Sushi Basics class

Sushi made by one of the students, Harvey Yamagata

My first sushi class for the Fort Worth Japanese Society was on Saturday, April 14.  I am teaching a series of three "hands-on" classes.  I am a board member of the society and my desire is to share my love of Japanese cooking with the community.  I do the Japanese Society classes on a voluntary basis and the profits go to the Japanese Society.
Enrollment was higher than I expected, 22 but then 3 cancelled so there were 19 people. I had never prepared for such a large group before so it was a lot more work than I anticipated.  The list of dishes we were making included: 
Cucumber Roll (Kappamaki)
California Roll (Uramaki or inside out)
Nigirizushi (Rice balls with raw and cooked neta (fish or other ingredients)
Salmon Teriyaki Hand rolls (Temaki)
I also did a demonstration on how to make perfect sushi rice, the most important ingredient!
Students were also given green tea and miso soup with tofu and wakame that I made.
The preparation was crazy!  I realized that to make enough rice for 20 people to prepare the different dishes, each person would have to have 3 cups of sushi rice.  Multiplied by 20, that made over 60 cups of rice, all cooked, seasoned and cooled right before the class.  You cannot make it ahead of time or it gets hard and just isn't ideal.  I wanted the class members to have the best possible sushi experience.  I got up before 5 AM to cook the rice, then packaged it in plastic to go box containers with a very moist paper towel on top of the rice.  This turned out to be a great way to transport it and keep it from drying out.  I also cut several cucumbers, carrots, made sauces, wasabi, the dashi (stock) for the soup, portioned out miso, cut tofu, and prepared little containers of mayonnaise and wasabi for each student.  I'll bet I spent over 6 hours getting things ready, not to mention writing up detailed instructions/recipes for each student and shopping for the ingredients.  Then the 5 members of our events committee helped set up the class which took another hour.
I believe the students got a big bargain at $30.00 for non-members, $20.00 for members to take my class!  I took a sushi class at Central Market a couple years ago just to see how they conduct it and it cost $60.00.  Maybe we should raise the price next year....
But, it turned out great and the students were very serious about their sushi making endeavor.  They worked very hard to create their rolls and nigiri zushi, learned about the history, perfect sushi rice, and best of all, got to sample their finished creations with a hot bowl of traditional miso soup. I really enjoyed teaching the class, especially sharing my mother's version of California roll and knowing how good it tasted, then sitting down with the events committee afterwards to enjoy the sushi I made for us.
The next class will be on May 12, 2012 from 10:00 AM-12:00 Noon.  We will learn how to make 3 types of Chirashi zushi, a preparation of placing ingredients on sushi rice or tossing them with sushi rice.  Chirashi zushi is not well known yet, but it is a real treat and allows you to enjoy sushi without as much rice and it is delicious!  If you are interested in attending, please contact Harvey Yamagata at 817-737-9166.  Class 3 is the advanced sushi class on June 9, 2012.  We will be making a caterpillar roll (avocado and eel), pressed sushi, spicy tuna nachos, battleship sushi, and I will share my miso soup recipe.
I can also conduct any of the sushi classes for your private event, however the cost will be higher per person.
Contact me at 817-919-7761 for more information.

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Slowly getting there

Japanese Power Breakfast,
Miso and vegetable soup with tofu and brown rice

It's been a while since my last post.  I spent a couple weeks away from home, then came back to a very busy work schedule.  In the meantime, while I was gone I attempted to stay on a very restrictive fat free plant based diet after watching a video entitled, "Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof" by Dr.
Esselstyn from the Cleveland Clinic.  I believe almost everything he says but I cannot stand that diet!!!!  I lasted for two weeks and lost a couple pounds but it seemed like I thought about food way too much.  I felt like the critics who say, "If all I can eat is beans, go ahead and kill me now!" It ws so depressing thinking about never eating sushi with fish again.
I will be getting lab tests in a couple days, routine for my annual physical, and I am hoping my cholesterol is a little lower, but I don't know that I will achieve the 150 total cholesteral and 80 LDL recommended by Dr. Esselstyn.  In the meantime I read all my books on populations who enjoy long and healthy lives such as The Okinawa Diet, Healthy at 100, Blue Zone, Food Rules, and The Spectrum by Dr. Dean Ornish.  I think Michael Pollan sums it up the best:  "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much."  The Okinawans, one of the healthiest populations studied, ate an 85% plant based diet with small servings of fish, occasional eggs and meat.  I believe my Japanese ancestors ate a very healthy diet before our western tastes invaded their country. 
I have determined that I can exist on a mostly plant based diet with 10-15 % of my calories coming from fat (which is only 18-26 grams of fat per day in my 1600 calories per day diet).  I eat the lowest fat protein sources such as beans, tofu, and grains along with egg whites, fish, and chicken breast.
I may have red meat on occasion but not more than once or twice a month.  I have either almond, soy, or non fat milk and all non fat diary products.  I have learned to use a special very light salad dressing I make fresh every day and less of it and I have been using canola oil, which has less saturated fat than olive oil.  Even non-stick "0" calorie spray has fat if you spray it more than 1/3 of a second, so when I use it I spray the pan very lightly.  My taste buds have adjusted quite well now and I continue to lose weight.  I am still about 15 pounds from my goal and have until the end of April to reach it. 
I will be posting recipes again soon!

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Sushi Classes

I'm looking forward to teaching a series on sushi making for the Fort Worth Japanese Society.  If you are interested or know someone who is please follow the instructions below.  Thanks!

For more information, contact Harvey Yamagata at (work) 817-332-3681 or (home) 817-737-9166 or email hyamagata@buxtonco.com

Hands-On Sushi Classes presented by the Fort Worth Japanese Society.  Chef Julia Dunaway, will be sharing her love of sushi making learned over many years, including from her Japanese mother.  There will be three classes: Sat. April 14 on Sushi Basics including the all important sushi rice, nigiri-zushi, temaki and norimaki.  Sat. May 12 covers chirashi-zushi including regional variations.  Sat. Jun 9 advanced sushi preparation including caterpillar rolls and oshi-zushi.   All classes start at 10:00am and end at noon with the sushi you’ve made.  Classes will be held at the Fort Worth Japanese Society, 3608 Park Lake Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76137.  Society members $20 per class, non-members $30 per class.  To reserve your place email to: inquiries@fwjs.org.  Classes sizes limited to make your reservation now.

Japanese Cooking Series

Presented by the Fort Worth Japanese Society

Hands-on Sushi Classes

Classes are taught by Chef Julia Dunaway

Julia has been interested in sushi all her life.  She watched her Japanese mother make it, enjoyed eating it in Japanese restaurants in California years before most people were familiar with it and lived in Japan for four years where she experienced the freshest sushi in the world. She has made sushi for her family and friends for the past 25 years, taught sushi making classes, and read and studied extensively on the subject.  She wants to share her love of sushi making with others.  Classes will be held at the Fort Worth Japanese Society, 3608 Park Lake Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76137.  Society members $20 per class, non-members $30 per class.  To reserve your place email to: inquiries@fwjs.org.

Class 1:  Saturday, April 14, 2012, 10am -12 noon

Sushi Basics:

Students will learn the history of sushi, about equipment and supplies, etiquette and how to make perfect sushi rice.  They will have the opportunity to prepare their own norimaki (rolled sushi), uramaki (inside-out rolls), nigiri-zushi (rice balls topped with seafood), and temaki (hand rolls).  Students will enjoy their cucumber roll, California roll, nigiri-zushi with maguro (tuna), and salmon hand rolls for lunch.  Miso soup and green tea will be served.

Class 2:  Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10am -12 noon

Chirashi-zushi (sushi rice tossed or topped with seafood or other ingredients):

Regional styles of chirashi-zushi will be taught.  Students will make Tokyo-style chirashi-zushi (raw and cooked fish and other ingredients on top of rice, Kansai-style (cooked meat and vegetables mixed with rice) and Gomoku (rice tossed with simmered vegetables and other ingredients).  Students will enjoy their unique creations for lunch with miso soup and green tea.

Class 3, Saturday, June 9, 2012, 10am -12 noon

Advanced Sushi Preparations:

Students will prepare a caterpillar roll with unagi no kabayaki (barbequed eel and avocado), oshi-zushi (pressed sushi in a square box, with salmon), spicy tuna nachos, tuna sashimi with daikon and ginger, and battleship sushi with salmon roe.  Students will enjoy their b

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