Next ACE Class – Dolci Italiani II/Italian Desserts; Japanese Themed Dishes

Post Date: 16 June 2018

 

A friend in my Sumi-e painting class has a birthday next month, so I decided to make her a cake combining Sumi-e painting and traditional baking.  But I wanted to try it out first.  Pictured above is the single layer yellow cake I made, then decorated it with a motif featuring Plum Blossoms, one of the Four Gentlemen of Sumi-e painting, using vanilla icing and food coloring.

 

Staying with the Japanese theme, I also made Japanese Chicken Curry, Kare Raisu, Green Tea Ice Cream using Matcha Powder, and Mount Fuji Meringues, a take on the French Mount Blanc dessert.  Next up is a “Kyoto Tiramisu,” made with Sake for the alcohol component.

Next ACE Class – Dolci Italiani II/Italian Desserts

This 2 session class is a follow up to one I did last November.  It meets on Saturday mornings June 23 and 30 at Woodson High School.  In the first session we will begin with two refreshing, no bake summer desserts, both featuring Marscapone Cheese.  The first is a parfait made with fresh berries, marscapone and ricotta cheese, and Almond Extract.  Staying with the fresh berries, the second dish will be a Strawberry Tiramisu.  Time permitting, I hope to be able to demonstrate making Marscapone. Pictured above is my Italian take on Banana Pudding, also with Marscapone and Amaretti cookies.

 

 

Japanese Chicken Curry –Kare Raisu

 

I made this recipe for last week’s Sumi-e painting group session; it is from the Japanese Public Television NHK website (link is below).  It uses both curry powder and a red chili. I held back a little on the spices, fearing it might be too hot, but two of the guests said they would have liked more heat.  So, next time.  It takes about 45 minutes to make, but it well worth the time, as it is an excellent dish.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/food/recipe/japanese-style-chicken-curry-recipe/

Green Tea Ice Cream

 

I got this recipe from Kimiko Barber’s great cookbook Japanese Cooking at Home, which I mentioned in a previous post.  I decided to make it as the second installment of my Summer 2018 Ice Cream project.  It is a nice recipe; the Matcha flavor is quite strong, but it is very refreshing.  Next up is Basil Ice Cream, once my basil plants have grown enough leaves.

 

Mount Fuji Meringues

 

This is another great recipe from Kimiko Barber’s book.  Before baking the meringues you use a back of a spoon to hollow out the center to create a crater.  After baking, the crater is filled with sweet red bean paste, then topped with Marscapone mixed with sugar and Matcha powder and topped with Confectioner’s sugar (pictured above).  My daughter had been doing some baking and had some Orange Curd and Raspberry paste left over, so I used them on some of the meringues instead of the red bean paste.  All 3 types were really tasty.

Reminder – Instagam

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Upcoming Classes

Here is my schedule for the rest of the spring and summer terms.

 

June 23 and 30 – Saturday Morning – Dolci Italiani II/Italian Desserts – Woodson High School

 

July 7, 13, and 20 – Friday Evening – Cooking Basics 101 – Plum Center

 

July 21 and 28 – Saturday Morning – Summer Soups - Plum Center

 

August 1, 2, and 3 – Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Evening – Cooking Basics for Young Adults – Plum Center

 

August 8 and 15 – Wednesday Evening – Japanese Cooking in Your American Kitchen v2.0 – Plum Center

 

To register for these classes, or any ACE cooking classes, please go to:

 

http://www.fcps.edu/is/ace/

While there, be sure to check out the other culinary courses offered by ACE’s excellent chef instructors.

 

Till next time, keep cooking.

 

Contact Chef Kevin at: KJBrady@fcps.edu