Tokyo Home Cooking: Make Umami Mushroom Rice Donabe

Japan has mastered the art of cooking and presenting rice creatively, but there's something particularly comforting about rice cooked in a donabe earthenware pot. The steam contained in the pot makes the rice cook pillowy and soft, making for a great base for takikomi gohan (a rice dish seasoned with dashi, soy sauce, and toppings). In this class, you'll learn how to make this comforting dish guided by a friendly local host, and enjoy a delicious home cooked meal away from home. A licensed chef and certified Food Education Instructor, Mika, your host, brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to every class she hosts at her home kitchen in a quiet residential area of Tokyo. Step inside to learn her cherished recipes and discover the secrets of Japanese home cooking. You'll first make mushroom takikomi gohan, a fragrant rice dish cooked in a donabe (clay pot) featuring a medley of shiitake, shimeji, mitake, enokidake, and eringi mushrooms, combined with aromatic dashi broth and other flavorful ingredients bursting with umami. Next, learn to deep-fry agedashi tofu and taste a savory dashi-based sauce you'll use to infuse your dish with flavor. Side dishes prepared by your host will include green beans with sesame dressing and a suimono clear soup seasoned lightly with soy sauce and garnished with mitsuba, a Japanese herb, as well as tsukemono (a small pickled dish) and a refreshing ume sorbet for dessert. Itinerary -Meet your host and walk to the experience venue -Arrive at your host's home and go over the flow of the day over rice crackers and tea -Learn to make dashi soup stock -Cook mushroom takikomi gohan rice -Make Japanese side dishes (green beans with sesame dressing, agedashi tofu and suimono clear soup) -Enjoy your meal with an ume sorbet dessert