Japanese Cooking Lesson 1

Jiap to mooshimasu

Having some Japanese friends in Chiang Mai,I was invited to join a Japanese style party with cooking lesson at Narumi' s house. I was the only Thai among our Thai - Japanese Gang of Five ,who frequently met for dining out ,Japanese bakery class and contributing for local activities.Realizing that I'd love to learn Japanese cooking,Narumi san kindly asked her friend, Chiiko san to teach me how to make "Norimaki" ,I learnt how to spread Japanese rice on seaweed sheet and wrapped the food on bamboo mat which should left the space at the edges ,about one centimetre each. A water bowl was need to moisture my hands when spreading the rice then placed stuffed ingredients according to my favourites .On that day we had varieties of shredded tuna in mayonnaise,marinated shitake mushroom,omelette slices, pickles ,fermented soya beans and sliced Japanese vegetable. Then finally cut them into pieces of 2.5 - 3 centimetres wide and dipped into Japanese soy sauce and wazabi mmmmm.....

I had prepared my shrimp fried rice and thin omelette to test on wrapping as "Norimaki" ,which I put the omelette sheet on a seaweed piece ,then spread my fried rice on and finally added only two cucumber pieces. I had served my friends in Thai style with Nam Pla Prik (fish sauce,lime juice,slice bird eyes' chillies and chopped garlic). They all said "Oishi" (yummy).

Other Japanese food I had tried were delicious potato salad presented in cake decoration style with little boiled broccoli and tomatoes,O-hitashi(sweet potato with Japanese nuts )and kurikinton.One of my friends cooked French food of summer vegetables with tomatoes called "Natsu yasai no tomato ni" which tasted really good. I made "Yam Woon Sen( Mung bean vermicellies spicy salad) and they all enjoyed it. After lunch,we had fun time doing "Kujibiki", exchanging gifts by mean of lucky draw.

Next time we will meet again at Chiiko's House to cook Lesson 2.