Join Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) for the March edition of the family-friendly online Japanese home cooking class series おうちごはん! OUCHIGOHAN and cook along from your own kitchen!
On the menu this month is KOROKKE! Yes, picnic season is upon us, making it the perfect time to learn how to make one of our favorite bento box staples—korokke (コロッケ)! These crispy, golden potato spheres have a crunchy panko exterior that gives way to a soft, savory filling.
Korokke first arrived in Japan in the late 1800s, inspired by French croquettes. But with dairy being scarce at the time, potatoes took center stage as the filling. Over time, potato korokke became a beloved Yoshoku dish (Western-influenced Japanese cuisine) and remains a popular homemade comfort food and street food favorite today.
For this special Ouchigohan! program, we’re putting a fresh twist on the classic by adding edamame, in celebration of Table for Two’s #EdamameChamp Campaign—shining a spotlight on soybeans, the tasty and nutritious plant-based hero.
To make the event even more exciting, we’ll be joined by KID CHEF Mina, star of the popular YouTube channel Mina Makes, who will guide us step-by-step through creating the perfect korokke.
This family-friendly cookalong is the perfect way to kick off spring come cook with us!
Members of other Japan/Japan America Societies—please enter your society’s discount code at checkout for member pricing. Advance ticket purchase required. One registration per family.
The recipe card with ingredient list and Zoom link will be provided a few days before the event.
NAJAS/JETAA friends select “NAJAS MEMBER” and enter your Society-provided code at checkout for a discounted rate.
About the Guest Chef:
Kid Chef Mina is the creative force behind the popular YouTube channel “Mina Makes,” where she’s on a mission to turn picky eaters into fearless food explorers. With over 150,000 subscribers and more than 65 million views, Mina’s fun, creative recipes and kid-friendly cooking challenges have inspired families around the world to step into the kitchen and try something new.
At just 8 years old, Mina wowed audiences — and even Chef Gordon Ramsay — when she cooked her way onto “MasterChef Junior.” Since then, her passion for cooking has only grown, leading to the launch of her debut cookbook, “In the Kitchen with Mina,” a collection of fun, approachable recipes designed to help kids (and parents!) cook with confidence.
From playful snacks to global flavors and exciting food experiments, Mina’s goal is simple: to prove that anyone can be a chef — no matter their age — and that every picky eater has the potential to become a fearless food explorer.
About the Instructor:
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.
About #EdamameChamp:
#EdamameChamp is Table For Two’s annual spring campaign to promote healthy eating through Japanese cuisine with a focus on soy. Join the chopstick skill competition and see how many edamame you can pick up in 1 minute!
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.