The most dreaded summer holiday is here and with the boys around the house fighting all the time, I can't say that it’is the best environment to practice on my wagashi skills. I almost lost myself when after a round of kicking and punching  in the dining room, a dust cloth came flying in the kitchen and landed right next to my freshly made white bean paste.  It was quite a challenge today making my own white bean paste which is the major ingredient for the Nerikiri Dough.

So that's my excuse for a not so perfect wagashi flower I made.  I'll have to practice some more when it's more peaceful.

Today was I took my third wagashi lesson conducted by Yumiko Sensei.  In this lesson, We used a dough called "Konashi" this dough is more popular in Kansai area (Osaka and Kyoto area), and I don't recall having it myself. It is a mix of White bean paste, flour, and rice powder. As it contains flour and rice powder it needs to be steamed before handling it.

In the Kanto area including Tokyo, we usually use "Nerikiri" as the dough (this is the dough we used for the Rose session). Nerikiri is a mixture of White bean paste and Gyuhi (this is made with rice flower, water and sugar). Although the ingredients of both dough seems to be similar, the texture is quite different.

After wrapping the red bean paste with the dough, we add the finishing touch, the leaves and vines made with Matcha powder and the crystal clear kanten jelly to represent the morning dew.

Now that I have completed all three courses, it's time to practice at home during summer! I hope to start my Wagashi class this fall.

Last class before Summer Holiday  was an obento Class attended by Students studying in Japan. They did a brilliant job making onigiri rice balls! Classes will resume in September. Hope everyone has a great summer holiday and see you all this fall!!!

Guests from France last Saturday taking my Japanese Style Cocktail Party Course. We all had fun making sushi balls and topping the tofu. This course is great if you like to entertain at home, something different for a change.  For details of this course please go to course details>>>

Guests from Singapore taking the home cooking course. In this course you will learn how to make 3 dishes - Teriyaki Chicken, Yasai no Goma-ae (Vegetables with Sesame Sauce) and Dashi Maki Tamago (Japanese Style Egg Omelette)  using the same basic sauce. 

Following my first wagashi lesson of making a hydrangea flower, I attended the second lesson for making roses. This is not a typical wagashi flower, but we all enjoyed making the rose petals and shaping them into a beautiful flower. I've bought tools for making wagashi at home so I hope to post more photos during summer.