posted by Ling-Nah, SG
The cooking and lunch-sharing with Host Yoshiko was a wonderful experience!
Firstly, Yoshiko was very kind and patient with me. I was confused by the Osaka railway stops and was almost half an hour late! However, Yoshiko was very forgiving and understanding. She waited patiently near the appointed station, and drove me to her lovely home.
The kitchen was neat and well-kept. She made me feel at home. After some good introduction, she started by sharing with me the important sauces and ingredients in Japanese cooking. She even taught me how to boil the Daishi, a basic Japanese soup stock. Now I know why Japanese dishes are so tasty!
There were 7 dishes to cook, but Yoshiko managed the time very well, cooking them all at the same time. And of course, I had to do it hands-on with the cutting, cooking and garnishing. I really learnt a lot, especially in terms of the method of cooking and managing time efficiently in the kitchen. And when it came to tucking in at the food, I felt a sense of achievement! It was really a sumptuous feast despite it being simple home-cooked dishes.
Yoshiko even offered me persimmon as dessert. I was so impressed by her hospitality. We chatted quite a lot and I think it was a great cultural exchange. We exchanged parting gifts after that.
I will highly recommend to attend her cooking class-cum-lunch session. Thank you so much, Yoshiko!
