Takoyaki are a Japanese street snack that originated in the city of Osaka. They are little round balls of batter that are slightly crispy on the outside and a bit soft and gooey on the inside, stuffed with a little nugget of octopus, tempura bits, and green onions. After the bottom of the takoyaki will be cooked through. At this point, you can use a skewer or two to turn them over 90 degrees. If you can’t turn the takoyaki easily, it probably needs to cook for a bit longer. If needed, add a bit more batter to the balls to fill them up. Let cook for a minute or so and then do another 90 degree turn. The balls will become easier to turn the more they cook.The takoyaki are done when they’re lightly brown and crispy on the outside and they turn easily in their holes. Overall I’d say it takes about 10-15 minutes per batch, from start to finish, depending on how crispy or soft you like your takoyaki.To serve, place the takoyaki on a plate and drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. Genrously sprinkle on the bonito flakes and aonori. Enjoy, but be careful, the insides are hot!

1 egg yolk 18g
1 tbsp sugar 12g
2 tbsp milk 30g
3 tbsp flour 30g
1/4 tsp baking powder 1g
Whites
2 large egg whites 60g
1/8 tsp cream of tartar 0.4g
1.5 tbsp sugar 18g

Instructions
Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of sugar until pale and frothy. Mix the milk in batches. Sift the flour and baking powder over the yolk mixture and whisk well making sure everything is incorporated.
This is THE best souffle pancake recipe, trust me. I’ve made so many successful soufflé pancakes now, I can pretty much start my own cafe and I want you to be able to soufflé pancake too. Hopefully this soufflé pancake recipe helps you live the cottagecore life with some home cafe vibes.

If you love soufflé pancakes, try these recipes:
Mile high mini soufflé pancakes
Copycat Gram soufflé pancakes
Creme Brûlée soufflé pancakes
Bonus: Where to get the best soufflé pancakes in Japan
PS – These are a commitment, so you really have to love pancakes, yourself, or whoever you’re making them for. Patience is key, both when making the batter and when cooking.

PPS – If you’re looking for the pan I used in this post, it’s this one paired with a wok lid I found at a grocery store (it looks like a really cheap version of this one).

The other day my friend Suzanne served up some delicious chai and told me more of her experiences with it while in the Peace Corp in Africa. According to Suzanne, families have chai recipes the way they have curry recipes, every one a little different and each particular to a family.

It can conveniently be made all in one pot, and you can use sweetened condensed milk from a can – important in the tropics. If you really want the authentic experience, drink it from a tin cup. Here is the way that Suzanne makes her chai:

INGREDIENTS

Spice ingredients for one pot of tea:

• 1/2 of a star anise star
• 10-12 whole cloves
• 6-7 whole allspice
• 1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon bark (or 2 short sticks)
• 6-7 whole white peppercorns
• 1 cardamon pod opened to the seeds

Other ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 heaping tablespoons of a high quality full-bodied broad-leaf black tea (Ceylon, or English Breakfast if a broad-leaf Ceylon is not available)
• Sugar

Takoyaki are a Japanese street snack that originated in the city of Osaka. They are little round balls of batter that are slightly crispy on the outside and a bit soft and gooey on the inside, stuffed with a little nugget of octopus, tempura bits, and green onions. After the bottom of the takoyaki will be cooked through. At this point, you can use a skewer or two to turn them over 90 degrees. If you can’t turn the takoyaki easily, it probably needs to cook for a bit longer. If needed, add a bit more batter to the balls to fill them up. Let cook for a minute or so and then do another 90 degree turn. The balls will become easier to turn the more they cook.The takoyaki are done when they’re lightly brown and crispy on the outside and they turn easily in their holes. Overall I’d say it takes about 10-15 minutes per batch, from start to finish, depending on how crispy or soft you like your takoyaki.To serve, place the takoyaki on a plate and drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. Genrously sprinkle on the bonito flakes and aonori. Enjoy, but be careful, the insides are hot!

1 egg yolk 18g
1 tbsp sugar 12g
2 tbsp milk 30g
3 tbsp flour 30g
1/4 tsp baking powder 1g
Whites
2 large egg whites 60g
1/8 tsp cream of tartar 0.4g
1.5 tbsp sugar 18g

Instructions
Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of sugar until pale and frothy. Mix the milk in batches. Sift the flour and baking powder over the yolk mixture and whisk well making sure everything is incorporated.
This is THE best souffle pancake recipe, trust me. I’ve made so many successful soufflé pancakes now, I can pretty much start my own cafe and I want you to be able to soufflé pancake too. Hopefully this soufflé pancake recipe helps you live the cottagecore life with some home cafe vibes.

If you love soufflé pancakes, try these recipes:
Mile high mini soufflé pancakes
Copycat Gram soufflé pancakes
Creme Brûlée soufflé pancakes
Bonus: Where to get the best soufflé pancakes in Japan
PS – These are a commitment, so you really have to love pancakes, yourself, or whoever you’re making them for. Patience is key, both when making the batter and when cooking.

PPS – If you’re looking for the pan I used in this post, it’s this one paired with a wok lid I found at a grocery store (it looks like a really cheap version of this one).