12 Days of Anime: 2018 Food Edition – Day 4 – I Love Ramen

I love noodles, so of course an anime all about cute girls eating ramen would stand out to me in the 2018 anime lineup! Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san is a simple show with little plot, plenty of cute girls, and a lot of enthusiastic ramen eating. The title of the show basically describes the entire show. Sure, it’s not the most interesting anime ever (I’m honestly not even sure I finished watching it all), but the ramen visuals were a definite feast for the eyes.

12 Days of Anime: 2018 Food Edition – Day 3 – The Night is Short, DRINK on Girl!

This line of colorful cocktails from the movie, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, was one of my favorite visuals from 2018… I know this movie came out in 2017, but I watched it this year, so I’ve decided to include it as Day 3 of my 12 Days of Anime!

12 Days of Anime: 2018 Food Edition – Day 2 – Ikura-don FOREVER

For the second day of the 12 Days of Anime, let’s talk ikura! Ikura is cured salmon roe that is often featured in sushi. These deliciously salty and richly delicate balls of pure flavor are one of my favorite things to eat, so this dish naturally stood out to me while I was watching the anime, Hinamatsuri.

12 Days of Anime: 2018 Food Edition – Day 1 – “SSSSpecial Dog” for Gridman

For the first day of the 12 Days of Anime, let’s talk lunch… In particular, this hot dog meets sandwich lunch item from SSSS Gridman, which I am fascinated by.

What’s so special about the special dog, anyways? Let me describe it and you can tell me what you think!

Hinata’s Favourite Tomato Cream Nabe: A Feast Fit for the Mountains

Tomato Cream Nabe, as seen in Yama no Susume: Third Season Episode 12!

Mountains, friendship, and delicious food: what more could anyone ever want? While not always the most vocal person, for Aoi in the anime Yama no Susume, her care for her friends is always evident, spurring her on even in her moments of self doubt and timidity. In episode 12, she expresses her gratitude in a special meal made with the mountains and her best friend, Hinata, in mind: a pot of Hinata’s favourite tomato cream nabe!

Yuru Camp’s Hearty Sweet-Meets-Sour Beet and Beef Borscht!

Borscht with a caramel macchiato! From Yuru Camp, Episode 4

Sometimes an anime showcases delicious food that really grabs me in a way that just won’t let go… Usually it’s just a single dish here or there, but in the case of this season’s adorably outdoorsy Yuru Camp, I’ve been getting the urge to jump into the kitchen and try out new recipes over and over again. Last week we had camping-inspired Creamy Soup-Style Pasta with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Asparagus, and this week we’re continuing the camping goodness with a hearty meal of sweet-meets-sour beefy, beety borscht!

Yuru Camp’s Creamy Soup-Style Pasta with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Asparagus: Perfect for some Laid-back Camping or the Comforts of Home

Rin’s soup-style pasta from Yuru Camp!

I love camping and spending time outdoors in nature, so of course my favorite series this winter anime season is the relaxing Yuru Camp… Cute girls going camping while finding friendship and enjoying nature along the way? Yes, please! Sign me up! And, as a bonus, they also happen to eat all sorts of yummy-looking food while on their excursions!

Today’s recipe is from episode 5 of Yuru Camp, in which Rin tries her hand at cooking while camping. She’s not very experienced at cooking on the trail (usually opting for cup noodles) and decides to make a simple, creamy one pot soup-style pasta dish with bacon, mushrooms, and asparagus that can easily be recreated on the trail or at home.

Metamorphosis, Spirits of the Dead, a Precursor of Death: The Symbolism of the Butterfly in Houseki no Kuni

The visuals of Houseki no Kuni (Land of the Lustrous) have always struck me to the core, whether with the almost palpable feeling of isolation among the gems, the marked emptiness of the land (empty of human-like lifeforms, but not necessarily empty of natural flora or fauna), or the alien-like coldness of the statuesque Lunarians. But, the image that stuck with me most in this anime was the visual of Phos standing at the edge of a cliff being progressively covered in yellow butterflies while waiting for a sunspot and struggling with life-changing doubts.

Why this scene over all others in this beautiful series? I just found it so perfectly representative of everything Phos has experienced throughout the anime, especially when you think about the butterfly within the context of Japanese symbology and mythology.

Can this Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe Win a Shokugeki?!

Hainanese chicken rice from Shokugeki no Souma: San no sara, Episode 8!

My mom’s side of the family is from Malaysia and I grew up eating lots of food from that part of the world like nasi goreng, roti canai, beef rendang, laksa, and my personal favourite, hainanese chicken rice!

I love hainanese chicken rice (which my family affectionately calls “ginger chicken” for short), and it’s a recipe I often make for myself at home and always ask my mom to make it me when I go home to Vancouver to visit my parents…

So, imagine my surprise when this childhood favourite of mine popped up rather unannounced in episode 8 of Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara (aka. Food Wars)! In this episode, Yukihira goads Etsuya Eizen into taking their shokugeki seriously, resulting in Eizen making hainanese chicken rice!

And, being Shokugeki no Souma, of course the taste of this simple chicken dish is sublime enough to put everyone into a state of pure, nudity-inducing bliss. But, is it good enough to win a shokugeki?? Maybe you can give this hainanese chicken rice recipe a try and decide for yourself!

Altering Expectations with the Taste of Tofu Steak

Tofu steak – Isekai Shokudou, Episode 4!

Not every meal has to contain meat to be satisfying, filling, and balanced… and to prove this point, today we’re going totally vegan and making tofu steak!

In Isekai Shokudou episode 4, a young wood elf enters the restaurant to another world and asks for a meal that contains no meat products whatsoever. She’s doubtful that a human is capable of making a meal that not only meets her dietary restrictions but that is also delicious. And then, out comes the tofu steak. Cooked to perfection and topped with simple condiments, she’s intrigued and charmed by this simple yet flavorful dish…