Nick (Nicholas) studies Culinary Arts at Seacoast School of Technology (SST)(www.seacoasttech.com/culinary-arts.html). The school operates a licensed restaurant, Julia’s, which is open to the public. As a part of the curriculum culinary students at the SST are asked to create a menu that will be used in the following year at Julia’s. The students manage the kitchen and serve their own created dishes to the public for one week. The money raised at Julia’s are used for scholarship. Excellent idea.
According to Nick, who loves Japanese food and culture, seriously thinks to become a chef who cooks good Japanese dishes. Nick describes his project as in “Each menu is themed to a certain location and I chose Japan. I have personally found that many students before me had a tendency to want to include as many iconic dishes in their menu as possible more than they want to create the most balanced meal possible.” Nick is trying to create a balanced, no-mixed up or messed up Japanese meal.
With this project ahead Nick contacted by e-mail and asked me if I can offer him advice and assistance during the creation of his menu. My answer was Yes.
He proved me that he is very serious. He has already, almost read through my first book, The Japanese Kitchen. I have advised him to get my latest cookbook, Hiroko’s American Kitchen. This book will let Nick learn how to prepare dishes with Japanese key ingredients and Japanese cooking techniques along with locally available and seasonal produces and proteins in New Hampshire.
Nick recently wrote me that ” I have acquired Hiroko’s American Kitchen and have almost finished reading it.” Excellent! Nick also wrote me that he agrees with my point which I made in the introduction – about the extension of Japanese cuisine in America using American ingredients. Nick will send me his menu idea soon. I will keep you posted.
