Kozmo Kitchen

Authentic Japanese Home Cooking

Free Workshops at Japan Fair!

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Japan Fair 2017 is a two-day interactive event that showcases Japanese cultural heritage through various seminars, workshops, demonstrations and many more.

This volunteer oppotunity came up recently to teach simple onigiri and sushi making workshops to those who are new to Japanese home cooking. I am honored to be part of this community event to share Japanese culture through my passion, cooking! Both workshops are free and fun to participate in for all ages. Come stop by and say hello to me 😀

Onigiri making workshop (for all ages): http://www.japanfairus.org/page/workshops#Onigiri

Sushi roll making workshop (for adults): http://www.japanfairus.org/page/workshops#SushiMaking

Sansai Okowa (Sweet Rice with Edible Ferns)

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Print Recipe
 Sansai Okowa (Sweet Rice with Edible Ferns)
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. (On the day before the cooking) Rinse sweet rice quickly under running water (no need to scru the rice) and soak it in plenty of clean water overnight.
  2. (On the day before the cooking) Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of water overnight.
  3. On the cooking day, julienne carrots into and inch long strips, slice burdock root thinly into an inch long strips (or shave it thinly using sasagaki cutting method). Squeeze water out of the dried mushrooms ad slice the mushrooms thinly. Rinse aburaage with hot tap water, squeeze excess water and chop it into 1/4 squares.
  4. Strain the sansai mix of water.
  5. Cut green onion into thin slices. Or you use mitsuba, chop the greens coarsely
  6. Optionally cut chickin thigh into 1/4 inch squares.
  7. In a medium sized sauce pan, put the shiitake soaked water and heat it over high heat.
  8. Add in sake, mirin, 2 teaspoons of salt and soy sauce.
  9. Add in all the vegetables, sansai and abura age (and chicken if you use it). Cook the ingredients until they are just cooked for about 10 minutes.
  10. Using a collandar, strain the cooked solids of the liquid. Reserve the liquids in a bowl.
Using a rice cooker
  1. Strain sweet rice of water and put the rice in the rice cooker. Add the reserved liquid in to the level "3 cups fo mixed rice". Add in the solid ingredients on top. Cook the rice mixture as instructed for the rice cooker.
Using a steamer
  1. Use a two layered steamer. In the bottom pan, fill water in. Put the top layer on, speard a cotton cloth wide enough to cover the entire bottom and sides, put a lid on and heat the steamer over high heat.
  2. Once the steamer starts boiling (i.e. steam comes out of the steamer vigorously), add in sweet rice. Put the lid back on and cook for 15 miutes until the rice is just cooked but maintains al dente consistency.
  3. Transfer the cooked rice into the reserved liquied in the bowl. Coat the irce in the liquid well. Transfer the rice back into the steamer. Put the lid back on. Cook another 5 minutes.
  4. Place the solid ingredients on top of the rice in the steamer. Cook for another 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the rice. If it's fully cooked then it's done. Cook another 5 minutes if necessary.
  5. Transfre the okowa into a large bowl and toss it with the vegetables well using a spatula. Add another 1 teaspoon of salt if needed .Garnish wtih chopped gren onion or mitsuba.
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A Big Night with A Big Guy

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What an amazing night it was! I got the opportunity to participate in the food event called Food Lover’s Weekent at Tom Douglas’ Hot Stove Society on April 28th for the opening night as the Japanese cooking instructor featuring some Izakaya food.

In the demo sessions, I was next to Tom Douglas, and Thierry Rautureau(the chef in the hat)’s segments!  Tom made a few Chinese dishes and Theirry demonstrated how to make Coq au Vin, but my heart was beating so fast that I couldn’t remember many details except that Thierry remained very cool when the pan caught a flame on the stove top. He was it was not unexpected and just needed to put it out. His professional demeanor kind of calmed me down,  and I felt ready for my demos.

Now my turn – Chicken Karaage and Butcher’s Croquette in a paper bag. My cocktail partner is Nick Jarvis from Carlile Room. His presence gave me so much comfort and helped me grealy to maintain my composure, thanks Nick! But of course the big guy is standing in the audidenc with a microphone, as a facilitater, and he was always in my vision. Tom asked, “the audience is wondering how you could peel the skin of the super hot potatoes right out of the steamer with bear hands.” Well, I was screaming inside. I couldn’t find a towel but tried look calm! He asked more questions throughout my demos, but I got used to it and acutally appreciated him making the atmosphere more relaxed and intimate.

The second part was a hands-on session. There were 4 stations with different izkaya/street food themes – Takoyaki, Yakitori, Yaki Onigiri and Okonomiyaki. My station was Okonomiyaki. My friends know my relationship with Okonomiyaki. It’s not a good marriage. I don’t care for pancakes of any kind, okonomiyaki included. So I rarely make it at home. So this was a big assignment for me. I must say I am so glad I took the challenge. I have never eaten that many okonomiyaki pancakes in my life and am not so confident that I can teach making it again! Big thanks to my friend Yuta (the owner of Issian) for his consultation and hands-on training! And thank you my friend Yukari for bringing all the coold okonomiyaki gadgets from Japan!

Note: The okonomiyaki mentioned here is Kansai style (the cabbage mixed in the batter). To master Hiroshima style, I still have a long way to go but am optimistic now 🙂

Lastly, the Hot Stove Society crew was AMAZING. They were hard working and the critical part of the entire team. Outside the kitchen they went out and bought all the funky ingredients for my class that are usually not available in the kitchen. I couldn’t be more grateful for them being there to help me get through the evening.

Now I am ready for a couple of my classes coming up next month at Hot Stove Society!

Detox with Azuki Magic

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Azuki beans (in the US often spelled “adzuki”) are the  stars of  Japanese traditional confectionery, used as in sweet bean paste or sauce. Or we have “Sekihan”, steamed sweet rice and azuki beans. Sekihan is served mainly on celebretory occasions. When we are so excited with great news, we shout, “We should celebrate with sekihan!”

These days, it seems that the health benefit of azuki is getting more attentions in Japan. Azuki is known to be super rich in polyphenol, fiber, and saponin, among other good things. And people started using azuki more on non-dessert recipes in Japan.

I have an upcoming in-home cooking class at a client’s home next week and was asked to include an azuki recipe. What a great timing to introduce the power of Azuki!

This is Azuki bean rice, not quite the same as Sekihan. Used to be a substitute for white rice, when people couldn’t afford white rice (my mother says it reminds her of the war time), but nowadays it’s considered a healthier choice for everyday rice options. And Azuki rice works with brown rice too!

Azuki rice recipe is here.


 

 

Azuki Bean Rice

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Print Recipe
 Azuki Bean Rice
Rice is a staple ingredient in Japanese cooking and can be served plain (unseasoned), or cooked and seasoned with other ingredients. Azuki is sometimes cooked with sweet rice to make Sekihan, which is often served on celebratory occasions, but Azuki rice can be your everyday rice choice!
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Servings
Ingredients
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Rinse the rice well in running water until the water runs clear.
  2. Strain rice and put it into an electric rice cooker or deep heavy pan such as a Dutch oven.
  3. Rinse and strain azuki beans. Cook them in boiling water for a few minutes and discard the water. Add clean water into the pan and cook azuki over low heat for about 1 hour or until the beans get al dente consistency (i.e. the center of the beans can be uncooked). Separate the beans and the cooking water. Save the azuki water.
  4. Combine the azuki water and plain water to make up to the 2 cups line in the rice cooker or add 1.65 cups of water to the Dutch oven. Add salt and azuki beans.
  5. Rice cooker: Cook the rice with azuki as you normally cook white rice.
  6. Dutch Oven: Cook over high heat to bring to boil, then put the lid on, turn down to simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, with the lid on, let it sit for 15 minutes.
  7. Use a spatula to fluff the rice and toss it well with the other ingredients.
  8. You can sprinkle sesame seeds over rice and enjoy!
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