Takoyaki

Ingredients

Dumpling and fillings:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups iced dashi soup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 lb. boiled octopus, cut into bite-size pieces**
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
• 1/3 cup tempura scraps, panko crumbs, or rice krispies
• 1/4 cup finely chopped benishoga (pickled red ginger)
• 1/4 cup dried sakura ebi (red shrimp), optional

For toppings:

• Takoyaki sauce
• Mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie)
• Aonori (green seaweed powder)
• Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in cold dashi, eggs, and soy sauce to make the batter.
2. Preheat a takoyaki or aebleskiver pan over medium-high heat and grease the molds with oil. Pour batter into each mold until full. Put octopus, green onion, tempura scraps, red ginger, and dried red shrimp in each mold. When  the bottoms of the balls have hardened, break the connecting batter in between each bowl and turn each takoyaki 180 degrees with skewers or takoyaki picks, stuffing in the edges as you are turning. Continue to grill the takoyaki, flipping with the skewers to make balls. When browned on all sides, remove takoyaki from the pan and place on a plate. 
3. Put sauce and mayonnaise on top and sprinkle aonori and bonito flakes over. Serve immediately.

Substitutions:

**If you don't like octopus, you can use boiled hot dog, sausage, fish cake, tofu, mochi pieces, etc.

Classic Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• 4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar, and butter together; press onto bottom and 2-1/4 in. up the sides of a 9-in. springform pan. Set aside.
3. Beat together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.
4. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, then serve.

Aebleskivers

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (plus extra for greasing)
• 2 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. In a clean glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they can hold a stiff peak. Set aside.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar, egg yolks, 1/4 cup melted butter and buttermilk at one time and beat until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites last.
3. Lightly grease each of the aebleskiver pan's cups with some butter and heat until hot. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of the batter into each cup. As soon as they get bubbly around the edge, turn them quickly with a skewer. Continue cooking, turning the balls to keep them from burning.
4. Serve them with syrup, brown sugar, jam, or whipped cream.

Slutty Brownies

Ingredients

For the Brownie layer:

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the Oreo layer:

• 1 package of Oreo (regular stuffed or double stuffed)

For the Cookie Dough layer:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. For the Brownie layer: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder once the butter is melted. Whisk to combine and remove from heat. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and continuously whisk until the eggs are combined. Add the flour and continue to mix. Set batter aside.
2. For the Cookie Dough layer: Cream together the butter and sugars in a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, making sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix on low until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set dough aside.
3. Assembly: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with tin foil and then spray the foil with a layer of baking spray.
5. Layer the cookie dough on the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, pressing down to form the bottom of the slutty brownies.
6. Layer as many Oreos that will fit on top of the cookie dough. (No need to overlap. One single layer will do.)
7. Pour the brownie batter on top of the Oreo layer and make sure it's evenly layered on top.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a knife to see if the center is done. If the knife comes out clean, let the brownies rest before cutting and serving. If the knife comes out with batter still on it, allow the brownies to bake about 5 minutes more.

Teriyaki Sauce and Marinade

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar
• 7 cloves garlic, minced OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• Black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring mirin to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Season with garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and black pepper; simmer an additional 5 minutes. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.