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
In the Japanese cooking classes which greeted the seventh year in my kitchen, we do "Tahini cooking" this summer. Though this popular cooking will be continued until next month (January 2018), I report it now on the way.
It has become easy to cook since there have been these products in the market. Anyone can make it easily without "Suri-bachi" (Japanese earthenware mortar).
Although it is one of popular menu in Japan, it originally came from China and is well known as one of representative of the Szechuan dish. Each one served it on individual plate in the session. But, of course this dish can be arranged on a big plate (like the original Szechuan style) to share with family or friends on the table! The sauce of nutty flavor and aroma from sesame seeds, combination with soft chicken and crispy cucumber, great cold dish in hot summer! 教室では一人ひとりに自分のお皿に盛り付けしていただきました。 大皿に豪快に盛付けてもいいですね。
More cutting/slicing works this time, so it was good opportunity to practice to cope with sharp knives! 『極うす切り』が多かったので、良い練習の機会になったのでは・・・
Goma-dalle (sesame sauce) with somen-noodle ゴマダレ・素麺
Either sauce made from white or black, even both are good. Delicious noodles dipped with this Tahini-dalle!
白でも黒でも。 冷たい麺が喉越しよく美味しい！
Goma ice cream 煉りゴマ・アイスクリーム
It can be made easily without ice cream maker. アイスクリーム･メーカーなくても、簡単にできます。 一口サイズをレンゲに盛付け。
Arranged on a plate of lacquering, looks more Japanesey?
塗りの器にも似合うアイス 見た目も和風に
Looks should be cool in shot glasses! If the ice cream hasn't melt yet... (photography took time long)
ショットグラスに盛付けてクールに！ （のはずが・・・・・ 撮影もたついて、ちょっと溶けた）
These dishes will be surely pleased with on these hot days! この夏は例年より暑い日が続いているので、こんなメニューはきっと喜ばれるでしょう！
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There were more inquiries from vegetarian and vegan this time, I think because I announced it with "Tahini cooking". Actually it was not, but I devised it to cope as much as possible, with the mind of "being asked for something means being tested for my ability"
Many thanks for all of you who loves Japanese food and culture. I enjoyed all sessions this year, cooking with local people also with people who participated from the distant place in NZ and other countries! I'm looking forward to seeing you again in 2018.
INGREDIENTS 食材 ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ For the making Japanese sweets, I needed to check whether we can get the ingredients around here (Wanaka or Queenstown). I found the most of those were available at the store in Remarkables shopping area.
Take off the lid, enjoy the inside of the box, with warmed sake...
Tofu-shiraae of spinach & walnuts, Tempura of vegetables, Shio-koji grill of monkfish, Pork roll of daikon & carrot, Inari-zushi with egg & prawn, Kombu-soup with fｌoats of Ginko-leaf omelet.
(The contents were changed a little by the day)
松花堂のお弁当箱ディナーを お燗酒と共に、お楽しみいただきました。
ほうれん草と胡桃の白和え、 南瓜と芽キャベツの天麩羅、 白身魚の塩麹焼き、 大根と人参の豚肉巻き、 海老と錦糸卵の稲荷ずし、 銀杏のお吸物。 Taste great, the Tempura of Brussels sprout!
毎回話題になったのが、芽キャベツの天麩羅、 旬の素材の美味しさが生きてます！
Tea Ceremony お茶 ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
My tea-ceremony room is a corner of the lounge... We enjoy it on the table, sitting on the chair instead of SEIZA which is Japanese way of formal sitting - sitting on the heels with folding knees.
我が家のお茶室はラウンジの片隅、畳はないのでテーブルにて。
Before making Tea: I showed "FUKUSA-sabaki" --- acting of folding of Fukusa (silk cloth), followed by purifying tools with it. These manners are prologues to make a heart of host and guest calm down before having the tea ... a quiet moment.
From the formation and the historic background, Tea Ceremony "The way of Tea" is thought that it is the composite art of various elements including the sense of beauty that Japanese brought up, as well as Samurai-Bushido and Buddhism.
I'm so excited now to have another experience of the artistic treasure hunt in this tea ceremony world, during my stay in Japan from next week!
The air came to be completely autumn. I hold lessons of "Sweets and Tea Ceremony" from end of March to April. It is a session of 3 hours, which consists of making Japanese style sweets, enjoying autumn dishes as dinner, and having an experience of Tea Ceremony.
In addition to the basic triangle-shape, it can change into your favourite form. 基本の三角形だけでなく、こんなふうに形を変えることもできますよ。 胡桃やドライフィグを刻んでトッピングにすると食感が楽しくなります。 栗の甘露煮をあんこと一緒に中に入れるのもいいですね。 その場合は黒文字でなく、秋の味覚を丸ごと手で食べるのがいい！
Another sweet, MATCHA GATEAU CHOCOLAT It is a western style moist rich gateau with the full of Matcha flavour.
Enjoy seasonal dishes in the Shokado-bento box, with warmed sake.
松花堂のお弁当箱にて、 季節のお料理をご用意しています。 お酒とともにお楽しみください。
TEA CEREMONY お抹茶の体験：
Moving to the table in the lounge, we change the pace to calm. Talking about the history, manners, and tools, we enjoy our homemade Japanese sweets, followed by a bowl of tea. Would you like to try to make a tea by Chasen (bamboo whisk)? It would be a great experience for you!
～ The heart of hospitality ～ There are various manners in the Tea Ceremony and each one has a meaning. The feeling of thanks and respect have lead to the manners. When we can understand it, we feel more profound time and can enjoy this culture as an amusement.
The Japanese cooking class which started in November 2011 reached the 5th anniversary. The cumulative total number of people should be around 500～600. Thanks all participants of Wanaka locals, people from other areas and countries, and my B&B guests from Japan.
In the classes in November of the anniversary month, I added the same dish which was done at the first class, as a cooking menu. The time of toast made us cooking more gorgeous!
MENU: "HARU-GASUMI" 春の霞蒸し (The meaning of the word is "Spring haze") It is a steaming dish of salmon and spring cabbage layered.
We used loaf tins as molds, mixed egg stick the layers together in the mold during cooking in the steamer. Served with ginger dashi sauce.
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"TEMPURA" 春野菜と鶏の渦巻き天ぷら、 日本そば
Tempura of the leaf of carrot, so delicious! にんじんの葉の天ぷら、是非ためしてみて！ 葉っぱは栄養満点、サクサク歯ざわり、 旨みと苦味の大人味！
We made chicken roulade with tenderloin meat and dried "Nori" sheet, then did deep fry those and seasonal vegetables. Served with Ten-tsuyu (Tempura dipping sauce) and Soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles). Because there were some gluten free people, we made another Tempura-batter using with rice flour. Two different taste and texture of Tempura at once which was great experience.
I'm grateful to all the people who supported me. I keep introducing splendid Japanese cuisine for Japanese foods fan, with not only the deliciousness but also the splendor on the health side, the traditional eating way, the artistic presentation, with full of senses of the seasons.
After assorting by the size, 
Kuri-chestnut parcel
One of Japanese traditional sweets for 
Gyu maki (Beef roll）
Bang-bang-ji (chicken) salad 
Autumn class, 
By the different style from the usual cooking 
Matcha powder: 
Another sweet, 
