Japanese Winter Hotpot Cooking Class at Essential Ingredient Prahran

It seems a long way off I know and it is rather hot and humid right now in Australia to be thinking about such things but come July 18th 2015 you will surely be needing to warm your hearts and bellies with a little Japanese style winter comfort food?

The friendly people at The Essential Ingredient in Prahran have invited me to teach a hands-on class on Japanese winter hotpots and the like. Delicious and nutritious nabe and nimono are guaranteed to be at the centre of your winter table for years to come after you've been part of this fun and informative class.  

I'm about to head off into yet another Japanese winter so there's no doubt I'll be returning with a few new recipes tucked under my wing - might have to lock in several classes!!

Hope to see you there! Here's the link:

Jane Lawson's Japanese Winter Hotpot Class

 at Essential Ingredient Prahran

Uzuki- Cooking classes in Kyoto

If you have found yourself here you probably like to eat, cook or travel? And if possible combine the three? If you answered yes to either question you may be interested in doing something a little off the regular tourist route when you are in Kyoto town. 

The charming Emi Hirayama holds seasonal savoury and wagashi (traditional confectionary) classes in her home and I was lucky to score a spot one of her Spring cuisine classes in April this year. 

Including Emi-san there were just four of us in her kitchen, an older American couple and myself and we shared a lovely couple of hours cooking together, learning about seasonal cuisine and the wonders of Kyoto before enjoying a meal around the kitchen table sampling our wares. 

Our simple menu consisted of :

Rice with peas and salted sakura (cherry blossom flowers)

Nanohana ( canola greens) with scallops, mustard dressing and sansho

Sauteed Rolled beef and mushrooms with freshly grated wasabi

Marinated grilled fish

Prawn and vegetable kakiage

Seared Nama fu ( wheat gluten) with sweet saikyo miso and fresh kinome (sansho leaves)

It was a lovely experience - not just for the learning and the food but for the chance to step inside someone's Kyoto home.  Opportunities are rare for foreign visitors to spend time in a Japanese house  - which is a shame as it can really make one feel more connected to the country's culture. I highly recommend Emi san's classes for general foodies and people interested in getting a little deeper with their travel experience. 

Here's the link to the cooking school 

You can even see a little of my own efforts on her blog!

If you make it to Emi's place please give her my regards and who knows... I might even bump into you there one day!