Japanese cooking in autumn! The color became beautiful outside day by day, we cooked Chan-chan-yaki of salmon and Kenchin-jiru (vegetarian soupy dish).
秋の色濃くなる時期、料理教室ではサーモンのちゃんちゃん焼きとけんちん汁を作りました。
CHAN-CHAN-YAKI OF SALMON: Salmon fillet or steak with medley of vegetables covered with miso-dare-sauce in the foil parcel, which was cooked as a steam-cooking in oven. ちゃんちゃん焼き、こちらでも身近な材料でできるし、オーブン使用のホイルベイクとあって、お手軽。 主役はもちろん脂ののった美味しいNZサーモン。
KENCHIN-JIRU: Hearty simmered soupy dihs of tofu and vegetables.
I introduced an unique food Konnyaku which everyone here eat for the first time probably, which is commonly used for Kenchin-jiru in Japan though. Konnyaku is a jelly-like food made from the starch of Konjac potato. It's a low-calorie and fiber-rich food to cleans our gut.
We tore it by hand to make small pieces so that taste is easy to soak, then we cooked it in the boiling water as a preperation which made to remove the smell from Konnyaku and made the texture good.
味がしみ込みやすいように手でちぎって、下茹でしてから使いました。
We used Kombu-water (Kombu-kelp soaked in spring water of Lake Wanaka for overnight) as one of the stock ingredients for the soup. We also used the Kombu-kelp with chopping finely after soaked and added into the soup. Juice from soaked Shiitake mushroom was added into the soup pot, too. After season the soup, checked the taste and adjusted it with a little more seasoning and dashi stock powder.
ダシについては、ここでは粉末のカツオダシしか選択肢がないのですが、自然食品のお店でたまに見かける昆布を手軽に使うということで、昆布水を使用。 ワナカ湖の美味しい湧き水に一晩浸水させた昆布、昆布水を鍋に、昆布のほうも刻んで追加。 さらに椎茸の戻し汁も加えて奥行きを出します （なるべく粉末ダシの量を抑えたいので、いろいろ工夫してます） 調味料を加えて味見、ここで最終的に味の調整。 深みが足りなければ、粉末だしを少し足します。 Thanks for participating from Australia and from UK. この日は、オーストラリアからとイギリスから、ワナカに滞在中の方々が参加してくださいました。
Other fish fillet can be used for Chan-chan-yaki, instead of salmon, of course. We used Rainbow trout fillet together with salmon on the night. The taste was beautiful, thank you Jules to bring your game!
Group of four ladies, it was the celebration for Georgia who was getting to marry in the following week. 女性4名のグループ、ジョージアが来週結婚するそうで、そのお祝いを料理教室でというプランニング、粋ですね！
Georgia was participation putting on her wedding veil, and a badge of "Help! I'm getting married". Congratulations!
Yakitori and Soba-noodle were done at the cooking classes from January to March. Because there was my hospitalization uproar for acute appendicitis (the appendix) in the end of January, two sessions were postponed. I finally finished the last one the other day. I was sorry to make a trouble to people who booked in.
Next, we moved to BBQ grill. Yakitori can be cooked in the oven (grill function) when it's not suitable weather for BBQ. 串打ちが済んだらＢＢＱグリルへ: ＢＢＱに適さない天候のときは、オーブンでグリル調理できます。
The fire is often too strong for Yakitori and it's easy to burn the outside before it is cooked inside. We used the bricks which were wrapped by foil to adjust the height (distance from the flame). Then put skewered Yakitori which we prepared.
SOBA: How to eat soba-noodle which was the topic every time. It is allowed to make a sound when we eat soba. (Yes, it is for other noodle like udon and ramen, too) It is rather daring and will express it by making a sound if delicious. (Don't say "noise" for it!)
～ Cooking classes April ～ 11th (6pm) & 17th (11:30am) --- available to book for both date. We cook ”Salmon chan-chan-yaki” and ”Kenchin-jiru”(tofu & veges soupy dish). Enjoy those in longer night season.
Feast sushi, "Rainbow roll" which was altered in foreign country is a gorgeous look. We made inside-out roll, then did the topping with pieces of salmon, tarakihi, prawn, avocado, and marinade vegetables. A sharp knife is essential to cut beautifully.
Another sushi, "Temari" zushi of seasonal vegetables. もう一品は、野菜の手まり寿司。
Sushi rice variation : Just add fried carrot leaf (chopped finely and season with sesame oil and salt) to the sushi (vinegared) rice. This nutritive part of carrot leaf becomes nice accent flavor in the rice, and particularly the combination with the vegetables is perfect.
Slice/cut vegetables of eggplant/zucchini/mushrooms, apply oil and grill in oven. Cook asparagus separately in salted boiled water quickly. 茄子・ズッキーニ・ブラウンマッシュルームは切ってオイル塗ってから、オープン・グリル。 アスパラガスは長さを4等分してさっと塩茹で。
Marinade all cooked vegetables in marinade mixture of soy, mirin, sake, for 10-min. Each vegetable which was lightly tasted is going to be topping of pretty Temari-zushi. Apply a little of Mayo between rice and asparagus, then wrap by piece of Nori sheet. Yummm..
Make a cut on prawn. Apply a little Mayo on Temari which was made by carrot leaf sushi rice, then decorate the prawn on top.
海老には少し切れ目を入れて、マヨネーズを 少量のせた、にんじん葉の手まりの上に。
Although I couldn't introduce because of running out of time in the classes, there is also "Gunkan" warship shaped sushi. Make a football shaped Temari rice ball. Wrap around it by piece of Nori sheet, ｔop with chopped sun-dried tomato which is another fusion taste. I think adding of finely chopped anchovy makes nice accent on the flavor.
Home-made sushi with local products in season. It may have the same deliciousness in other countries that grandmas and mothers cooked for long, I imagine. Enjoy the heartful taste!
I will start preparation for OSECHI cooking (New Year dishes) soon. Because of summer New Year's day in the Southern Hemisphere, may I add these summer vegetable sushi in tiered boxes for New Year's Osechi?
Okonomi-yaki (Japanese savory pancake) classes in July & August! We did 2 different type, one is KANSAI style which is the most popular one, and another is HIROSHIMA style with noodles in the layer.
************************************************************************ Side dish : Shira-ae (a salad dressed with mashed tofu) By adding ginkgo nuts, it became a special feeling of winter. 前菜の一品料理として、この季節ならではの銀杏をあしらった白和えからスタート。
************************************************************************* Main dish : Okonomi-yaki On the frying pan and electric hot plate, we cooked one after another. Looks yummmm.
*************************************************************************** Another main dish : Hiroshima style of Okonomi-yaki We cooked together while demonstrating with 2 hot plates.
続いて、広島風お好み焼き。 こちらはホットプレート2台で進行。
Here is the order to cook as follows. （下記の順番で焼きました）
1) Pour the batter to make thin crape （生地を流し） meat Put a pile of shredded cabbage on （キャベツをのせ） cabbage Cover it with slices of pork meat on the top.（その上に肉） crape
FLIP the united one OVER! （ひっくり返す） crape (Now meat is cooked and cabbage is steamed cabbage under the crape at this stage) meat
2) On the other side, fry the cooked noodles crape (taste with S&P, and sauce). cabbage （横で麺を炒める・味付けも） noodlesmeat
Transfer the united one on the noodles. crape （塊のほうを、そのまま麺の上にのせる） cabbage meat 3） On the other side, break an egg and cook. noodlesegg （空いたところに卵を割り入れる） crape While the egg is still raw, transfer the united one cabbage on the egg. Push lightly. meat （卵が半熟のうちに隣の塊を卵の上にのせる） noodles egg
4) FRIP the whole OVER! Done! Dress with egg sauce/mayo/bonito flakes/ao-nori noodles (dried green seaweed) meat （最後に全体をひっくり返して、ソースとトッピング） cabbage crape
順番が頭に入っていればスムーズです。
滞在中だった夫の従兄弟にアシスタントをお願いしました。 クールな着物デザインのTシャツ！ 気づいてくれたかな？ Look at his T-shirt! Formal men's KIMONO pattern!
The vegetarian's okonomi-yaki was done deliciously as well as the others. 彼女が作ったベジタリアン焼き、予想を上回った美味しさでした。 （個人的にはこれが一番好きかも）
Soft texture and deep flavor from the plentiful prawn juice.
I did Okonomi-yaki classes a couple years ago, too, it is still popular because of the taste itself, also it's easy to get the ingredients here and for the cooking style. Enjoy the Okonomi-yaki cooking at home, too.
It's chestnuts season! I visited my friends couple, Bruce and Jan the other day, and did the "Kuri hiroi" (enjoying the harvest of the chestnuts there). 4月、栗拾いのシーズン。 今年もまた友人のブルースと一緒に、彼の両隣の敷地で 栗拾いをしました。
毎年この時期、ここを訪れるのが恒例に。
I got lots, and full of chestnuts in the box! After assorting by the size, I put those in the fridge. Starch of the chestnuts turns into glucide and the sweetness increases gradually while those were stored in the fridge of low temperature (nearly 0 degree). During this period, I process those and make preserving.
Japanese Cooking Classes in May ～Artistic cooking & Tea ceremony～
5月の料理教室： 芸術の秋のお茶会
～ COOKING MENU ～
Kuri-chestnut parcel Confectionery which contains whole chestnut of "Shibukawa-ni" luxuriously and wrapped in sweet bean paste and pie pastry. I usually use Azuki-bean paste or mixed it with almond powder for a little of nutty flavour sometimes, but I will use Kumara-an paste in this class for more autumnal taste!!
Kinton ～Autumn version～ One of Japanese traditional sweets for Tea ceremony. As I would like to make it with ingredients which we can get easily at local stores, I created a part as a fusion sweets. What name shall I put for this?
お茶の前のお食事として、松花堂のお弁当を用意しますが、この中の一品を皆で作って仕上げる、ということにしました。 Gyu maki (Beef roll） with fig and vegetable This is going to be one of the bento-boxed dish. Enjoy the works, and taste the beautiful finish with eyes and mouth. Delicious with sake, or with red wine as well. I prepare other 3 dishes for the bento, so just fit your stomach to prepare for the Tea Ceremony afterwards.
Enjoy the experience, with our homemade sweets and the authentic way of matcha-tea in a peaceful moment.
Japanese cooking classes in May / Autumn cooking, sweets and Tea ceremony May 2nd (11:30am) / 15th (11:30am) / 17th (6pm) For more information （お問合せ）： japanese.cuisine.wanaka@gmail.com
CHAN-CHAN-YAKI OF SALMON:
KENCHIN-JIRU:
Georgia was participation putting on her wedding veil, and a badge of "Help! I'm getting married".
Coloured capsicums get to fit 
Make a football shaped Temari rice ball.
Home-made sushi with local products 
皆さん、今年もご協力いただき
After assorting by the size, 
One of Japanese traditional sweets for 