Washocook Hamamatsu

#FF9933
#985F0D
#9E2528
#ADADAD
#F9F4E1

Japanese cuisine to enjoy seasonal life

-Begin with a single dish for cha-kaiseki/everyday cooking -

I offer the online cooking class of cha-kaiseki, which beginners can make at home for people living in the United States who learn tea ceremonies. Cha-kaiseki is a meal served in a chaji (full course tea function), where both hosts and the guests should act, keeping in mind that every moment is unique, so it has the characteristic of adding a message or theme to the dish. This characteristic includes a sense of the seasons such as seasonal ingredients, colorful and beautiful arrangements, tableware design, space preparation for dining, and a table manner. Therefore, you can experience the traditional Japanese aesthetics by learning cha-kaiseki.

When culture is incorporated from the original to another country or time, it needs to be adjusted. In addition to introducing traditional cha-kaiseki, I will propose cha-kaiseki using ingredients available in the United States, leaving the original essence and considering American culture. Communication and discussion with participants are very important to me.

Though it is hard for beginners to make cha-kaiseki at home, I hope that they will be able to make it and adjust the recipes if necessary under their situation by themselves. I will share the recipes of 1-to 2 dishes, including basic cooking techniques, cooking theory, the essence of the dish, and how to adjust to meet your country’s culture, in a hands-on and easy-to-understand manner in my online cooking class. If you include these in a chaji, a home party, or everyday cooking, the dining atmosphere will be more impressive, and the communication with people through dining will be richer.

    • Main target: Those who love a tea ceremony or Japanese culture in the U.S.(but not limited to)
    • Date: Saturday February 25th 7:30-9:00pm(EST)/Sunday February 26th 9:30-11:00am(JST)
    • Menu: (1) Tuna with grated Chinese yam, (2) Tuna with Chinese yam and avocado
  Ingredients are sushi/sashimi-grade tuna, Chinese yam, avocado, broccoli sprouts, lemon, soy sauce, dashi (Japanese soup stock), salt, and wasabi. Kitchen tools are a knife, a cutting board, measuring spoons, kitchen scissors, a grater, and a peeler. Once you reserve, you’ll receive a regime and recipes with the precise amount of ingredients you’ll need for the class.
  • Lesson fees:4000 JPY per person

Lesson details

 Hamamatsu, Shizuoka

Hiroko Ito

Teachers profile
I was born in Izumiotsu, Osaka Prefecture in Japan. My grandmother was a calligraphy artist, my father was an architect, and my grandfather and mother were nursery school owners. My family valued home decoration which differs among seasons, annual observances and meals, and communication with people. When I was a kid, what I liked were: digging bamboo shoots with my grandparents; changing fusuma, a Japanese sliding door, to yoshido, fusuma in the summertime; making osechi, New Year dishes, with my grandmother and mother; New Year's flowers which my mother arranged; home party with relatives or grandfather/father’s colleagues; a bento box of kaiseki cuisine brought back from wedding party which grandparents and parents attended; and watching and dancing classical ballet. Deepen my interest in foreign countries at Kobe College Junior and Senior High School, where there are many exchange students from outside Japan and whose buildings were beautiful Spanish-style, designed by an American architect, William Merrell Vories. S. I started learning a tea ceremony and Ikebana, a Japanese flower arrangement, when I was a student at Kyoto University. Traveled to more than 50 countries, including developing countries. Resident in the United States 2017-2019. On the basis of my family background, overseas travel/a resident experience in U.S., and paintings by Grandma Moses, I believe that people have fun communicating with each other through seasonal events and meals in any country at any time. When I used to live in the United States, I belonged to Urasenke Philadelphia, knew that there were American people interested in Japanese culture, and decided to introduce Japanese culture to them in the future. After returning to Japan, I learned cha-kaiseki from Ms. Yoshiko Kida, and currently offer a Japanese cooking class for non-Japanese. I have completed the Japanese Cuisine Course at Tsuji Culinary Institute. Licensed instructor of The Japan Association of cooking for Foreigners. Second-grade Food and Nutrition education instructor. Second-degree instructor of Urasenke, instructor of Ikebana Mishō-ryu Sasaoka. Mother of 3 children. Pharmacist. My main job is writing medical/regulatory documents in the pharmaceutical industry. My blog: https://ameblo.jp/hirokoito0810/
Upcoming availability

#FF9933
#985F0D
#9E2528
#ADADAD
#F9F4E1