Chef and recipe creator YUCa will guide you through the art of
Simple, easy and delicious Japanese food to you!
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Live streaming cooking! We offer 8 classes. Menus of some classes change monthly.
Looking forward to meeting you and cooking together!
We offer 7 classes at YUCa's private kitchen studio.
Now, temporarily closing in-person class. We will announce reopening!
We introduce Japanese home cooking recipes (both video and text) for free. Please watch and try them out! Smart phone app is available too.
Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame, spinach and fried tofu [Recipe]
– Japanese rice with Yukari (purple basil) [w/Pot] [w/Rice Cooker]
– Tofu hamburg
– Miso salmon
– Eggplant steak with miso sauce [Recipe]
– Natto *fermented soybeans
– Pickled daikon radish, cucumber and Shiso [Recipe]
– Pickled plum
The 3rd of March is the traditional and representative spring event day called “Hina Matsuri” in Japan.
Hina Matsuri is a special time to pray for the growth and happiness of Japanese girls. It is also called “Peach-Blossom Festival” because in olden times, people believed that peach blossoms had special powers to drive away evil spirits. According to the lunar calendar, peach blossoms were in full bloom around March 3. This is the reason that even today peach blossoms are always displayed together with Japanese dolls called Hina Ningyo (ひな人形).
There is a tradition if the baby is a girl, the parents of the mother give a traditional dolls called Hina-kazari (ひな飾り) to their daughter’s family. Hina-kazari is a traditional dolls of Emperor, Empress, their servants and accessories on the tiered stand.
In very ancient times, display stands used to consist of just two or three tiers but over the years they grew more elaborate and gorgeous. I had 7 tier Hina-kazari at my house and my younger brother always tried to climb up. His heroic story is still α hot topic every year among my family. His heroic story is still a hot topic every year.
This day, parents having daughter invite their families and friends to celebrate this event. They display Hina-kazari and serve guests traditional dishes. When I was a child, my family always celebrated the Hina Matsuri together. So, this event reminds me of my childhood every year.
Home Party Menu Ideas
If you are planning to celebrate this Japanese family event, here are the recipes that we prepare here in Japan and also I recommend for home party.
🌸 Main : Chirashizushi (Chirashi Sushi)
🌸 Soup : Hamaguri no osuimono (Cherrystone clam soup)
🌸 Side dish : Potato Salad / Chawanmushi
🌸 Dessert : Sakura Mochi / Hinaarare / Hishimochi
🌸 Drink : Amazake
Do you know this?
It is important to dismantle the display and put away the dolls as soon as the festival is over. The dolls’ faces are covered with special soft paper and each item is carefully wrapped and retuned to its designated box.
People have traditionally believed that if the dolls are kept out for too long after the festival, the daughter of the family will have a hard time getting married. I remember that my mother was rushing to clean up when the Hinamatsuri was over. I hope her annual effort worked!?
Relater articles
– Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Festival)
– Seasonal Event : Hina-Matsuri (March 3rd)
The 3rd of March is the traditional and representative spring event day called “Hinamatsuri” in Japan. In this video, I introduce how to make 2 kinds Chirashizushi (Scattered sushi). One for adults with using fresh seafoods and the other for kids with using cooked ingredients. How about making these seasonal sushi and celebrating Japanese Hinamatsuri at your home?
Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame, spinach and fried tofu [Recipe]
– Okaka (bonito flakes) onigiri [Recipe]
– Fried salmon topped with sweet sour sauce
– Tofu salad (Shiraae) [Recipe]
– Japanese omelette [Original] [W/ Mayonnaise]
– Rape blossoms with mustard
– Pickled daikon radish [Recipe]
– Yogurt with strawberry jam
Japanese sweet and sour fruit sandwich are called fruit sando (フルーツサンド). Put your favorite fruit and a little hard whipped cream between the breads and you’re done! This time, I will make a fruit sandwich using strawberry, banana and kiwi. This recipe is recommended not only for breakfast, but also for picnics and snacks. Why don’t you start your day with this sandwich?
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Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame, wheat gluten and komatsuna [Recipe]
– Osekihan (Festive rice) ball [Recipe]
– Salt onigiri [Recipe]
– Stir-fry Hijiki with carrot, burdock and konnnyaku
– Grilled sausage
– Japanese omelette [Original] [W/ Mayonnaise]
– Sesame salad with komatsuna [Recipe]
– Simmered pumpkin with sweetened red beans [Recipe]
– Yogurt with strawberry jam
This Japanese vegan side dish is called “kabocha no Itoko-ni” (かぼちゃのいとこ煮) in Japanese.
“Itoko-ni” is a sweet and salty simmered root vegetable and azuki beans that are eaten as local dishes in the Hokuriku region including Toyama prefecture, Nara prefecture, and Yamaguchi prefecture.
It started with a collection of boiled ingredients offered to God, and was originally eaten during Obon, New Year, and festivals. It is still enjoyed by ordinary households, and it is often eaten with cousins during local celebrations.
When I was taking a walk in the neighborhood, I found UME (梅) plum blossoms starting to bloom.
The early plum blossoms are called Kanbai/kambai (寒梅). It means Cold (寒) and Plum (梅) because they bloom at the coldest time of the year. Spring is just around the corner in Tokyo!
In this recipe video, I’ll introduce Japanese breakfast which is also kids Friendly. Menus are Marmalade Chicken, Tuna salad with Komatsuna, Sumashijiru and Onigiri Rice Balls. Of course, this set meal is also perfect for lunch and dinner. I hope you enjoy this tutorial and give it a try!
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Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame seaweed, fried tofu and cabbage [Recipe]
– Yaki Onigiri [Recipe]
– Tuna Mayo Onigiri [Recipe]
– Kimpira gobo [Recipe]
– Stir-fry bean sprouts and green pepper
– Japanese omelette [Original] [W/ Mayonnaise]
– Yogurt with blueberry jam and marmalade jam
* Would you like to cook Japanese cuisine anytime?
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