One, two and three-day private programs to meet the needs of those with special requests. Hands-on cooking programs can accommodate up to 4 students; all programs are invoiced on a group basis (A Taste of Culture cannot assist you in assembling a private group).

To arrange for your own private group lesson, contact A Taste of Culture. In your request, please provide a detailed description of your goals for the course, and your availability (suggesting several dates increases the likelihood of a good match). Requests must be received at least 1 month prior to the program. Registration, including payment of fees, must be completed a minimum of 3 weeks prior to the program.

Customized MARKET TOUR

This day reserved for a customized market tour of KITCHIJOJI -- an upscale, suburban community just west of Tokyo's city limits; a simple 30 minute ride from Shibuya on the Inokashira line. Kitchijoji is home to the lovely Inokashira Koen park--a favorite spot for viewing cherry blossoms in April and autumn leaves in the fall. Kitchijoji has retained its old-fashioned outdoor market, which happily co-exists with Lon Lon station building, a vertical mall and several department stores.

A Taste of Culture works with independent travelers, tour operators and travel agents to plan and deliver special market tours.

For further information, click on CUSTOMIZED PROGRAMS on the menu above.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Customized Program for Private Group

A Taste of Culture works with travel agents, tour operators and private groups of independent travelers to create customized programs including private cooking workshops. For further information, please contact A Taste of Culture

DEPACHIKA: JAPAN'S FABULOUS FOOD HALLS

Glorious prepared dishes ... Incredible produce ... and food gifts galore...

Tokyo's depachika offer splendid prepared and fresh foods for sale. Floor plans of the food halls we tour together are keyed to bilingual lists of take-out dishes... taking the guess work, and anxiety, out of shopping in Japanese.


Printed tour materials include guidelines for assembling washoku (traditional Japanese) meals from the many wonderful food resources available.

To read more about DEPACHIKA, click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/travel/25foodhalls.html

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Decoding Package Labels

Puzzled by mysterious items on supermarket shelves? Here's your chance to discover what they are.

Learn to stock a basic pantry of non perishable Japanese foodstuffs for your own home. Bilingual printed materials help you decode package labels, especially information related to nutrition and storage. A full menu of home-style dishes, complete with recipes, will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Decoding Package Labels

Puzzled by "mysterious" items on supermarket shelves? Here's your chance to discover what they are.

Learn to stock a basic pantry of non perishable Japanese foodstuffs for your own home. Bilingual printed materials help you decode package labels, especially information related to nutrition and storage. A full menu of home-style dishes, complete with recipes, will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Decoding Package Labels

Learn to identify and select basic pantry items.

Puzzled by "mysterious" items on supermarket shelves? Here's your chance to discover what they are, while stocking a basic pantry of non-perishable Japanese foodstuffs for your own home.

Bilingual printed materials help you decode package labels, especially information related to nutrition and storage. A full menu of home-style dishes, complete with recipes, will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

EKIBEN: A Culinary Train Tour of Japan

Stories and journeys in search of Japan's regional delicacies

At the turn of the 20th century, railroads became an important part of Japanese life, transporting people, as well as goods. One day in 1885, SAITO Kahei, an enterprising gentleman who lived near Utsunomiya station, sold pressed rice cakes stuffed with sour-salty plums, garnished with pickled radish. From there, the sale of train station boxed lunches, or EKIBEN (eki is station, ben a contraction of obento which are self-contained meals), rapidly spread to a nationwide phenomenon. This year Keio Hyakkaten held its 39th FAMOUS EKIBEN exhibition and sale, an annual event that attracts millions of people to its flagship department store adjacent to Tokyo's Shinjuku station.

Join us on April 26, 2004 for a slide illustrated talk by Elizabeth Andoh in which she takes us on a culinary train tour of Japan, as she shares with us stories of journeys in search of Japan's regional delicacies.

This slide-illstrated talk is sponsored by the Culinary Historians of New York.For details, and to register go to their site at:
culinaryhistoriansny.org/
e-mail should be addressed to:
admin@culinaryhistoriansny.org/

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Equipping The Japanese Kitchen & Setting The Japanese Table

Discover nifty gadgets and tabletop accessories that add Japanese flavor to your kitchen & table.

The housewares section in department stores and speciality shops are filled with marvelous kitchen gadgets, small appliances, and tabletop accessories.

Printed materials include recipes for home style dishes made with the nifty gadgets we'll see in the stores. Build and make a basic "wardrobe" of inexpensive accessories to enhance your mealtimes.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Equipping the Japanese Kitchen & Settting the Japanese Table

Discover nifty gadgets & tabletop accessories that add Japanese flavor to your kitchen & table.

The house wares section in department stores and speciality shops is filled with marvelous kitchen gadgets, small appliances, and tabletop accessories. Printed materials include recipes for home-style dishes made with the nifty gadgets we'll see in the stores. Build and make a basic "wardrobe" of inexpensive accessories to enhance your mealtimes.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Exploring Kitchijoji

Explore Kichijoji, a suburban Tokyo neighborhood known for its old-fashioned outdoor market.

Kichijoji is an upscale, suburban community just west of Tokyo's city limits -- a simple 30 minute ride from either Shibuya on the Inokashira train line, or Tokyo station on the Chuo train line, and only 15 minutes from Shinjuku station.

Kichijoji is home to the lovely Inokashira Koen park, a favorite spot for viewing cherry blossoms in April and autumn leaves in the fall.

Kichijoji has retained its old-fashioned outdoor market which happily co-exists with Lon Lon vertical mall (the station building) and several department stores nearby.

Bilingual lists of shops (and their specialties), foodstuffs and prepared foods, tabletop accessories and kitchen equipment will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Exploring Ogikubo

Ogikubo has terrific shopping resources for food, household, and small traditional craft items.

Ogikubo has one of the best retail food markets in town, including fabulous fish and (hard-to-find elsewhere) traditional grocery items.

Once part of a large, outdoor marketplace, Ogikubos vendors went indoors when the Lumine and Town Seven buildings were built at the station 20 years ago.

Bilingual maps of this area, with lists of shops and their specialties, will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Exploring Tokyo: FUTAKO TAMAGAWA

Fabulous food, handcrafted tableware, and kitchen gadgets galore...

FUTAKO TAMAGAWA is a small but well-to-do residential enclave in Tokyo's Setagaya ward (not far from St. Mary's International School). An express stop on both the Oimachi and Denentoshi train lines the outdoor, elevated platform at Futako Tamagawa station overflows with commuters during the morning and evening rush. On weekends and holidays, high school and college kids, young couples, and families throng to the Futako shopping center, dominated by a branch of Takashimaya department store. The chic boutiques on the ground floor have something of a Rodeo Drive feel to them, and the food hall is fabulous.

Elegantly prepared take-out foods, edible gifts, traditional pantry items made with artisan care, and organic produce rival for your attention.

You may want to stay on after the tour concludes to have afternoon tea at one of the many eat-in corners and restaurant counters in the foodhall. Dinner options include wonderful restaurants in the Takashimaya complex and immediate neighborhood.

Date	Time	Location
Tue 16 Mar 2010	13:30	Futako Tamagawa

Exploring the Ocean's Pantry

A slide-illustrated talk by Elizabeth Andoh at the New York Japan Society.

Elizabeth Andoh, Director of A Taste of Culture culinary arts program in Tokyo, will be making a presentation on Japanese sea vegetables. Her lecture is part of an all-day symposium titled, "From Sashimi to Seaweed: The Japanese Way with Fish & Seafood."

In past years, Ms. Andoh has presented talks on culinary aesthetics, soyfoods and rice at Japan Society's annual food forum.

For further information, contact:
Japan Society
Address: 333 East 47th St. New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-832-1155
Business Hours: 9:30am-5:30pm

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

FOOD FORUM at the New York JAPAN SOCIETY

Food Culture in the Meiji Era

Long before the word "fusion" became fashionable, culinary exchange between Japan and the West resulted in all sorts of wonderful, if sometimes wacky, hybrid dishes.

Tonkatsu [fried, breaded pork cutlets], omu raisu [loose scrambled eggs covering ketchup-flavored rice], korokke [croquettes], and curry rice became wildly popular at the turn of the 19th century. These, and other yoshoku ["Western-style" dishes] remain among the favorites of many Japanese today.

A panel discussion moderated by Tokyo-based Elizabeth Andoh explores the rich food culture of the Meiji Era (1868-1925).

Registration for this program is through the New York Japan Society ONLY. Registration for members of the Japan Society will open around December 20, and the remaining tickets will be available for non-members on January 4, 2005.

For further information: www.japansociety.org/

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Feasting on Ceramics

A Celebration of Nature's Bounty and Human Creativity

An illustrated talk in conjunction with Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century, an exhibit of Japanese ceramic wares at the New York Japan Society from September 29, 2006 through January 21, 2007.

Elizabeth Andoh, award-winning author of Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2005) and Director of A Taste of Culture culinary arts program (Tokyo) and Tadashi Ono, ceramist and chef at Matsuri restaurant in the Maritime Hotel, will discuss the relationship of food and vessel, nature and art, in Japan's culinary culture.

Registration for this program is through the New York Japan Society ONLY.

For further information: www.japansociety.org/

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Festive Sushi

Basic recipes & techniques for making Festive Sushi.

On the third day of the third month, the Japanese celebrate HINA MATSURI, or Dolls Day, by feasting on pastel-colored chirashi-zushi (scattered-style sushi) and viewing hina ningyo, the dolls which give this festival its name. Learn about the origins of Dolls Day while preparing the special foods served on this happy occasion. Learn to make shari (basic vinegared rice; needed for all sushi preparations), usu tamago yaki (thin omelette; flipped with a single chopstick!), and a variety of soy-simmered vegetables. Vegetarian & seafood varieties of this dish will be prepared.

Practice will make perfect: plan your own Hina Matsuri celebration for March 3!

The same program, offered twice: once on Thursday, once on Saturday.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Food without Borders (Tastes of Elsewhere)

An IACP Forum on Culinary Diversity

The conference has, with regret, been CANCELLED.
For further information contact the IACP in Louisville, Kentucky (phone: 502/581-9786) or by e-mail to iacp@hqtrs.com


Held at Oxford Brookes University (Oxford England) in conjunction with the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) has organized a conference with the theme: Food without Borders.

Elizabeth Andoh, Director of A Taste of Culture culinary arts programs in Tokyo, will join colleagues Sharon Hudgins and Naomi Duguid on a panel discussing the challenges involved in portraying the cuisines of other cultures.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Foods From The Sea

Sample nutritious sea veggies and air-dried fishes; learn to incorporate them into your daily menus.

Discover the bounty of Japan's waterways in vitamin and mineral-rich sea vegetables, and smoked and air-dried fishes. Learn to integrate these healthful foods into your daily menus.

Recipes included in your packet of printed materials will enable you to re-create several of the dishes sampled during the tasting session: tasty saute of calcium-rich hijiki, wonderful wakame salad with a citron-soy dressing, and tsukuda-ni kombu (a condiment of soy-simmered kelp and mushrooms).

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

HANAMI: Sakura & Sake-Sipping

Sipping sake while viewing cherry blossoms is an important Japanese rite of spring

Buds typically appear on bare cherry tree branches toward the end of March, unfurling to full splendor by early April. Sakura last for only a few days before their fragile petals are scattered about -- indeed, it is the very fleeting nature of these flowers that so appeals to the Japanese (and why cherry blossoms were chosen as the national flower).

Wanting to make the most of life's brief-but-beautiful moments, office mates, friends, and families spread out tarps or old-fashioned goza (woven reed mats) beneath the flowering branches and proceed to eat and drink together. Hanami (flower-viewing) activities can become quite boisterous, though in a good-natured way.

Melinda Joe, author of the sake and wine blog Tokyo through the Drinking Glass and bar editor for the Tokyo Food Page, will guide us through a flight of 3 sake paired to our special hanami flower-viewing obento. Participants get to decorate and personalize their own boxed-lunch. Food is prepared and demonstrated by Elizabeth Andoh, director of A Taste of Culture.

Date	Time	Location
Sat 20 Mar 2010	14:00	Taste Of Culture

HINA MATSURI (DOLL'S DAY)

Come join A Taste of Culture for an early celebration.

On the third day of the third month, the Japanese celebrate Hina Matsuri, or
Dolls Day by feasting on pastel-colored sushi and viewing hina ningyo,
the dolls which give this festival its name.

Learn about the origins of Dolls Day while sampling the special foods served on this happy
occasion. Recipes for making your own Hina Matsuri feast will be provided.


Bring your curiosity and a good appetite.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Happy New Year!

Here is a brief description of life in Japan in the run up to New Years - Enjoy!

The last month of the year on the traditional calendar is called shiwasu . Written with calligraphs that suggest teachers running about in a tizzy, it truly describes the frenzied pace of year-end activity here in Japan. Early in the month oseibo gifts are sent to those who have looked after ones best interests -- typically parents and older siblings, nakodo ("match makers" who arrange marriages), others who have provided you with a recommendation or sent clients your way, doctors and dentists, ones supervisor at work, and any professional mentors or teachers.

On December 13 begins susuharai , what in America is called "spring" cleaning, which in Japan includes buying new underwear in anticipation of the new year. New Years cards, called nengajo, are prepared and addressed, then taken to the post office before December 28th to guarantee domestic delivery on the morning of January 1. (An amazing postal feat when you consider that most households receive an average of 150 nengajo !)

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Hina Matsuri: Dolls Day

Come join A Taste of Culture for an early celebration.

On the third day of the third month, the Japanese celebrate Hina Matursi, or
Dolls Day by feasting on pastel-colored sushi and viewing hina ningyo ,
the dolls which give this festival its name.

Learn about the origins of Dolls Day while sampling the special foods served on this happy
occasion. Recipes for making your own Hina Matsuri feast will be provided.
Bring your curiosity, a good appetite, and a pen or pencil. 3,000 yen +
1,000 yen supply fee. Maximum 16 PARTICPANTS.

NOTE: REGISTRATION THROUGH THE WOMENS SOCIETY OF TOKYO UNION CHURCH ONLY. Call: (03) 3400 0942 between 10am-2pm Monday-Friday.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Home & Hearth

Home & Hearth: Ginger-Infused Miso-Simmered Mackerel.

GINGER-INFUSED MISO-SIMMERED MACKEREL (Saba no Miso Ni) will be the featured dish in this home-style menu. Rice will be a multi-grain dish garnished with "ocean confetti," a mixture of crushed, freshly roasted sea salt and herbs. Our broth will be a quick to assemble ,clear soup. A side dish of blanched greens will bring nutritional balance to our menu

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Home & Hearth: Treasure Bags

TREASURE BAGS, called Age Fuku-Bukuro, in Japanese will be the featured dish in this home-style menu

TREASURE BAGS, bean curd pouches stuffed with ground chicken and vegetables , tied up with a strip of kampyo gourd, will be the featured dish in this home-style menu. Our broth, a miso-thickened clam chowder , will be served with rice, pickles and a "salad" of tartly dressed sea vegetables .

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

IZAKAYA (PUB-STYLE FOODS) WORKSHOP

Learn to prepare savory tidbits to enjoy with beer, wine or sake

Japanese pubs, called izakaya serve a variety of small, tapas-like dishes to nibble with beer, wine or sake. Learn to make tsukune (savory miso-glazed chicken patties), tart and spicy seafood sunomono salad, goma ae (nutty sesame-dressed greens) and several other pub-style favorites in this 3-hour, hands-on, kitchen session. We will sip (a bit of) sake with the izakaya-style foods we prepare together.

Those enrolled in the Pub-Style Foods Workshop program may purchase copies of Elizabeth Andoh's award-winning cookbook, WASHOKU: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2005) at a special price (2,500 yen) on the day of the program. Please reserve your copy when replying to this invoice.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

IZAKAYA Pub Foods

Learn to prepare savory tidbits to enjoy with beer, wine or sake...

Japanese pubs, called izakaya serve a variety of small, tapas-like dishes to nibble with beer, wine or sake.

Learn to make tsukune (savory miso-glazed chicken patties), tart and spicy seafood sunomono salad, goma ae (nutty sesame-dressed vegetables) and several other pub-style favorites in this 3-hour, hands-on, kitchen session. We will sip (a bit of) sake with the izakaya-style foods we prepare together.

Those enrolled in the Pub Foods Workshop program may purchase copies of Elizabeth Andoh's award-winning cookbook, WASHOKU: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2005) at a special price (2,500 yen) on the day of the program. Please reserve your copy when registering for the course by sending a separate note to Elizabeth Andoh.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Images of Japan

Filming Session (Overseas Journalists, Camera Crew)

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

In A Pickle

In A Pickle About How To Spend Your Summer In Tokyo?

Anyone who likes chutneys and relishes will be delighted with Japanese pickles or TSUKEMONO. Make (and take home) your own perfectly made Amazu Shoga (pink pickled ginger) and Fukujin-Zuke ("Good-Fortune" pickles), a sweet, sour and spicy melange of summer vegetables. Learn about other basic home-pickling techniques such as rice bran mash-marinating and brine-pressuring. Feast on miso soup, rice and pickles galore!

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

JUST FISH

Learn all about fish -- what to buy, and how to prepare it.

Learn to identify and select the best fish in the market.



Bilingual printed materials help you "read" package labels, store signs, and "talk" with shopkeepers about cleaning and filleting whole fish. A list of seasonal fish and seafood provides you with tips on how best to prepare each kind.



Recipes for several simple-to-prepare, Japanese home-style fish dishes will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Tue 16 Mar 2010	10:00	Shibuya

Japan Eats

Discover what's trendy, and still traditional, about Japanese food today.

Join Elizabeth Andoh, Director of A Taste of Culture culinary arts programs, as she takes us on a slide-illustrated tour of contemporary Japanese home kitchens and pantries, depachika (department store food hall aisles), and kombini (convenience store shelves). She will survey more than a thousand years of culinary history as she explores the future of fast foods and diet fads in Japan.

Thursday, February 26, 2004
10:30 - 12:00 pm

Japanese Garden Pavilion
611 SW Kingston Portland, OR 97201

This lecture is presented by Japan-America Society of Oregon (JASO) and the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon. For reservations contact JASO at 503.552.8811 (by February 24,2004).


Elizabeth Andoh's speaking tour is organized as part of the New York Japan Society's Japan Forum program, a long running outreach program that sends prominent Japanese and Japan-related lecturers to cities throughout the U.S. The New York Society's Japan Forum is made possible with generous support from the Starr Foundation.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Japan Eats: Trendy & Traditional Japanese Food.

a slide-illustrated talk by Elizabeth Andoh

Japan is a land of cultural and culinary paradox, where ancient food ways co-exist with new-fangled fare. Peek into the pantry, fridge and cupboards of busy, urban families. Come browse supermarket aisles and scan restaurant menus. Check out kitchen drawers and shelves for gadgets, do-dads, and nifty appliances. Discover what's trendy -- and still traditional -- about Japanese food today.

Our guide on this slide-illustrated tour will be Elizabeth Andoh, Gourmet magazine's Japan correspondent, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times Travel Section.

Japan Eats is co-hosted by The American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF, Pacific Northwest Chapter) and the Japan Society (New York)

EVENT INFORMATION
Date: February 28, 2004
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Art Institute of Seattle
2323 Elliott Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
Tickets are $10.00
Tickets in advance call 206/935-5471
e-mail: lauriekunzie@earthlink.net
Tickets can also be purchased at 1:00 p.m/ on the day of the event at the Art Institute.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Japan Food Festival in New York

A symposium... and a gala event

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) has organized a weeklong campaign, The Japanese Food Culture Festival in New York, to promote Japanese food products, food service, and food culture. In conjunction with the Japan Pavilion and neighboring booths exhibiting Japanese food products and equipment at the International Restaurant and Food Service Show (Jacob Javits Center, March 4-6, 2007), a series of events will take place in New York throughout the week.

Elizabeth Andoh will participate in two events scheduled for Monday, March 5, 2007:

A symposium about the popularity of Japanese food culture in the United States, jointly sponsored by Nikkei America, Japan Society, and JETRO (to be held on at the Japan Society in the afternoon) is open to the general public. Yuzaburo Mogi, Chairman & CEO of Kikkoman, is the keynote speaker, and Ms. Andoh is part of a panel discussion that will follow his talk. Panelists include Masaharu Morimoto and Daniel Boulud. Details may be found at the Japan Society website.

Ms. Andoh will be making opening remarks that evening at Gastronomic Discovery: An Evening of Japanese Food Culture, an invitation-only gala to be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Three master kaiseki chefs from Kyoto, Masahiro Kurisu, Motoi Kurisu, and Kenichi Hashimoto, will demonstrate several classic dishes followed by a demonstration by David Bouley in which he will create original cuisine based on Japanese ingredients.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Japanese Comfort Foods: Menu Two

Chilled tofu and noodles make a refreshing meal when warm weather arrives.

This semester the focus of Home & Hearth hands-on
COOKING CLASSES is on SHOUJIN RYOURI, or TEMPLE-STYLE VEGETARIAN menus. These nutritionally balanced, ingeniously conceived meals are made entirely from non-animal foods.

When the warm weather arrives,soba-zushi (buckwheat noodles rolled in nori with shredded cucumber and radish sprouts), hiyayakko (cold tofu with condiments) and broth-simmered kabocha squash make a wholesome and refreshing meal.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Japanese Cuisine workshop

Nation's Restaurant News Culinary R&D Conference

Elizabeth Andoh will be part of a panel discussion moderated by Bret Thorn, Food Editor, Nation's Restaurant News. Other panelists include Chef Gene Kato (Japanais restaurant) and Bob Okura (The Cheesecake Factory). In addition, Ms. Andoh will conduct a miso tasting.

The conference will take place September 28-29, 2007 in Los Angeles, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Ms. Andoh's presentations will be on Saturday, September 29, 2007 from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m.

For further information, and to register, click here

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Japanese Noodle Cookery

The Japanese enjoy their noodles hot in savory soup, and chilled and dipped in seasoned soy with condiments.

Learn to make 2 classics of noodle cookery: soba-zushi (buckwheat noodles rolled in nori, maki-zushi style) and kitsune udon (thick, slithery wheat noodles in smoky broth garnished with soy-simmered fried tofu).

Each of these classic noodle preparations will be accompanied by several side dishes.

Just Fish

Identify and select the best fish. Recipes and tips on how to prepare home-stlye dishes included.

Learn to identify and select the best fish in the market.

Bilingual printed materials help you "read" package labels, store signs, and "talk" with shop keepers about cleaning and filleting whole fish. A list of seasonal fish and seafood is provided with tips on how best to prepare each kind.

Recipes for simple-to-prepare, Japanese home-style fish dishes will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Just Fruits & Vegetables

Identify and select the best produce. Recipes and tips on how to prepare home-style dishes included.

Learn to identify and select the best produce in the market. A list of autumn fruits and vegetables is provided with tips on how best to prepare each item.

Bilingual printed materials help you "read" package labels, store signs, and "talk" with shop keepers about your needs. Recipes for simple-to-prepare, Japanese home-style dishes will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

KAPPABASHI market tour with Yukari Sakamoto

Nifty kitchen gadgets and tabletop accessories...

The Kappabashi area is famous for plastic food models and kitchen gadgets geared for professional chefs and home cooks alike. Explore this treasure trove of shops selling lacquer, pottery, pans, knives and chopsticks with Yukari Sakamoto.


Born in Tokyo and raised in Minnesota, Yukari Sakamoto (formerly Pratt) is a columnist with Metropolis magazine and is a contributing writer to Food & Wine and The Japan Times, among other publications. Yukari trained as a chef at the French Culinary Institute. She is the first non-Japanese to pass the shochu exam with the Sake Service Institute. Her book on Japanese food and gourmet shops in Tokyo "Food Sake Tokyo" will be published by The Little Bookroom in the spring of 2010.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Let's Party!

Plan & host a buffet-style party with an array of Japanese dishes.

Find everything you’ll need to prepare a Japanese party menu in Shinjuku’s department stores. Recipes for simple make-ahead dishes such as soy-glazed chicken meatballs and tsubaki-zushi (bite-sized smoked salmon “camellia blossom sushi”) will be included in your packet of market tour materials.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

MAKING Flower-Viewing Lunchboxes (Hana-mi Bento)

Enjoy viewing cherry blossoms while nibbling on your own hand-made boxed lunch.

Buds typically appear on bare cherry tree branches toward the end of March, unfurling to full splendor by early April. Sakura last for only a few days before their fragile petals are scattered about -- indeed, it is the very fleeting nature of these flowers that so appeals to the Japanese (and why cherry blossoms were chosen as the national flower).

Wanting to make the most of life's brief-but-beautiful moments, office mates, friends, and families spread out tarps or old-fashioned goza (woven reed mats) beneath the flowering branches and proceed to eat and drink together. Hana-mi (flower-viewing) activities can become quite boisterous, though in a good-natured way.

This year, make your own hana-mi bento: Prepare a poetic picnic from classic lunch-box fare... rolled omelet, skewered chicken meatballs, spring greens dressed with sesame. A flower-petal pilaf and pickled vegetables complete the menu. We will also make a miso-enriched soup together.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

MAKING OBENTO

Prepare eye-catching boxed lunches: create poetic and kitschy-cute styles from the same dishes.

"Autumnal Stroll," a pilaf of wild mushrooms dramatically garnished with "maple leaf" carrots and "pine needle" string beans, makes a perfect obento for watching the leaves turn color. Sunny rolled omelette, kimpira gobo ("golden haystack" of shredded burdock root sauteed with a blend of seven spices), miso-enriched soup and pickled vegetables complete the menu.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

MAKING OMUSUBI: Parent & Child, Together

Toddlers to Teenagers, Grown-Ups, too: Stuff, shape, and wrap pressed-rice "sandwiches"

On busy mornings, American mothers hastily make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their kids' lunchboxes while their Japanese counterparts quickly stuff and shape omusubi for their children's obento.

Learn how to shape, stuff, and wrap a variety of omusubi. Traditional fillings and wrappers include salmon and nori, while gingery chicken and Korean barbequed beef are newly popular flavors.

Lunch that day will include samples of several other obento favorites such as rolled omelet and leafy greens tossed in sesame sauce, in addition to the omusubi everyone makes in class.

Registration (and fee structure) is by family unit: one adult plus one child (toddlers to teenagers are welcome).

For those with more than one child, please inquire about space availability and supplemental charge. Contact Hiroko Sasaki, program coordinator at hs@tasteofculture.com

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

Master Class in Japanese Cooking

Five-day intensive workshop with Elizabeth Andoh

Tokyo-based Elizabeth Andoh offers an intensive Japanese kitchen workshop in the United States for the first time.

Designed both for food professionals as well as highly motivated individuals who wish to learn the basics of Japanese cuisine, this course integrates tasting sessions with daily hand-on food preparation. The course culminates in a happyokai special meal that students plan, prepare, present, and share.

Cost: $450 (plus materials fee $110)

Class meets at The Inn on 23rd, 131 West 23rd St., New York City

REGISTRATION is AVAILABLE ONLY through the New School. To Register call (New York): 212-229-5690 or 212-229-5620. For additional information call 212-255-4141.

Register online (AFTER December 6, 2004) at: www.nsu.newschool.edu/culinary>/ Course number: NCLS0133, Section A

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

New Semester Begins

The upcoming Fall semester will treat you to new experiences in Japanese food culture. Be ready for market tours, delicious and informative tastings, and even a hands-on workshop.

Details will be posted to the website soon; please check back for information.

Date	Time	Location
Not currently scheduled

New York Times Travel Show: Tastes of the World

an illustrated tour of Japan's fabulous food halls

Join Tokyo-based writer, teacher, and culinary guide Elizabeth Andoh on an illustrated tour of Japan's fabulous food halls. Nibble samples from WASHOKU, Elizabeth's latest award-winning cookbook, while she entertains and enlightens visitors to Tastes of the World.

For details,Click here

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PRIVATE CELEBRATION

Arrange for a CUSTOMIZED CULINARY EVENT to celebrate an anniversary, birthday, class reunion or other special occasion. Choose the theme and menu in consultation with ELIZABETH ANDOH. Programs are conducted by Elizabeth at A Taste of Cultures facility in Seta, and are typically 2 &1/2 - 3 hours long. A light meal matched to the event or theme is included. Maximum 8 participants, per event.

Elizabeth Andoh is also available to present slide-illustrated talks coordinated to some catered gathering, or to provide commentary to groups during private dining at restaurants. A Taste of Culture does NOT, however, cater events off-site.

Those interested in arranging for a CELEBRATION event, please contact ELIZABETH ANDOH, Director, at (andoh@tasteofculture.com)With your request, please provide COMPLETE contact information about yourself: your name, phone, fax, e-mail address and street address. Please identify the occasion being celebrated (reason for the gathering) and any other specific objectives for wanting a customized program. Please also indicate the time (month, day, time of day) you wish to have the special event.

QUICK DINNERS

COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, is a cultural museum and educational center dedicated to exploring wine and food in close association with the arts and humanities.

In the GALLERY, The Art of Rice: Spirit and Sustenance in Asia, an exhibition that runs from September 3 to November 29, 2004.

RICE & SAKE are the themes for cooking demos, lectures, and tasting programs on November 13 & 14.

COPIA is located in downtown Napa, California.
General Inquiries:info@copia.org
888-51-COPIA Toll Free
Day Pass and Ticket Info: 707-259-1600

Sunday, November 14
11:00 to 4:00 pm
Ongoing activities
$25 (includes day pass)/$15 member
Admission to COPIA this day will be by Festival ticket only.

http://www.copia.org/

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Roots, Rhizomes and Tubers in Asian Cooking

A presentation on konnyaku

The International Association of Culinary Professionals will hold its 29th annual conference in Chicago from April 11-14, 2007. The theme is
Culinary Fundamentals: Cultivating Our Professional Roots. Elizabeth Andoh will join colleagues Andrea Nguyen and James Oseland in a panel presentation; Elizabeth's presentation will focus on konnyaku imo.

For further information, and to register for the conference, contact: www.iacp.com/

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SAKE Fundamentals (Session THREE)

Regional Character (terroir) and Guidelines for Pairing Sake with Food

Join Melinda Joe, author of the sake and wine blog Tokyo Through the Drinking Glass and bar editor for the Tokyo Food Page, for a Sake Fundamentals workshop. Each session in this 3-part series of tastings features a flight of 5 sake and several dishes to complement them. Food is prepared and demonstrated by Elizabeth Andoh, director of A Taste of Culture.

Session THREE focuses attention on terroir, regional character, as it relates to the sake world. Sake from 5 distinctive regions in Japan will be served with foods from those areas.

Please register for one, two or all three tasting programs as your schedule permits and according to your interests.

• Grades of Sake and the Brewing Process (Session One: January 17)
  
• Varieties of Sake and Serving Temperatures (Session Two: February 7)
  
• Regional Character (terroir); Guidelines for Pairing Sake with Food (Session Three: March 7)

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SETSUBUN: Sushi & Sake (beans, sardines, & monster masks)

Join us for sushi-rolling, sake-sipping, monster mask-making, bean-throwing fun...

On the ancient, Japanese lunar-based koyomi calendar, Setsubun (literally,“break between seasons”) corresponded to the start of a new year. On the modern, Gregorian calendar the New Year begins on January 1st while setsubun is observed on February 3rd.

At A Taste of Culture we celebrate Setsubun a bit early by pairing several sake with a traditional menu of plump maki-zushi (participants get to roll their own!), soy-simmered beans, and iwashi (sardines simmered with sour plums – really delicious; trust me).

Join us in expelling evil from the old year by making oni monster masks, yelling jingles, and throwing beans... then we will invite good fortune into the new year by eating ehou maki (rolled sushi eaten while facing west-southwest, the auspicious direction for 2010).

Melinda Joe, author of the sake and wine blog Tokyo through the Drinking Glass and bar editor for the Tokyo Food Page leads us through our sake tasting. Food is prepared and demonstrated by Elizabeth Andoh, director of A Taste of Culture.

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SUSHI-ROLLING WORKSHOP for Setsubun

A skill-building curriculum with lots of hands-on practice...Feast on the results...

SETSUBUN, a marker on the ancient, Japanese lunar-based koyomi calendar indicates the start of a new season. Today in Japan the setsubun that corresponds to the start of the lunar new year is celebrated on February 3. (This is different from Oshogatsu New Year activities, which are celebrated January first on the modern, Gregorian calendar.)

Rituals developed around setsubun to insure that evil was left behind in the old year, and good things could (and would) happen in the year to come. One of those rituals is making and eating plump rolls of uncut ehou maki-zushi while facing the "auspicious direction," or ehou, for that year. In the year 2009 good fortune is supposed to come from the EAST, NORTHEAST.

Learn to make ehou maki plump rolls so that you can enjoy good fortune, and good eating throughout the year!

Note the same program is being offered twice: January 22 (Thursday) & January 24 (Saturday)

Those enrolled in the Sushi-Rolling Workshop program may purchase copies of Elizabeth Andoh's award-winning cookbook, WASHOKU: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2005) at a special price (2,500 yen) on the day of the program. Please reserve your copy after registering for the program.

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SUSHI: Single-Session, Mini-Workshop

Basic Recipes & Techniques

In this special 4-hour class, learn decorative techniques for rolling, stuffing, shaping, and arranging many styles of sushi: BARA-ZUSHI (pilaf-like platter), INARI-ZUSHI (stuffed bean curd pouches), FUTOMAKI-ZUSHI (fat rolls; geometric designs), HAKO-ZUSHI (layered blocks). Vegetarian & seafood varieties will be prepared.

Learn to make shari (vinegar seasoned sushi rice), usu tamago yaki (thin omelet, flipped with a single chopstick!), and soy-simmered vegetables and bean curd. These techniques and recipes will enable you to re-create the flavors of Japan in your own home kitchen.

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Setting the Table, Setting the Stage

A workshop for food and prop stylists and photographers (Minneapolis, MN) May15-16, 2003

Learn how to create authentic and aesthetically satisfying table settings in harmony with Japanese culinary principles.

For further information, and to register, please visit the Food on Film website at http://foodonfilm.com/ OR address inquiries to foodonfilm@juno.com

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Smithsonian Resident Associates Program: Japan WOW

Culinary Japan: Past, Present and Future

For centuries the Japanese have been smitten by foreign food ways while in recent years it is the kitchen prowess of Japanese chefs and the appeal of their traditional foodstuffs and that has been wowing the world.

Join a distinguished panel of Japan specialists and food experts for a tantalizing, daylong exploration of Japan, food first. Ingredient and beverage tasting sessions, cooking demonstrations, and lunch assembled from dishes in Elizabeth Andoh's Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen will delight both curious newcomers to the pleasures of Japanese food, and devotees, alike.

For further information, and to register for the program, click here

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Sushi Rolling Workshop

This day has been reserved for a sushi-rolling workshop by a group of Tokyo residents.

If you are interested in hosting/organizing a sushi-rolling workshop in your own TOKYO kitchen for a group of your friends, click here for details.

Sushi-Rolling Workshop

Organize a cooking class in your own home and kitchen for a group of your friends (a maximum of 6 people, including yourself). Guest instructor HIROKO SASAKI will travel to your (Tokyo) home to deliver a 3-hour, skill-building session focused on basic rolling techniques. There will be lots of hands-on practice and everyone gets to feast on the results.

The cost for the group (maximum 6) is 37,500 yen which includes instruction,food needed for making rolled sushi, green tea (you would need to supply any additional beverages), and printed materials. A TASTE OF CULTURE requires a single payment for the group to complete registration.

Interested? For further information, and to arrange for a workshop program, contact Hiroko at hs@tasteofculture.com suggesting several dates in May, June, July, or August that would be good for you and your group. Weekdays are best for Hiroko, but some Saturdays may be possible.

Sushi: Basic Recipes & Techniques - Part 1

Scatter & Toss

Learn to make shari (basic vinegared rice; needed for all sushi preparations), usu tamago yaki (thin omelette; flipped with a single chopstick!), a variety of soy-simmered vegetables such as kampyo (dried gourd) and hoshi shiitake (dried mushrooms), and how to assemble a spectacular platter of Aki no Sansaku chirashi-zushi ( “Autumnal Stroll” scattered-style sushi). Vegetarian & seafood varieties of this dish will be prepared.

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Sushi: Wrap & Roll

Basic Recipes & Techniques for ROLLING SUSHI

Learn to make futo maki plump rolls and ura maki inside-out rolls. Then try your hand at creating fancy patterns with special rolling techniques (vegetarian & seafood varieties will be prepared). NOTE: Festive Sushi, or its equivalent (knowing how to cook and season rice for sushi dishes), is a pre-requisite for enrolling in this class focused entirely on rolling techniques.

The same program, offered twice: once on Thursday, once on Saturday.

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THE CUTTING EDGE

Watch a demonstration of Japanese knife skills while nibbling the tasty results.

Cutting tools are fundamental to any cuisine. In the traditional Japanese kitchen, the skillful use of various blades, including the slender, sword-like yanagiba, and the flat, squarish nakiri-bocho, improve efficiency and enhance the artistry of food preparation. Ryan Becze of Osaka's kaiseki restaurant Masuda will demonstrate basic cutting techniques such as sengiri, katsura-muki, and sasagaki, and create decorative garnishes participants can nibble during the program. Basic knife care will also be discussed.

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TSUKIJI's OUTER MARKET

Explore the jumble of small shops, stalls, and eateries in Tsukiji's OUTER market

Tokyo Chuo Oroshiuri Ichiba, commonly referred to as Tsukiji because of its location in the Tokyo district of that name, first opened for business in its current configuration, in 1935. Like the castle towns of old, the market is a small city unto itself, with inner and outer areas.

Supposedly, entry to the inner market, or Jonai Ichiba, is limited to the trade. The lively tuna auction, however, attracts many visitors, especially jet-lagged foreign tourists unable to sleep the morning after they arrive. (Should you decide to explore on your own, watch for automated forklifts and carts that whiz by at dangerously high speeds, and stay out of the way of the hard work going on).

The outer market, or Jogai Ichiba, is open to the public. Here, a jumble of small shops and stalls sell tableware and kitchen gadgets, knives, tea and nori (sheets of laver), kombu and katsuo-bushi (kelp and fish flakes, respectively, for making stocks and broths), fish sausages, fresh and pickled vegetables, and a host of specialty fruits and herbs. Scattered among these outer market shops are dozens of small places to eat (noodles, coffee, and sushi predominate), most furnished with no more than a few stools at a counter. The lively pace of activity and variety of foodstuffs offered for sale, makes Tsukiji a colorful, though cluttered place.

This special market tour is conducted by HIROKO SASAKI, guest instructor at A Taste of Culture.

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Tastes of the World: New York Times Travel Show

An Illustrated Tour of Japan's Fabulous Food Halls

Join Tokyo-based writer, teacher, and culinary guide Elizabeth Andoh on an illustrated tour of Japan's fabulous food halls. Nibble samples from WASHOKU, her latest award-winning cookbook, while Elizabeth entertains and enlightens visitors to the show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on February 24, 2007.

For further details regarding the NYTimes Travel Show, Click here

To read the article about Japan's food halls that Elizabeth wrote for the New York Times several years ago, Click here.

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The Japanese Kitchen Workshop

For details and pricing on this all-inclusive package tour, please visit ANA's website: http://www.fly-ana.com/special-offer/taste-japan.htm

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Tokyo Here & Now ORIENTATION PROGRAM

The Tokyo Here & Now orientation program is organized and run through the TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB. For an overview of the orientation program, please click here.

Tokyo Here & Now orientation to Tokyo is a 2-day (March 11 & 13) program organized and run through the TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB.

Elizabeth's presentation, EXPLORING JAPANESE CUISINE, includes a slide-illustrated talk on WASHOKU, Japan's native food ways, and a mini-workshop to improve FOOD SHOPPING SKILLS (the focus is on decoding Japanese package labels). Bilingual printed reference materials provide attendees with a valuable tool for getting their food-related needs met.


NOTE: REGISTRATION THROUGH TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB ONLY.

Call the Women's Group at Tokyo American Club: 4588-0691

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Tokyo Here & Now Orientation

Organized and run through the Women’s Group of TAC (Tokyo American Club), TOKYO HERE & NOW is a 3-day orientation program for newcomers to Tokyo, offered to TAC members and non-members alike.

On Thursday morning, October 6, Elizabeth Andoh, Director of A Taste of Culture culinary arts programs, will present "Exploring Japanese Cuisine," as part of the Tokyo Here & Now program.

Elizabeth’s presentation combines a discussion of "What’s Japanese About Japanese Food," with printed information on FOOD SHOPPING (focusing on decoding package labels written in Japanese).

NOTE: REGISTRATION THROUGH TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB ONLY. For further details, call the Women's Group at Tokyo American Club: (03) 3224 3691

Tokyo Here & Now Orientation Program

Organized and run through the Women's Group of TAC (Tokyo American Club), TOKYO HERE & NOW is a 3-day orientation program for newcomers to Tokyo. Beginning on March 6, 2007, the seminar is offered to TAC members and non-members alike.

On Thursday morning, March 8, Elizabeth Andoh, Director of A Taste of Culture culinary arts programs, will present a slide-illustrated talk, "Exploring Japanese Cuisine." In addition, bilingual materials prepared by Elizabeth will help participants when they go food shopping in their neighborhood stores.

NOTE: REGISTRATION THROUGH TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB ONLY. For further details, call the Women's Group at Tokyo American Club: (03) 3224-3691

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Tokyo Here & Now Orientation to Tokyo Program

Tokyo Here & Now orientation to Tokyo is a 3-day program organized and run through the TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB.

Elizabeth's presentation, EXPLORING JAPANESE CUISINE, includes a slide-illustrated talk on WASHOKU, Japan's native food ways, and a mini-workshop to improve FOOD SHOPPING SKILLS (the focus is on decoding Japanese package labels).

Bilingual printed reference materials provide attendees with a valuable tool for getting their food-related needs met.

NOTE: REGISTRATION THROUGH TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB ONLY.

• Call the Women's Group at Tokyo American Club: (03) 4588-0691 [Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm]
• Or, e-mail: wg@tac-club.org

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WASHOKU WORKSHOP (in Tokyo)

Explore the pleasures of WASHOKU in a 3-hour cooking-workshop

Join Elizabeth Andoh, author of award-winning cookbook, WASHOKU: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2005) in making a nutritiously balanced, aesthetically satisfying meal together. Participants prepare, plate and arrange, and then partake of a home-style washoku meal (miso-enriched soup, multigrain rice and 3 dishes) that exemplifies Japan's indigenous culinary culture of harmony.

Enrollment limited to 6 participants to insure full participation.

Those enrolled in the Washoku Workshop program may purchase copies of Elizabeth Andoh's award-winning cookbook, WASHOKU: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2005) at a special price (2,500 yen) on the day of the program. Please reserve your copy after registering for the program.

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WASHOKU cooking workshop (private small group)

Elizabeth Andoh, author of award-winning cookbook, WASHOKU: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2005) teaches a private group to make a nutritiously balanced, aesthetically satisfying washoku meal.

Everyone prepares, plates and arranges, and then partakes of a home-style lunch (miso soup, multi-grain rice and 3 dishes) that exemplifies Japan's indigenous culinary culture of harmony.



To arrange for your own private group lesson, contact A Taste of Culture. Requests must be received at least 1 month prior to the program. Registration, including payment of fees, must be completed a minimum of 3 weeks prior to the program.

WASHOKU: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen

Book Tour Event

Numerous cooking classes, lectures, and book signing events in the United States have been planned to celebrate and publicize the publication of Elizabeth Andoh's latest cookbook, "Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen." For a full listing, and information on how to attend, please click on the WASHOKU page

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WASHOKU: The Harmony of Food

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Annual Conference

Elizabeth Andoh, director of A Taste of Culture culinary arts program in Tokyo, will introduce basic washoku concepts in a slide-illustrated talk to her colleagues at the IACP conference in Montreal, Canada.

Washoku as an approach to preparing, presenting and partaking of food, can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere in the world.

For further information, and to register, please contact http://www.iacp.com/events/national/4-12-03.html#WS-51

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WHAT'S IN A NAME: Reading Between the Lines on Japanese Menus

Curious to know more about the names of your favorite Japanese foods?

Many derive from folklore... the cucumber-loving water sprite called Kappa, who lends his name to rolls of sushi stuffed with cucumbers (called kappa maki), is a good example.

Join Elizabeth Andoh for the College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ) year-end, luncheon meeting. Her slide-illustrated talk on December 13 will help us read between the lines of Japanese home-style and banquet menus.

For further information, and to register for this luncheon program, contact:
Lucy Winters Durkin
Non-Japanese Program Secretary
College Women's Association of Japan
e-mail: ldurkin@mag.rochester.edu

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WINE and WASHOKU

Pairing wines with classic Japanese fare.

Wine basics, flavors of the Japanese palate, and the marriage of food and wine will be discussed as you enjoy a light obento lunch of Japanese food, served with several wines. Yukari Pratt, sommelier at the New York Grill restaurant in the Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel, will help you gain the confidence to pair wine with a Japanese meal.

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