Donabe catering project...6 Healthy Japanese Dishes for 50 People

Last Sunday, I did a big catering project for a wedding party.
In the past, I only specialized in catering for small groups, so it was going to be an exciting challenge to serve at a big party.

The wedding party was going to have about 100 invited guests, and I was requested to make 50 servings of assorted Japanese appetizers.  Besides my dishes, there was also going to be burger catering truck and Japanese takoyaki station.  What a great concept!

Most of last week until the wedding day were spent on shopping and prepping.
Then, the day of the service, I had the super helpers...Asami and Jason.  We worked non-stop from early morning on Sunday.  Asami and I cooked, and Jason cleaned.  We made a great team, and I can't thank them enough for all the professional help (including Asami taking nice pictures) they gave me!!

Here's the menu...4 vegetarian dishes (of which 3 were vegan) and a fish dish.

Japanese Appetizers

Menu

“Shira-ae” Creamy Tofu Salad

-Haricot Vert, Roasted Walnuts, Mix Seaweed,

in Creamy Paste of Meiji Tofu, Saikyo Miso & Kyoto Tamahime Vinegar-

•

Long Hijiki Seaweed & Lotus Root Salad

-Quick-braised with Abura-age and Carrot-

•

Cauliflower & Caramelized Sweet Onion with Soy Sesame Sauce

•

Cinnamon-scented Kabocha Pumpkin & Mozzarella Croquettes

•

Roasted “Shio-koji” marinated Scottish Salmon

-Topped with Tangy Lemon & Ume Salt Yogurt-

•

“Satsuma” Sweet Potato & Azuki Bean “Onigiri” Rice Balls

-Cooked in Donabe Rice Cooker, Kamado-san, from Iga, Japan-

We never compromised in details.  Every piece of ingredients had our attention and care.  We also made multiple batches of donabe mixed rice for onigiri rice balls with the double-lid donabe rice cooker, "Kamado-san".  I can't do catering without Kamado-san...I'm that attached to this donabe!  Some lucky people got to taste the onigiri with nice "okoge" crust.


In the evening, we got to the venue and set up our station.  We originally wanted to take photos of the entire set-up before the service.  However, as we were getting the dishes out, it was too late...guests were ready to eat already!  (That's why we didn't even have a chance to take pictures of the hijiki and onigiri dishes with decoration.)


Most of the dishes were gone in a matter of short time...I mean, really fast.  Can't ask for better compliment than that!  I was so happy that the guests seemed to like the flavors, and I could even hear some of them commenting nice things about the dishes.

It was such a beautiful party, and it was my honor to be part of it!

Donabe cooking at Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Day in Santa Monica

Last Saturday, there was the first "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day" in Santa Monica.  As a healthy Japanese & donabe cooking ambassador, I had an honor to participate in this inaugural event!


It was held at Pico/ Cloverfield Farmer's Market in Santa Monica.


Many people stopped by at our Food Revolution booth.


Marina and at the booth.  Marina is a talented private chef and she created beautiful dishes.


I demonstrated cooking a donabe rice dish by using the authentic Iga-yaki double-lid donabe rice cooker, "Kamado-san".   The menu was healthy brown rice onigiri (rice balls) with Japanese-style yuzu-kosho pesto!  It's a perfect picnic food for the coming summer season.


I had a great time at the event, and I am thankful to the organizers who worked so hard to make this successful event and for letting me part of it!

Happy healthy donabe life.

Healthy catering with donabe cooking

Besides hosting donabe cooking classes, I occasionally do catering, whenever time allows. My specialty is, yes of course, healthy Japanese meal, with many donabe dishes.

Last Tuesday, I catered lunch for 10 people at a photo shoot for a popular magazine. I cooked all vegetarian Japanese dishes.

Here's the menu.

Menu

Tofu two ways

“Shira-ae” Creamy Tofu Salad with Kale & Roasted Golden Beets

•

Miso-marinated Tofu, served Sashimi-style

•

Kabocha & Satsuma-yam Potage

•

Daikon & Chrysanthemum Leaves Salad with “Shio-koji” Vinaigrette

-with Radish, Roasted Almond, and Tofu Croutons-

•

Steam-fry Crunchy Lotus Root in Soy-Black Vinegar Glaze

•

English Peas & Hijiki Seaweed Brown Rice “Onigiri” (rice balls)

-cooked in Iga-yaki Donabe (clay pot)-

•

To accompany “Onigiri”

Tokyo Turnip “Tsukemono” (pickles), marinated in “Shio-koji”

•

Dessert

Home-brew “Sake-kasu” (sake lees) Pound Cake

*”Shio-koji” (salt koji) is fermented koji rice (same starter for miso, soy sauce, sake, mirin, etc.) with salt. Koji is known for its remarkable level of “umami” flavors as well as various health benefits. “Sake-kasu” is also a koji product and is what’s left after straining sake after fermentation.

March 13, 2012

Lunch created by Naoko Moore

naokomoore.com

www.toirokitchen.com

Every dish has my heart and soul.

Happy donabe life.

Happy Sunday for Sun-dried Vegetables

Last Sunday was a fun eventful day.

We checked out the opening of Sunset Triangle in Silverlake, before heading to Hollywood Farmers Market.

After shopping, we had lunch at Short Order. My pork burger was really good.

Cultural time at In Wonderland exhibition at LACMA.

Then, we saw a play, "Sarah's War", at Hudson Theater, back in Hollywood. The show was incredible...everybody in LA should go see it!

My mushrooms sun-bathed all day while we were out. They shrank very nicely.

And, so as my zucchini and asparagus. They will taste great in vegetable flan, which I am going to make.