Hiroko Shimbo and Chikara Sono's De Gustibus Cooking Class

Welcome foodies! Less than a week ago, I experienced a Japanese Kaiseki meal, thanks to the culinary duo of Hiroko Shimbo and Chikara Sono. Hiroko -- who shares a striking resemblance in appearance and in spunky personality to Edna Mode from Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles -- is a cookbook author whose most recent book is Hiroko's American Kitchen. Chef Sono works at Michelin starred restaurant Kyo Ya.
So what exactly is a Japanese Kaiseki meal? Best compared to a tasting menu, it is a meal with a series of small portions. Traditionally, it is prepared in the order of an appetizer, a sushi roll, a soup, a grilled fish, a simmered dish, a dish with rice, and a dessert. For the purpose of this cooking class, the meal was shortened to a meal of a sushi roll, a grilled fish, a simmered dish, a dish with rice, and a dessert.

The sushi course was made by Chef Sono. He prepared Salt Cured Tasmanian Salmon Trout Sushi in a Bamboo Leaf (Tasumania Samon no Sasamaki-zushi). The star of this dish was the unique and exotic rice in the sushi. It was seasoned with a vinegar mixture, pickled ginger, white sesame seeds, and shiso leaves. To bring this dish to the next level, he wrapped the sushi up in a banana leaf -- a perfectly packaged present for the taste buds.

Next, chef Sono cooked a Miso Marinated Black Cod (Gindara no Saikyo-yaki). It was garnished with sauteed mushrooms and celery, a mountain berry, and chestnuts boiled in a simple syrup. The chestnuts provided a spectacular nutty nuance to this earthy dish.

The simmered course was prepared by Hiroko Shimbo. Her delicious Sake Braised Short Ribs with Winter Vegetables included cipollini onions, prunes, swiss chard, and fried sweet potatoes that were cut into the shapes of autumn leaves.

For the rice course, Hiroko also prepared Chorizo and Shrimp rice. For such an easy recipe, the dish was remarkably complex and sophisticated.  

For dessert, Chef Sono demonstrated how to make a Sesame Paste-Milk Kuzu Jelly with Strawberry Sauce (Mineoka Tofu no Ichigo Sosu). It was an interesting dessert, for the pudding itself was not too sweet, but it was offset by a pool simple syrup and an outstanding strawberry sauce. On the very top was a sake cream that added a refreshing punch to the dessert.

Hiroko Shimbo and Chikara Sono taught a wonderful De Gustibus Cooking Class. Both of them created an awesome meal, using each plate as a canvas for their culinary and artistic expression. 

Find more mouthwatering pictures on Foodie Finders NYC's Facebook and Twitter pages and be sure to leave a comment if you want any of these great recipes.

-Mike