The July edition of the family-friendly online Japanese cooking class おうちごはん！Ouchigohan! – Japanese Home Cooking will feature a classic Japanese confection — dorayaki (どら焼き)!

Dorayaki sandwiches anko (餡子) red bean paste between two castella pancakes for the perfect on-the-go snack or light dessert.

The treat is notably a confection of good fortune as the shape is said to symbolize a great embrace and unconditional love. Moreover, dorayaki is fun as it can be topped with various ingredients, including fruit and ice cream, to create the perfect summer treat.

Saturday, July 22, 5 PM ET (ONLINE)

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*Use code “DC” to save $5

Join special guest Aoi TSUCHIDA, founder and owner of Kyoto-based OYATSU AOI and beloved Ouchigohan! Instructor Debra SAMUELS in making dorayaki three ways. Participants can use prepared anko (available online or in Asian markets) or cook with Tsuchida-san and Debra-sensei to make their sweet red bean paste from scratch. A Q&A session with Tsuchida-san will also provide insight into the world of wagashi Japanese sweets.

The ingredient list and Tsuchida-san recipes will be provided before the event.

This month’s program is hosted by the Japan-America Society of Houston and joined by the Japan Society of New York, The Japan Society of Boston, The Japan-America Society of Georgia,  Japan America Society of Colorado, the Japan-America Society of Indiana, Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia and The Japan-America Society of Washington D.C.

 

About Aoi Tsuchida:

Aoi TSUCHIDA is the founder and owner of OYATSU AOI. The Kyoto-based confectionary shop along the Kamogawa River is known for its additive-free sweets made by hand. Using adzuki beans grown in Hokkaido and other seasonal, high-quality natural ingredients, OYATSU AOI creates sweet snacks that evoke nostalgia.

About the Debra Samuels:

Debra SAMUELS leads the program content and curriculum development of TABLE FOR TWO USA’s Japanese-inspired food education program, “Wa- Shokuiku -Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!”.

She was a food writer and contributor to the Food Section of The Boston Globe and has authored two cookbooks: “My Japanese Table,” and “The Korean Table.” She curated the exhibit “Obento and Built Space: Japanese Boxed Lunch and Architecture” at the Boston Architectural College (2015) and co-curated “Objects of Use and Beauty: Design and Craft in Japanese Culinary Tools” at the Fuller Craft Museum (2018). Debra also worked as a program coordinator and an exhibition developer at the Japanese department of the Boston Children’s Museum (1992-2000).

Debra has lived in Japan, all together, for 12 years and specializes in Japanese cuisine. She travels around the country and abroad, teaching hands-on workshops on Obento, the Japanese lunchbox. During Covid 19, she teaches live online cooking programs to youth and adults.