Cooking Stars

April 27, 2023

 

 

 

 

We ate breakfast in the Executive Lounge, on the 37th floor. It was a sparkling day and Fuji-san enthralled us. 

  

After breakfast we headed over to the opposite side of Shinjuku, where the Tokyo studio of Cooking Sun is located. Today's cooking class is Wagyu Kaiseki. There were 8 people in the class, plus our instructor, Kaori, and two "sous-chefs". 

These two are not the sous chefs.

 

We learned how to cut Accordion Cucumbers for a salad

Making Dashimaki Tamago (rolled omelet)

We each plated our first three recipes: Gomamiso-ae Potato, Dashimaki Tamago, and Accordion Cucumber Salad.

Shinodamaki (ground chicken and seasonal vegetables wrapped in deep-fried tofu)

 

 

Mushroom art

 

Voila! Foreground, left to right: Wagyu Sukiyaki about to be cooked in donabe or Japanese clay pot, Umeboshi and Mitsuba Leaf Mixed Rice, Shinodamaki, Dashi-Based Clear Soup

We were given small cans of Sterno to put underneath the donabe (clay pot) and we seared the negi (Japanese leek). We added the broth to the pot along with the rest of the vegetables. The wagyu (marbled beef) cooks very quickly, so that was added last. 

 

Each of the kaiseki (small plates) was just a few bites, but it somehow added up to a very hearty and filling meal. This was an excellent class and a delicious. Now we have recipes to make at home. I even bought some bamboo mats to bring home. I will use them to roll up the finished omelets to create a scalloped design on the outer edge.

Dessert: Mochi with Matcha Sauce

We are all Cooking Stars! Eight fabulous recipes! It tasted even better than it looked!

Weird Things Spotted on the Way Back to Our Hotel

We stopped and did a little shopping on the way back. We checked out Tokyu Hands - a large DIY chain that I like to visit whenI am in the neighborhood. It turns out The company has been acquired by another company and has been rebranded. Its new name is Hands.

And speaking of "hands," Ken is channeling George Costanza here, when George was a hand model. In this case, Ken is showing us the scale of these enormous beans we found in the grocery store in the basement of the Keio Department Store.

 Gigantic beans

 And then there was this place.

Ohhhkaaay . .  I guess this is a restaurant?

 Here is an astronomical clock located at Shinjuku i-LAND, a skyscraper and office complex located near our hotel. The last astronomical clock I saw was in Italy, and it was 500 years old. It turns out this clock was designed by Italian artist Giulio Paolini, and created by Seiko (of course). If you like interesting clocks, you must take a look at these Public Clocks of Tokyo.

The writing under the clock says, in English: SHINJUKU i-LAND ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK

And then there was this. This is a guided tour, on city streets, silly costumes and all. Here's more information on Go-Kart tours, to prove I am not making this up.

What's with the animal pajamas?

Today's color is yellow, for rolled omelets and eggsluts.