.

● Mr. Sato (pictured top left): A competitive pole dancer, Mr. Sato has surprisingly impressive levels of strength and flexibility. He’s also easily the craziest member of our staff, which seems like it should be an advantage for sports such as this one he just made up.
● Go Hatori (top right): While Mr. Sato likes to spend time on the pole, you can find Go in the ring, where he trains as an amateur kick boxer who recently won his first full fight. Go is also the tallest competitor in the field, giving him the longest stride.
● Takashi Harada (bottom left): While he doesn’t have the athletic training regimen of Mr. Sato or Go, Takashi has been making major strides in his personal health during the pandemic, and a successful five-kilogram (11-pound) weight loss diet has him lighter on his feet than he’s been in a long time.
● Ahiru Neko (bottom right): Ahiru Neko doesn’t follow any regular exercise program, but in addition to the slender physique he’s had for years, he’s also recently become the father to an adorable daughter, and that’s put a spring into his step that could translate into speed in the race.

OK, with our athlete (?) introductions out of the way, let’s discuss the rules of the Running While Carrying a Giant Stuffed Panda Championship. Each competitor will run the course one time, while carrying the panda, and whoever turns the fastest time will be the winner! Now, while local Running While Carrying a Giant Stuffed Panda leagues will all have their own course lengths, for the championship the distance is always…however long this random alley in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood is.

▼ Gotta be this alley, otherwise your time isn’t official. Also note the massive turnout of spectators watching from their balcony.

And now, let the games begin!

As the originator/instigator of this event, Mr. Sato ran first, finishing with a time of…

…12.08 seconds! We’re honestly not sure if that’s fast or slow, since we’re pretty sure this is the first time anyone has ever timed this particular physical feat.

Next up, Go!

As you can see, Go opted to carry the panda at his side, instead of slung over his shoulder like Mr. Sato did. This strategy resulted in a time of…

…10.57 seconds! No sooner had Mr. Sato thrown down the gauntlet than he tasted defeat.

Running third, Takashi’s technique was to hold on to one arm of the panda, with the rest of the plushie draped onto his back, almost like he was in the middle of judo-tossing it.

In theory this would keep the panda out of the way of his hips and legs as he ran. We’re not sure whether or not that actually provided a net benefit, but in the end…

…Takashi’s time was 14.26 seconds, the slowest so far.

Finally, we come to Ahiru Neko and his technique of, well, whatever this is.

Creative as it may be, this form led to…

…a time of 14.87 seconds, the slowest of the day.

That means that the winner of the Running While Carrying a Giant Stuffed Panda Championship is Go Hatori! Go felt his heart swelling with pride, not just at this unprecedented accomplishment, but also at having climbed the mountain back to self-respect after having lost his shot at the SoraNews24 Office Wrestling championship belt.

However, technically Go is only the provisional Running While Carrying a Giant Stuffed Panda champion. Mr. Sato wasn’t able to rope everyone in the office into this day’s race, so he may have to organize another showdown involving such formidable contenders as Masanuki Sunakoma (who, like Go, is a tall guy with long strides), Seiji Yoshizawa (who burns with the energy of a thousand anime protagonists), and Yoshio himself, who would fill the competition venue with the intimidating atmosphere of his power to fire everyone.

If and when that happens, Go will have to defend his title at Championship Alley. For now, though, the bragging rights are all his.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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New trailer for Fist of the North Star musical released ahead of Tokyo and Fukuoka performances

https://ift.tt/R8O2koD Master Blaster

You’re already fabulous.

There have been a lot of ambitious musical theater performances over the years, but I’m hard-pressed to think of one quite as ambitious as the live musical adaptation of the classic ultra-violent manga and anime Fist of the North Star. Granted it’s been a while since I watched it, but my memories tend to be more of people’s heads exploding in fountains of blood than musical numbers.

Nevertheless, someone decided to take up the ultimate challenge of making this gritty post-apocalyptic martial arts series into an emotionally charged tapestry of music, dance, and acting.

The play, which in Japan goes by the approximate English title of Fist of North Star rather than the manga’s original Japanese title of Hokuto No Ken, actually premiered last December. Due to the lingering effects of the pandemic, it wasn’t very easy to get out to the theater back then, but that luckily gave the actors and producers time to work out the kinks and create an even stronger performance.

To show it off, they’ve released a new long-version trailer for the musical. Let’s take a look:

This video was released as a lead-up to Fist of North Star‘s return engagement at Tokyo’s Bunkamura Orchard Hall from 25 to 30 September as well as a string of shows at Fukuoka’s Canal City Theater from 7 to 10 October. Also, on 27 September there’ll be a special talk with five of the stars, Yusuke Onuki (Kenshiro), Kanata Irei (Juza), Takuya Uehara (Shin), Yohei Isshiki (young Raoh), and Hiroki Hyakuna (young Toki).

The talk can be viewed both in person at the eplus Living Room Cafe & Dining in Shibuya, Tokyo, or streamed on the Internet, and will feature the cast members sharing behind-the-scenes stories about putting together Fist of North Star. Normally, I’m not that interested in hearing about how actors prepare for roles, with the one exception of preparing for roles in a musical version of First of the North Star. In that case, you have my undivided attention, because how the hell do you prepare for something like that?

Fist of North Star is directed by Sachiko Ishimaru, who wrote the live stage musical for Galaxy Express 999, and was written by Ako Takahashi, who worked on localized versions of theater classics How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hairspray. The music was written by Frank Wildhorn who, among several Broadway credits, also penned the Whitney Houston hit “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”

So, it could be good? It’s just too hard to imagine though, so let’s see another montage of moments from the stage show:

I will give Yusuke Onuki credit. It’s got to be hard singing like that while jump-kicking hordes of road warriors, but I still just don’t know… I think the biggest problem is that I’ve yet to see anyone’s head explode. They don’t have to spray the stage down with fake blood or anything. If the character just falls off stage and a red light signifies the head explosion, I could buy into that at least.

Still, I just hope this does work out because it’s such a far-out idea, and I like the fact that they attempted it. The only way to know for sure is to check it out when Fist of North Star – or as I will call it from here on out: “Fist!” – rolls into a theater near you.

Show information
Fist of North Star / フィスト・オブ・ノーススター～北斗の拳～
25 – 30 September
Bankamura Orchard Hall
Bunkamuraオーチャードホール
Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Dogenzaka 2-24-1
東京都渋谷区道玄坂２－２４－１
Website

7 – 10 October
Canal City Theater
キャナルシティ劇場
Fukuoka-shi, Hakata-ku, Sumiyoshi 1-2-1, Canal City Hakata North Bldg. 4F
福岡県福岡市博多区住吉１丁目２−1 キャナルシティ博多ノースビル４Ｆ
Website

Fist of North Star More After Talk / フィスト・オブ・ノーススター～北斗の拳～Mottoアフタートーク
eplus Living Room Cafe & Dining
Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Dogenza 2-29-5, Shibuya Prime 5F
東京都渋谷区道玄坂2丁目29-5 渋谷プライム 5F
5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., 27 September
Admission: 2,000 yen live, 1,500 yen online (online show will be archived until 30 September)
Website

Source: PR Times
Top image: YouTube/ホリプロステージ Horipro Stage
Insert images: PR Times
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Tasting Starbucks Japan’s new autumn Frappuccino, created around the theme of “Our Harvest Table”

https://ift.tt/5Xp47gL Oona McGee

The taste of Japanese autumn in a cup! 

With September now here, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief at making it through another punishingly hot summer, and ease ourselves into autumn with a new seasonal beverage from Starbucks.

This year, as part of the chain’s annual Artful Autumn @ Starbucks campaign, Starbucks has enlisted a number of its employees to act as “coffee ambassadors“, and they’ve been hard at work using their sales experience to create a range of seasonal products around the theme of “Our Harvest Table”.

▼ At the centre of the collection is the Marrone Cassis Frappuccino, which combines chestnut with blackcurrants as the taste of an autumn harvest.

Our resident Starbucks expert, K. Masami, was in line to try the new beverage as soon as it was released on 1 September, and while she was there, she was seduced by another item on the menu, the Roasted Chestnut Latte.

She decided to order the Frappuccino first, pulling up a chair and admiring its brown autumnal hues.

▼ The Marrone Cassis Frappuccino costs 648 yen (US$4.75) for takeout and 660 yen to drink in-store.

While the colour appeared to be uniform at first glance, upon closer inspection Masami was able to see ripples of blackcurrant coursing its way through the milky base.

Up top, there was a scattering of crushed chestnuts sitting upon a mound of whipped cream, reminding her of fallen leaves…and fallen chestnuts.

Just looking at the drink made Masami feel as if autumn had finally arrived, and upon first sip, that sense intensified.

Chestnuts are synonymous with autumn in Japan, and their flavour shone perfectly here. The smooth, nutty taste was sweet and comforting, caressing the taste buds before the fruity, slightly tart note of the blackcurrants lifted the palate with a refreshing note. Then, the taste of coffee — yes, this Frappuccino contains a small amount of coffee — stepped in to meld the chestnut and blackcurrant together, creating a harmonious blend of flavours.

▼ It was Masami’s first time trying coffee, blackcurrant and chestnut together, and it turned out to be a fantastic combination.

Once she’d slurped up the last of her Frappuccino, it was time to head to the counter again and order the hot latte that had previously caught her eye. One of the perks of this drink is the fact that you can order it with oat milk instead of regular milk, which is what Masami did.

▼ “We sincerely serve our oat milk beverages to our customers by using this receipt.”

Recently, Masami has fallen in love with the combination of oat milk and espresso, which she says pair very well together, so she always jumps at the chance to order it when she can. As she waited for her drink to be made, she did some research online and discovered that the latte she’d ordered was not the only new seasonal latte being added to the menu this year. Apparently, there are different lattes being served in different regions, with the Mont Blanc Latte available in eastern Japan, the Honey Marrone Latte available in central Japan, and the Roasted Chestnut Latte in western Japan.

▼ Masami lives in western Japan, so she was able to buy the Roasted Chestnut Latte, priced at 530 yen for a Short size.

Oat milk was the perfect partner for the light blonde roasted espresso used in the latte, and it complemented the roasted chestnut sauce beautifully. The whipped cream was moreish, the sweet chestnut topping added a fun textural contrast, and with every sip, Masami felt the cosiness of autumn wrapping its arms around her.

Both chestnut drinks were absolutely delicious, and Masami would like to raise a glass to the staff members behind their creation. They certainly know what their customers like, and though the addition of blackcurrant may have seemed like a risky partnership, its strong flavour was expertly controlled, working to enhance the taste of chestnut rather than overpower it.

Masami will be back to taste these drinks again before sales end on 20 September, but they’ll only be on the menu while stocks last so get in quick if you’d like to try them. And if you’re looking for another taste of autumn in Japan, don’t forget to pop by KFC and McDonald’s to try their moon-viewing burgers, which are only available for a limited time!

Images © SoraNews24
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McDonald’s releases new Sukiyaki Tsukimi Burger in Japan for moon viewing season 2022

https://ift.tt/ug4i7IQ Oona McGee

Plus a new McFlurry, dipping sauce, and more burgers to round out this year’s collection.

It’s that time of year again in Japan, when we transition into a new season where the warm nights become more bearable and we begin gazing at the brightness of the Harvest Moon, in a tradition known as “tsukimi“, or “moon viewing“.

It’s a tradition that fast food chains have been taking part in as well, with a lot of the big names releasing tsukimi burgers to help celebrate the occasion. Every year, though, it’s the collection from McDonald’s that tends to get the most attention, because unlike their competitors they go all out with their range, offering over half a dozen moon-themed menu items, including some exciting sweet and savoury options.

▼ This year is no different, with a total of eight menu items making up the so-called “Tsukimi Family“.

Family is a theme that’s always at the heart of the annual Tsukimi release at McDonald’s, as it comes just after the end of the summer holidays. A lot of people in Japan will have returned from visiting their family at this time of year, so the chain is able to tug at the heartstrings with their advertising, releasing videos that often centre around a father-daughter relationship.

This year’s Tsukimi commercial was released today, and again it shows a father and daughter parting ways, only to be reunited by their love of McDonald’s under the full moon.

▼ Take a look at the tear-jerking commercial below.

In the ad above, the father drops his daughter off at the station and she tells him he can use her room if he wants. That night, he finds a picture his daughter drew of him, showing him sternly saying “Make sure you eat!” so he sends her a text message to let her know he’s seen her picture, but instead of being angry about it, he writes, “That doesn’t look like me” before writing a supportive “Ganbare” (“Do your best”). In the voiceover, they both say they’ve come to some new realisations — she’s thankful for those times he waited up for her, and he’s realised there was no anger in the sad and good times they’ve experienced, as it was all about growing up.

As for the bunny, well, bunnies are synonymous with moon-viewing, as people in Japan grow up seeing a rabbit pounding rice on the moon, just as people in the West grow up seeing a face on the moon.

Now that we’ve made it through the tear-jerking advertising associated with the collection, let’s get into the comfort food that McDonald’s has in store for us, starting with some familiar Tsukimi items that are so popular they’re returning for another year.

▼ Tsukimi Burger (360 yen [US$2.58])

The signature Tsukimi Burger makes its return again this year, with a plump fried egg that resembles the moon, a juicy 100-percent beef patty, smoked bacon, and a creamy and rich tomato sauce designed to perfectly match the ingredients.

▼ Cheese Tsukimi (390 yen)

This burger adds rich cheddar cheese to the mix, creating an “exquisite combination” of melty cheddar cheese and creamy rich tomato sauce that’s said to be irresistible for cheese lovers.

▼ Tsukimi Muffin (340 yen [US$2.44])

This morning menu item allows you to get a taste of the Tsukimi Burger in a muffin, featuring a moon-esque fried egg, smoked bacon, a flavourful sausage patty, and a rich creamy tomato sauce sandwiched between English muffins.

▼ For dessert, the Tsukimi Pie (150 yen) is making a triumphant return following its immense popularity last year.

This pie contains a lightly sweet red bean paste and soft mochi (pounded rice cake) wrapped in a crispy pie crust. Every bite of mochi will remind you of the rabbit pounding rice on the moon.

▼ Anno Imo Sweet Potato Flavoured Tsukimi McShake (140 yen for a small, 220 yen for a medium)

 

Autumn is the season for sweet potatoes, and the golden-coloured anno imo variety is known for having a high sugar content, making it a popular ingredient in sweets. Unlike all the other items in the collection, which go on sale on 7 September, this one will be on the menu from 14 September.

Now let’s take a look at the brand new items being offered for the first time.

▼ Yuzu Shichimi Dipping Sauce

Customers who purchase a pack of Chicken McNuggets will be able to request this special dipping sauce for a limited time. The new soy sauce-based Japanese sauce is flavoured with bonito stock, shichimi spice and yuzu citrus, to provide a tangy and refreshing taste to your nuggets this autumn moon-viewing season.

▼ Chestnut Mont Blanc Tsukimi McFlurry (330 yen)

This year, a new Tsukimi McFlurry that “feels like autumn” will be released. The sauce contains chestnut paste with “an elegant sweetness and rich chestnut flavour”, which is said to pair well with the milky soft serve ice cream. In addition, chestnut-flavoured sponge cake pieces will be scattered on top, for textural contrast.

▼ Sukiyaki Tsukimi Burger (440 yen)

This is arguably the most exciting item in the entire collection, as it features the flavour of sukiyaki, a meat hotpot dish that’s usually dipped in raw egg before eating. For the burger version, the sukiyaki appears as a thick beef-and-vegetable sauce beneath the meat patty, and it’s sandwiched between two buns with fried egg, cheese, bacon, and that rich and creamy tomato sauce.

The entire collection looks irresistible, and now we can hardly wait for moon-viewing season to start at McDonald’s, just three days before the full moon rises in Japan on 10 September. Like last year, the season runs at McDonald’s until mid-October, but if you can’t wait for it to start, KFC has gotten in early, with their moon viewing burgers already on the menu!

Source, images: McDonald’s Japan
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