About
Is there a more exciting meal than a bento box? Whether you’re packing lunches to go for travel or picnics, a fully loaded bento is a box full of happiness. A shokado bento is in a class by itself, showcasing in its many compartments all five methods of Japanese cooking — agemono, yakimono, mushimono, nimono, and namamono.
You’ll learn about the principles behind washoku cooking, and make artful food with an assortment of rice molds and vegetable cutters, striving for balance guided by color, taste, and texture, and making sure to offer a sense of the season, or "shun.” There are practical tips for bento building, and you’ll learn which foods travel well, and how to keep them healthy and tasty at room temperature. The skills you’ll practice:
- How to make a traditional teriyaki sauce.
- How to roll an omelet.
- How to make musubi.
You’ll rotate through various stations to experience the different cooking methods and assemble bento ingredients. Then you’ll put it together, adding finishing touches and colorful tsukemono (pickled vegetables). Your shokado bento has six compartments to fill. On the menu:
- Musubi with ume
- Tofu teriyaki
- Tiger tamagoyaki (rolled omelet with nori)
- Aburaage pouches stuffed with simmered chicken and turnips
- Spinach gomaae
- Sweet potato and carrot flowers
You’ll leave with your bento and a recipe packet with tips for bento building, and a deeper understanding of washoku, the ancient Japanese food tradition.
Details
A $30 materials fee covers what you'll need, and is the cost of the class.
