The Costume
This costume was originally made for me by a friend and has only been worn by myself a few times. Many others however have borrowed it for countless reasons and was only worn in full by myself once. The robe of blue and black is made from cotton and the accessories included a blue obi and hair ties. So I made a new black belt and dug my fishnet shirt out of my rave closet (yes I said rave closet). It was originally purchased from a store and had a very tight neck so I opened the top to create a scoop neck instead and reinforced the shoulder and arm seams to allow for rigorous movement. The head band was made out of a white cotton bandanna and sheet metal cut to shape then bracketed on. The cupcake insignia was done on with a Sharpie! I chose marker so that the design can be wiped off and redone however and whenever I want! There are no pants... Very lightweight and breezy this new version has never seen a convention and never will. It was strictly for TCK...
The Episode
This episode was inspired by a marathon of ninja / samurai shows including Basilisk, Samurai Champloo, and Kenshin. It was an action packed, no holds bar couple of days and about halfway though I began plans for the next TCK. I did lots of research about 'Ninja' food and it became more and more obvious that my recipes wouldn't be very exciting if I stuck with traditional. So I watched a video of Naruto cramming his face and off I went! I went with the basics of tofu, noodles and sake then found some other popular Asian inspired ingredients to jazz them up!
In this episode, Ninja Ralenta will teach you how to make Spicy Grilled Tofu, Sriracha Pan Fried Noodle and a Blueberry Saketini
Spicy Grilled Tofu
Ingredients-
14 ounces Extra Firm Tofu cut into 1inch squares (You must use extra firm, the soft tofu will not hold its shape and turn to mush!)
1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce (Also called Thai Chili sauce, it can be found at most grocery stores or any Asian market)
2 tbsp Chile Puree with Garlic (or without)
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Olive Oil (regular not extra virgin, it is too delicate and will burn on the high heat from the grill)
Directions-
Combine the chili sauce, chili puree and soy sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Add the tofu and gently stir it to coat all the pieces evenly. Let it marinade for about half an hour. Preheat a large grill pan to medium high heat, you can also use your outdoor grill if you have one! Add the olive oil to the pan or brush it onto the grill and gently place on the tofu. Be careful not to crowd the pieces, this will cause it to be steamed instead of seared! While it is cooking, brush on the leftover marinade that was in the bowl. Cook for about 7-8 minutes on each side (top and bottom) or until golden brown, I like mine dark brown, just cook them for an extra 4 minutes. Remove from grill and serve hot! Cold grilled tofu is not as good.
Serves 2
Sriracha Pan Fried Noodle
Ingredients-
1 package of Instant Ramen any flavor or 4oz ramen noodles. I like the instant because of the squiggly shape!
1 tbsp Beef Base (Williams-Sonoma sells a great all natural one!)
4 tbsp Sriracha
8 ounces Water
4 tbsp Oil
Directions-
Boil the instant ramen just enough to break it apart, if using regular ramen noodles, cook till halfway done, just until they soften. You only cook them half way because you will finish cooking them in the pan. Strain into a colander to remove all excess water and let cool. Do not break them apart, let it form into a clump, this will help in the pan frying. In a bowl combine the beef base, sriracha and water and whisk, if you want your noodle spicier, use more sriracha and less water. Preheat a non-stick frying pan to high heat, add 2 tbsp oil and spread evenly around the pan. Drop in the noodle and shape it into a circle if it isn't one already. Let cook till noodle becomes golden and crispy, then flip and repeat. If the noodle feels stuck to the pan after you flip it, add the extra 2 tbsp of oil around the outer edge of the pan. Pour in half the sriracha mixture and wait for it to cook down, flip the noodle and repeat again. Slide onto a plate and enjoy!
Serves 2
Blueberry Saketini
Ingredients-
Sparkling Water (club soda)
4 ounces Fine Sake
1/2 ounce Grenadine
1 ounce Blueberry Syrup
Cocktail Shaker full of Ice
Directions
Combine everything but the sparkling water in the shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Pour a martini glass 3/4 of the way full with the mixture and top with sparking water.
Makes 4ish drinks~~~
I hope you enjoyed this episode of The Cosplay Kitchen, it was my pleasure to make your day a little more fun! See you next time for more Cooking, Costumes and Calamity!
Ralenta
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