Japanese Mugwort Pancake Food

FLUFFY JAPANESE PANCAKES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, confectioners' sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla and egg yolk in a medium bowl until combined.
• Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined (it's OK if there are a few lumps). Stir one-third of the beaten egg whites into the flour-milk mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined (take care not to overmix).
• Lightly spray the inside of four 3-inch-wide-by-2 1/2-inch-high ring molds with nonstick cooking spray
• Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-low heat. Put the prepared ring molds in the middle of the skillet and fill each with 1/2 cup of batter (it should fill each ring mold about halfway). Cover the skillet with the lid and cook until the batter rises to the tops of the ring molds and is golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Release the bottom of the pancakes with a spatula. Grasp the sides of the ring molds with tongs to stabilize them and then carefully flip. Cover and cook until golden on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and remove the mold. Serve with butter and maple syrup. The pancakes should be eaten before they deflate.
• Lightly spray the ring molds and coat the skillet with nonstick cooking spray and repeat the cooking method with the remaining batter.

JAPANESE VEGETABLE PANCAKES (OKONOMIYAKI)

Steps:

• While oil is heating over medium high heat, make vegetable mixture. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the vegetables, eggs, flour, soy sauce, bonito and dashi.
• When oil is hot drop vegetable mixture into pan flatening it into a small pancake shape. This needs to be no thicker than 1/3 of an inch so that it has time to cook through. Fit as many as you can in your pan without overcrowding or dropping the temperature too much. Once browned on one side, flip and brown the other side. Remove to drain on a paper towel.
• For the sauce, mix the mayo, ketchup and worcestershire sauce together and then drizzle over the hot pancakes. Top with the dried seaweed and serve.