Japanese Cuisine

“Our sushi class with Deb was amazing. She welcomed us into her beautiful home and offered a great learning experience that was accented by her cultural insight. We had a wonderful evening with an even more wonderful hostess. Thanks again for a great class!”

Kristin

Japanese cuisine is healthy, flavorful and beautiful to behold. Debra brings years of experience living and cooking in Japan and the US to her students. Nothing is lost in translation. The recipes are from her forthcoming book My Japanese Table: A Lifetime of Cooking with Friends and Family (Tuttle Publishing, Fall 2011). Each class includes one home-style sushi recipe plus three dishes.

Here are some suggested menus, but it is easy to mix and match. Each includes fresh vegetable and miso dip appetizer, Japanese pickles, green tea or roasted barley tea(mugicha) and seasonal fruit.

Sushi Party
Learn how to make a typical home style sushi party. Students learn various techniques of rolling in a bamboo rolling mat (maki su), put together their own combination in crispy seaweed squares and mix up a delicious bowl of miso soup.

Hand Roll Sushi (Temaki zushi)
Classic Thick Sushi Rolls (Maki zushi)
Inside Out Roll (Ura maki)
Spinach and Tofu Salad with Sesame Seed Dressing
Miso Soup
Green Tea Ice Cream
*Brown sushi rice also available

Oshi zushi (Pressed sushi)
Layers of sushi rice and smoked salmon are pressed into one large rectangle of sushi for an elegant presentation. It is then cut up into bite size pieces for a showy appetizer. The filling combinations are endless.
Pressed Smoked Salmon Sushi (Oshi zushi)
Tofu and Vegetable Scramble (Iridofu)
Seaweed Salad with Cucumber and Crabmeat
Almond Milk Gelatin with Fruit Salad
Green tea

Sushi Rice with Scattered Vegetables and Seafood (Chirashi zushi)

This classic dish is a show stopper. Assorted seasoned vegetables and seafood are folded into sushi rice and served in one large bowl, which is great for a buffet or individual servings. Think of it as a deconstructed sushi roll.

Sushi Rice with Scattered Vegetables and Seafood (Chirashizushi)
Fresh Tuna Sashimi Salad
Country Style Simmered Eggplant
Chunky Miso Chowder (Tonjiru)

Let’s Make Obento
Suitable for small classes or large group presentations.
Learn how to make a lunch box – Japanese- style. Pack an attractive, healthful and properly portioned lunch and you can be sure nothing will be left over. Debra will share her experiences making obento for her own children in Japan, teach you the concepts of a well balanced Japanese meal and show you how to do this using both Japanese obento boxes and their American equivalents. Whether using Japanese dishes or a sandwich it is all about getting into an obento state of mind.
Rice Balls Stuffed with Spicy Tuna, Seaweed Wrapped Rice balls,(Onigiri) and Japanese Pickles
Japanese Ginger Fried Chicken (Kara age)
Seasoned Rolled Egg Omelet (Tamago yaki)
Green Beans in Sesame Dressing