The July edition of the family-friendly online Japanese cooking class おうちごはん！Ouchigohan! – Japanese Home Cooking will feature a classic Japanese confection -- dorayaki (どら焼き)!
Dorayaki sandwiches anko (餡子) red bean paste between two castella pancakes for the perfect on-the-go snack or light dessert.
The treat is notably a confection of good fortune as the shape is said to symbolize a great embrace and unconditional love. Moreover, dorayaki is just plain fun as it can be topped with any combination of ingredients, including fruit and ice cream, to create the perfect summer treat.
Join special guest Aoi TSUCHIDA, founder and owner of Kyoto-based OYATSU AOI, and beloved Ouchigohan! instructor Debra SAMUELS in making dorayaki three ways. Participants can use prepared anko (available online or in Asian markets) or cook along with Tsuchida-san and Debra-sensei to make your own sweet red bean paste from scratch. A Q&A session with Tsuchida-san will also provide insight into the world of wagashi Japanese sweets.
The ingredient list along with recipes from Tsuchida-san will be provided before the event.
This month’s program is hosted by Japan-America Society of Houston and joined by Japan Society New York, The Japan Society of Boston, The Japan-America Society of Georgia, Japan America Society of Colorado, Japan-America Society of Indiana, Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia and The Japan-America Society of Washington D.C.
For NAJAS members, select “NAJAS MEMBER” and be sure to enter your Society’s code in the Discount Code box at Checkout.
About Ouchigohan!:
おうちごはん！Ouchigohan! – Japanese Home Cooking is a special collaboration between members of the National Association of Japan-America Societies and Table for Two’s innovative food program, Wa-Shokuiku: Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!, featuring recipes selected to introduce Japanese food philosophy and preparation techniques. Make simple, healthy, homestyle Japanese food to enjoy with friends and family.
About Aoi Tsuchida:
Aoi TSUCHIDA is founder and owner of OYATSU AOI. The Kyoto-based confectionary shop located along the Kamogawa River is known for its additive-free sweets made completely by hand. Using adzuki beans grown in Hokkaido and other seasonal high-quality natural ingredients, OYATSU AOI creates sweet snacks that provide a sense of nostalgia.
About the Debra Samuels:
Debra SAMUELS leads the program content and curriculum development of TABLE FOR TWO USA’s Japanese inspired food education program, “Wa- Shokuiku -Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!”.
She was a food writer and contributor to the Food Section of The Boston Globe and has authored two cookbooks: “My Japanese Table,” and “The Korean Table.” She curated the exhibit, “Obento and Built Space: Japanese Boxed Lunch and Architecture,” at the Boston Architectural College (2015) and co-curated “Objects of Use and Beauty: Design and Craft in Japanese Culinary Tools,” at the Fuller Craft Museum (2018). Debra also worked as a program coordinator and an exhibition developer at the Japanese department of the Boston Children's Museum (1992-2000).
Debra has lived in Japan, all together, for 12 years and specializes in Japanese cuisine. She travels around the country and abroad teaching hands on workshops on obento, the Japanese lunchbox. During Covid 19 she is teaching live online cooking programs to youth and adults.
This program is made possible by:
Program Note: Photographs may be taken during the event for the records of the program host and for use in public media outlets. Registering for the event generally signifies acknowledgment that your likeness may be used in these ways.