Marinade vegetable and Surimi nugget salad カラフル野菜とさつま揚げのマリネ "Surimi nugget" from local store, which is delicious and the taste is similar to Japanese "Satsuma- aget". Marinade with cooked vegetables. Colourful dish means well balanced dish! This one could be a beautiful appetizer for dinner as well. この『さつま揚げ』というのは・・・ 『Ｓｕｒｉｍｉ Ｎｕｇｇｅｔ』という名で市販されてますが、 みんな知らなかったみたい。 味はさつま揚げそのもの！ 炒めた野菜と一緒に1時間ほどマリネして、 彩りのよい一品に。 ビネガー効果で、お弁当にも安心。（お弁当箱に詰めるときは汁気を切ってくださいね～） ディナーの前菜としても、また、普段のご飯のおかずにもいいですよ。
Tamago-yaki (rolled egg omelette) 卵焼き The square frying pan was used! This size is good for making small "Tamago-yaki". （I got this pan at Wanaka Miter10)
We added chopped carrot leaf and a little of Mayo as a variation this time. Slight bitterness was comfortable. It had plentiful β-carotene and Vitamin E, of course!
Tori no Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) 鶏の唐揚げ The most popular lunch dish! When you taste it once, you should want to cook this deep-fried dish. Easy preperation, delicious!!
Additionally, I prepared some side dishes: Octopus shaped cocktial sausages, grilled salmon pieces, sweet corn, green veges with sesame seeds dressing, "Umeboshi" (salted Ume-apricot pickles), "Furikake" (dried food to sprinkle on rice).
***************************************************************************************** There were piles and piles of things to be washed during the cooking! Having 3 expert Japanese housewives was great help on that day!!! They cleaned the piles in sequence skillfully. Very reliable!
5 people in the second class on the 10th. Because there were some regular members, it advanced skillfully with good quick movement and we completed earlier than expected.
調理が終わり、料理を並べて、思い思いに容器につめていきます。 ここが特に真剣。 さて、どんなお弁当に仕上がるか・・・ Cooking was over, packing them into container freely. Here was particularly earnest. How beautifully it is packed...?
こちらの皆さん、かなりの和食通です。
**************************************************************************************** Here are the Japanese expert wives of Emiko-san, Noriko-san, and Akiko-san, who joined on the 8th. 今回ご参加いただきました日本人の3名様 （恵美子さん・紀子さん・明子さん） ワナカ滞在ののち、13日にこちらをご出発 されました。 クラスに参加していただけるとのことで、 ＮＺにいらっしゃる前からの準備や、 当日はスタッフのごとくお手伝いしていただき、 お蔭様で楽しいクラスができました。 地元の方々にも大変好評でした。 ありがとうございました。
They were going to participate in the class and were looking forward to before they come to NZ. They helped me and did a lot of work at the class like the staff, so it was a pleasant class with a grace on that day. I most appreciated it.
Why is the bento so popular for the freigner? My daughter is a rice eater than sandwich eater, so I prepare often Japanese style bento for her school lunch. She said that it was very popular among her friends.
I don't make such a colorful bento everyday. There are more often with only chow mein or fried rice... Easy peasy! Don't push yourself too hard! We need omission sometimes.
To have Bento cooking classes, I looked around the local shops for the containers and...found colourful ones with good size!
今回クラスを実施するにあたって、 地元のお店を見て回ったら、 こんなカラフルな容器がありました。
It seems to become fun to make it, when the small goodies are used together! お弁当用小物も合わせたら・・・ 作るのが楽しくなりそう！ （マーガリン容器とはやっぱり違うなぁ・・・）
In the classes, I would like to explain about the dish with the color and the relations of the nourishment balance, idea to pack neatly, etc. The menu is also great for our everyday cooking as well as for the boxed lunch. If you are interested, please contact me. < japanese.cuisine.wanaka@gmail.com >
March : Tuesday 8th (6pm) ------- fully booked Thursday 10th (6pm) ------- fully booked 25th/26th/27th （one of the dates, 6pm) --- spaces available Wednesday 30th (11am) ----- spaces available
Yakitori originally grilled over charcoal. The "Bincho charcoal" in particular gradually adds far-infrared heat without taking out flame, which cook the meat perfectly. I thought we can do it on a gas barbeque with making a distance between meat and flame. We used bricks wrapped by tin foil then. Yes, they worked well ! Also, the position was adjustable to suitable width for the skewers. Wonderful !
Yakitori consists of various parts of the chicken. We cooked four kinds from them for the class. 今回はこの中から4種類
Preparation of each parts of chicken: まずは素材ごとに仕込みから～（全員で実習）
I was worry about if someone didn't want to do the pre-treatment of hearts. But all seemed to be happy to do it. I heard "It's like a heart operation!" We used atrium part. (The ventricular parts were given to my dogs, and they seemed to be happy, of course!)
Grease came out gradually from wings... They looked delicious! レンガに渡した焼き鳥、間もなくジンワリと火が通り、 手羽から脂がにじみ出て美味しそう！
Another dish, Avocado Soba-noodles.
We cooked noodle dish, served it individually, did table setting, etc...
間もなく、焼きたてをのせたお皿が 次々とテープルに運ばれて、 和やかなディナータイム。
Before long, plates of hot Yakitori were carried to the table in sequence.
～ Dinner time ～
皆さん、ご家庭でも是非やってみてくださいね～ Please try it at home as well ! *******************************************************************************************
I did it later, too, by the request from my B&B guests. The Japanese family who lived in Auckland enjoyed walking at Rob Roy Glacier Track all the hot day. After that, Yakitori cooking with drinking beer!
その間に手早く素麺ゆでて、冷やしておいた夏野菜の揚浸しも並べて・・・ The side dish on that day was "Adgay-bitashi summer vegetables". (It was one of cooking class menu around 2 years ago) This cold dish prepared in advance is another great combination with cold noodles on hot summer day.
焼き鳥片手に、さっぱり素麺・コクやわ夏野菜のトッピング仕立て！
西日のさす夏の夕暮れ時、 美味しくて楽しいテラスでの ひとときでした。
It was pleasant dinner in the evening twilight, blissful time...
During this school holiday, there are some holiday program for local children, organized by Community Networks.
現在スクール・ホリデー中。 毎回学校がお休みの間は、コミュニティーによる子供たち用のホリデープログラムが開催 されてます。 As for the program of the day, "Japan" was a theme. "Making sushi" was the part of it, and I participated in it as a "Sensei" instructor.
Children appeared one after another after morning tea time. Then it started. We made sushi vinegar first, then mixed it into the hot cooked rice. While the sushi rice was cooled down, we prepared the favourite ingredients together.
Unlike the cooking classes for adult, it was more difficult to teach children. But I learned many from this experience. Thank you Community Networks for giving me this valuable experience!
I have done cooking classes of March last night. The heart-warming dishes were nice in this autumn air. We cooked "Kamameshi" "Chawan-mushi" "Goma-ae" in the classes.
KAMAMESHI : A kind of pilaf (rice dish) using chicken, shiitake-mushroom, and vegetables as ingredients. It's traditionally cooked in an individual iron pot, we used ceramic ones instead, and cooked in oven. The measurement of rice and water amount are important, and virtually half succeed if they are suppressed well.
CHAWAN-MUSHI : This traditional steaming dish has silky smooth soft texture. They set slowly in the steamer. Be cereful about the heat. Just keep the right flame. The seasonal ingredients hide in the egg custard, so that enjoy the amusement that you find them at eating.
GOMA-AE : Great versatile way to eat green vegetables. We toasted sesame seeds, then grinded it by using a Japanese earthenware mortar "SURI-BACHI". The deep aroma when it was grinded! It surely excited our appetite!
In the March classes, there was an opportunity again to tell about KOMBU (kelp) and how to use. We used both Hokkaido (Japanese) KOMBU and New Zealand KOMBU. Although they are used for making "Dashi" stock usually, we cut them into tiny pieces and added into each pot of Kamameshi to be soaked in water together with rice before cook. It made taste of the dish deeper. Also it's very rich source of iodine ...which is another charm of the KOMBU!
"Surimi nugget" from local store, which is delicious 
The square frying pan was used!
今回は基本に変化をつけて、
The most popular lunch dish!
I decided to adopt "Bento cooking" 
Because of the color contrast of dish and rice?
今回クラスを実施するにあたって、
なるべく近い状況にするため、レンガの
Grease came out gradually from wings...
Another dish, 
羽生家シェフのご主人に焼き場を担当
At the kitchen:
Peel, cut, slice, mix....
お楽しみのランチタイム：
KAMAMESHI : A kind of pilaf (rice dish) using 
CHAWAN-MUSHI : This traditional steaming 
GOMA-AE : Great versatile way to eat green 
In the March classes, there was an opportunity 
