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.
Ginkgo nuts from up North, sunny Bay of Plenty! I enjoyed the taste, and intrduced one of the recipe in my winter cooking classes. It seems to be often used for Japanese and Asian dishes, but this soft texture and complex flavour is good for Western taste as well. By adding ginkgo nuts, a casual soup or rice becomes a dish with a special winter feeling.
Ginkgo nuts can be purchased through here ： www.ginkgo.nz
********************************************************************************** There are ways of "cooking with unshelled" and "cooking after remove the shell and inner skin". Microwave is a handy way as the unshelled cooking method.
殻付きのまま加熱まで一気にするなら電子レンジが簡単。
After making a crack into the shell by spanner, I put 15～20 nuts in recycled envelope with holding the edge to seal, then heated it with microwave. I stopped it when I heard popping sound couple of times which was 40 sec. Removed the shell and skin. It can be eaten straight away, or can be used as a topping/decoration of dish. 15～20個くらいを紙の封筒に入れて口を3回くらい折りたたんで、電子レンジで加熱。 30秒くらいでポンッポンッ！と大きな破裂音が聞こえ始めたので40秒あたりでストップ。 1分だと加熱しすぎで中身も破裂している可能性があるので注意。 （ニュージーランドの一般的な電子レンジ使用） 予めスパナで殻にヒビを入れておくと、破裂音が多少和らぐかも。 加熱後、殻を剥いて（塩ふって）そのまま食べられます。 料理の仕上げに散らすなら、これがお手軽な方法ですね。
Finishing touch of creamy soup of leek and mushroom. The nuts fits deliciously adding unique texture and flavor.
モーニング・スープの浮き身に。 クリーム系の味にもよく馴染みます。
Traditional side dish "Shira-ae" (salad dressed with mashed tofu). We cooked it in the cooking classes using ginkgo nuts and vegetables. Gentle taste mixed with aroma from sesame seeds, and pleasant crunchy texture of ingredients. So healthy!
Cheese fondue style with Camembert. I scattered cooked ginkgo nuts and toasted walnuts on cheese of sliced half thickness, then melted the cheese in MW with low power. Black pepper may be good to sprinkle on top.
When we cook raw nuts together with others, we peel the skin first. Try to soak the nuts in water for a while, to become broken the shell easily. And soak the inside part again, to become peeled the skin off easily. 生のまま調理に使う場合は、殻ごとしばらく浸水させてスパナなどで殻を割り、剥きます。中身をまた浸水。 薄皮もしばらく水につけると剥きやすくなります。
I cooked the nuts with brown rice, adding Kombu-kelp and a little amount of salt. Drizzle some Ex-V.olive oil after it was cooked, to add aroma and flavor. Feeling so peaceful!
Or, cook the nuts with being unshelled in a frying pan for a few minutes. Just applying salt while peeling a burning hot shell and skin, it is the most simple way, and it's still delicious, though there are various way to enjoy the feature.
But be careful not to over-eat at a time. Moderate consumption is advised (adults eat no more than 10 per day, and children no more than 5 per day) for maximum benefit of ginkgo which have been used as health supplements.
It reminds me of the memory that my dad roasted the nuts in cold season in Japan. There are nutritive value and medicinal properties, and it was also nourishment in my heart when I cooked those while thinking my childhood.
Thank you Graham and Mavis and the team of the orchard for producing the ginkgo nuts in New Zealand.
I cooked the nuts with brown rice,
