Japanese Cooking Autumn Lesson with Bashi

Hot and humid summer is over in Japan, appetite returns to enjoy cooking!

Bashi selected delicious menus for our Autumn cooking lesson:

Eggplant Dengaku, Tendon and Nabé of chicken dumpling and Mizuna.

Bashi shows how to prepare the ingredients first

Then students turn to try Bashi's instruction

Idea from the student to use fork, instead of a bamboo skewer we use often in Japan, to stab the cut surface of the eggplant - how useful :D

 Here are the ingredients for making Tempura

Bashi gives professional tips to make delicious shrimp Tempura

Here is the secret to make straight shrimp Tempura

Move on to cook the eggplants

Bashi gives cooking tips, how to make delicious Dengaku miso sauce

Now time to apply the Dengaku miso sauce on the eggplants

Rice for Tendon is cooked in Bashi's favorite rice cooker

Chicken dumpling ingredients need to be mixed well with hands

Bashi shows how to form chicken balls with 2 spoons

Cooking time is a fun time ;-)

When chicken dumplings floats to the top, add the mixed vegetables

Making the batter correctly is important to make delicious Tempura

Very interesting tips about frying the shrimp like a pro!

If you are not used to chopsticks, you can use tong instead ;-)

Everyone tries frying Tempura to practice what they have just learnt

Look how beautiful they are cooked!  Bravo everyone!!

The beautiful presentation of food is an elemental component of Japanese cooking, instructs Bashi showing how to serve on the dishes.

Everyone is getting hungry, almost there!

And finally Itadakimasu (いただきます)!!

Dengaku miso sauce is also recommended for tofu, arum root and beef, instead of eggplants.  Nabé of chicken dumpling and mizuna was the most popular dish among the menus we learnt today.  Hoping that students will cook by themselves at home soon, we look forward to the reunion at our next lesson :-)

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Let's make sushi roll like a pro with Nishishiba sensei

Cooking lovers from the United States and Japan, gathered in Itadakimasu cooking studio to learn how to make Sushi Roll, Tsukune Yakitori and Chawanmushi.

Everyone is in charge of ingredient preparation.

Minced meat for making Tsukune must be mixed well with hands.

Shaping the Tsukune mixture into patties.

Yakitori can be made easily at home using a frying pan.

Fry both sides of the patties, then add the Teriyaki sauce.  Smells so good!

Full of professional tips to prepare delicious sushi rice.

Started Chawanmushi preparation while cooling the sushi rice.

Control of the heat is important to succeed steaming the egg mixture into a firm pudding.

Start making sushi roll with Makisu (sushi mat), the essential tool to roll sushi.

 After spreading the sushi rice, put cling film on top and turn it over.

Put the sushi fillings on top of the seaweed side.

Then roll it tight.

Slice the roll with the cling film on, then take them out after served on the plate.

Sprinkle the flying fish roe.

 Serving the Tsukune with raw egg yolk, which goes well as a garnish.

Introduction of today's sake by sommelier Shoko san, to enjoy the marriage with the meals we made.

And finally "Itadakimasu（いただきます）"!!

It was a very informative Japanese cooking lesson, even for Japanese, and so much fun to share the joy of cooking, and cross-cultural exchange!  Hoping that our American guests enjoyed our Omotenashi Cuisine, we are looking forward to welcome more guests to our next lesson on Sep 30!

Otsukaresama deshita (お疲れ様でした) and thank you (ありがとう)！

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Sake Japanese Cooking Class Report

Sake lovers gathered in Roppongi, to cook Japanese meals and enjoy sake from Saga prefecture.

Chef Airi san of 101 café gives healthy café-deli cooking lesson in Japanese, and no worries, I assist her with English translation for our english speaker guests:)

Menu 1:   Lasagna of baked bran from Iwate 

Menu 2:   Handmade Ganmo of Tofu and Wakame (seaweed)

Cooked rice in Donabe and made Onigiri

Menu 3:   Onigiri of Umeboshi (dried plum) and Wakame (seaweed)

Meals ready!  Let's eat:)

Today's sake from Saga:  Sachihime Junmai Daiginjo and Genshu were so delicious:)

KANPAI!!

Ganmo served with SobaCha and salted kelp was so nice!!

Iburigakko, Japanese radish smoked pickles from Akita prefecture was a great match to finish off our Sake cooking dinner:) 

There are so many delicious regional sake and foods in Japan that even Japanese don't know.  We will continue to hold such events to welcome foreigners and Japanese sake enthusiasts to share the joy of drinking delicious sake from all over Japan, with cooking tips that you will be able to enjoy food pairing at home after the class:)  Come and join us!!

For more info about this Sake Cooking Class

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