She also has some great sets on japanese street fashion.

Japan Society

Tuesday, 12th January 2010

6.00pm to 8.30pm

Embassy of Japan,

101 – 104 Piccadilly

London

W1J 7JT

Free for Japan Society members (booking required)

Deadline for bookings: Friday 8th January

Email events@japansociety.org.uk

Were you aware that Japan is a producer of fine wines? The quality of Japanese wines and their popularity in Japan has improved markedly over recent years.

This even brings together the fifteen wine producers who have formed a group called Koshu of Japan (KOJ) in order to ensure the high quality of Koshu wine and to promote the product. This is the first of KOJ’s international events and members will have the chance to taste a selection of wines, discuss them with the producers and sample food from Sake no Hana selected to match the wine.

Time: 12:00 – 2:00pm

Venue: MACROBIOTICAFE Click here to book now!

1. Introduction to Shojin ryori
History of shojin ryori
Style of the dishes ( one soup and three dishes with rice )
Use of ingredients
(shojin ryori uses basic Japanese seasonings and unique soya product for their dishes, such as koyadofu, kuzu, konnyaku, seaweed, fu, whatever the unfamiliar ingredients for international people. )

2.  Demonstrate the method of the creation
Creation of look, texture, flavour
Ideas of Imitation dishes

3. Tasting sample dishes / As an imitation dishes. When November 8th, 2009 12:00 PM Location

Okonomi means ‘favourite’, as you can choose your favourite toppings to put onto the pancake. ‘Yaki’ means ‘grilled’.

It is a well known regional speciality of the Kansai area, which includes Kyoto and Osaka.  It is a very popular Japanese street food, commonly eaten at festivals as well as restaurants. Here the customers can cook their own okonomiyaki at their table, and eat it straight away from the hot
plate.
The ingredients are very simple and one of my friends named it “economy
yaki”… That make sense! But you can always select a good quality
topping if you make at it at home.

Make a small size so that it is easy to turn over, and add a variety of
toppings. Serve it while it is hot, to watch the katsuobushi (bonito
flakes) dancing on the top of okonomiyaki!  This is fun at the party.

Ingredients:
400g white cabbage
4 spring onions
4 eggs
For frying:
4 tbsp  vegetable oil
For the mixture:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
300ml dashi (Japanese stock – you can buy powder in Oriental supermarkets)
20g yamaimo (fresh Japanese yam potato available in the Japanese grocery
shop in London)
For toppings:
4 thin sliced pork belly
4 prawns
1 squid (sliced)
200g grated cheese
A cup of sweetcorn
For the sauce:
okonomiyaki sauce
mayonnaise
ainori ( green nori powder )
katsuobushi ( bonito flakes )

Preparation:
1. To make the mixture, mix flour and baking powder in a bowl and add
dashi slowly to break any lumps of flour, and blend well. * don’t stir
too much as it will become a doughy texture.
2. Grate yama imo finely ( or use powdered yama imo ) and add to the
mixture. It will be very slimy to touch, but gives it a soft texture.
3. Chop cabbage and spring onion finely.

Method:
1. Add the eggs to the cabbage and spring onion in a large bowl, mix
well.
2. Add the pancake mixture to the cabbage mixture then mix gently.
3. Heat the large frying pan with high heat. When hot, spread the pan
with oil. Spoon the mixture into the frying pan.
* make small portions, so it is easy to turn over. Repeat to make about
12 okonomiyaki. (3 per person)
4. Reduce the heat to medium, put your favourite toppings on the surface
of the mixture then wait until the bottom turns brown.
* don’t press down on the okonomiyaki or they will become hard and may
not cook well.
5. Turn the okonomiyaki, and cook for a further 4-6 mins.
6. When the topping is cooked well, turn it over again.
7. Spread the top with okonomiyaki sauce, and mayonnaise, then sprinkle
with katsuobushi and watch it ‘dancing’ in the heat.  Add aonori for extra flavour

Tsuru Sushi Restaurant - new japanese music

New Music from Japan showcases Japanese musical and performance talent. The events have been running for one year on the last Wednesday of each month and have attracted a diverse crowd from the Japanese and local communities. Performers are also diverse, ranging from Wataru Kousaka, a sanshin player, to contemporary electronic composer Anchorsong and many others.

When: Last Wednesday of every month April to September 2009

Where: Tsuru  Japanese Restaurant, 4 Canvey St, London SE1 9AN

Contact: T: 07944 848740, E: emma@tsuru-sushi.co.uk

Website: Tsuru Sushi.

Japanese Festival London

A celebration of Japan and its rich culture, arts & crafts at one of London’s most vibrant markets. Situated in the heart of the city, Spitalfields offers a unique spot for East to meet West. Whether you are a londoner, missing home or have a bit of curiosity, this will be a fantastic opportunity for you to experience some of the most exciting entertainment in London, delight in exquisite Wa-shoku (Japanese cuisine) and get involved in as many interactive arts & crafts events as you can think of throughout the day.

If you are a Japanese business or performer who would like to get involved, you can contact the organisers: contact@japanmatsuri.com.

When: Saturday, 19th September 2009, 10am – 8pm.

Where: Spitalfields Market, nearest tube Liverpool Street Station.

For more information: visit the Japan Festival website.

Kinpira Renkon

On a sunny day, why not make a bento (lunch box) and have a picnic in the park.

Kinpira is a style of Japanese dish, using crunchy vegetables and basic Japanese seasonings.  It’s commonly found in bento boxes, as it’s quick and simple to make.

Renkon is also know as lotus root and can be found fresh, vacuum packed, or frozen, from Asian supermarkets (see the directory for a list).  It is full of fibre and vitamin B12, which helps absorb iron.  It’s important not to cook it too long as it ruins the crunchy texture.

You could also make this dish with other types of root vegetables such as parsnips, salad potatoes or celery.

Ingredients:

300g renkon (lotus root)

1 carrot

1 age (friend tofu)

Seasonings:

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)

3 tbsp shoyu (dark soy sauce)

1 taka no tsume (chili pepper)

A small pinch of ground sesame seeds

Method:

1. Slice the renkon and carrots into thin round slices. *If you use fresh renkon you need to soak it in water and a dash of vinegar for 10 mins then strain it. This will remove any bitter taste and stop it from darkening.

2. Wash the age in boiling water.  Squeeze the excess water from the age and dice.

3. Remove the seeds from the chili and slice as thinly as possible.

4. Heat the frying pan, add the sesame oil.

5. Fry the renkon and carrots.  When the oil has coated all the vegetables, then add the sugar, mirin and 2tbsp of shoyu.  Sprinkle the chili over the ingredients in the pan evenly.

6. Add 1/3 of a cup of water and bring it to the boil.  Cover pan with a lid.

7. Reduce to a medium heat and simmer for 4 mins.

8. Take the lid off, add 1tbsp of shoyu and increase the heat until the liquid has evapourated.

9. Finish by serving sprinkled with ground sesame.

10. Serve in a bento box or as a side dish.

More to come next month…

Zen bruswork

16 August 09

A day workshop that will include zazen, yokiho (energy raising exercises), Zen brushwork and Jikishinkageryu Hojo (swordsmanship).
The focus across all the work is in relaxing the bodymind and allowing ki to flow freely.
It will be led by Sarah Moate sensei visiting from Japan, who trained for over twelve years with the late Rinzai Zen master Prof. Terayama Tanchu.

When: 16 August 2009, 10 – 4.30pm

Where: 19-22 Aug – Charney Bassett, Wantage, Oxon OX12 0EJ

Cost: £35

Contact: J.J.Daboo@exeter.ac.uk
19 – 22 August 09

A residential workshop that will include zazen, yokiho (energy raising exercises), Zen brushwork and Jikishinkageryu Hojo (swordsmanship).

It will be led by Sarah Moate sensei visiting from Japan, who trained for over twelve years with the late Rinzai Zen master Prof. Terayama Tanchu.

Arrival is from 5pm on Wed 19th and departure after 3pm on Sat 22nd August.

When: 19 –22 August

Where: Charney Bassett, Wantage, Oxon OX12 0EJ

Entrance cost: £315

Contact: mikewatkins@stdpharm.co.uk

Haruko Momoi

August will see the return of one the UK biggest anime conventions in the UK. The weekend will feature guests such as renowned Japanese singer song writer Haruko Momoi and lots of fun cosplay events.

Where: Warwick Arts Centre

When: Friday August 14^th – Saturday 16th

Check the site out for a full listing of events and further details.