Introduction to Cooking : Who is Morimoto

Food has always been a love of mine. When I was young I had this book about Japan and in this book there were many pictures of beautiful Japanese dishes. I have always wanted to not only taste these dishes, but I wanted to know how to create them.

I began cooking my senior year of high school, which was about five years ago.I had finished most of my graduation requirements early so the majority of my classes were electives. I was accidentally put into a Food and Nutrition course. In this course we not only learned about how different parts of a food interacted with the body but we also learned how to cook and experiment with several “healthy” dishes. I really loved the fact that in comparison to writing a paper or painting a picture the cooking process was much shorter.And that I would end up with a tangible item that I could feel, see, and taste.

I find cooking to be an almost therapeutic process. I like that it is both flexible and governed. Cooking, like art has rules and measurements, but it isn’t too rigid that I don’t have some leeway to play around with a recipe if I want to.

This semester in college I once again found myself with a spare elective course. I opted to take a culinary class about “Modern Japanese Cuisine” at Kennesaw State University. The school is currently trying to establish and promote a new Bachelor of Science in Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality program so they opened the classes to people of all majors without any prerequisites ( Woo Hoo!).

My class is instructed by Chef Jack C. Fang. (Who is as an exceptional as a professor as he is a chef). My class is composed of seven non-culinary major food enthusiasts. Every Monday we have our class and we learn how to cook. The texts that we are using as our guideline to this class are :

Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking by Chef Masaharu Morimoto

and “Japanese Food and Cooking: A timeless cuisine: the traditions, techniques, ingredients and recipes” by Yasuko Fukuoka

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The description of the course on the syllabus reads:
“This course takes a closer look into Japanese cuisine and how it’s adapted in the Modern world. Students develop comprehensive skills to apply cooking techniques and fusions of ingredients to create modern Japanese dishes. This course demonstrates the richness of Japanese cuisine and characteristics that are part of Japanese food and culture. Traditional versus the influences of Western culture, dining styles and overall food experience will also be explored.”

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the semester, every student who performs the necessary preparatory work, attends class, and successfully completes the course assessments will be able to:

1. Describe the traditions and cultural influences on the country’s culinary heritage. (How Japanese food is being accepted and recreate)
2. Integrate flavors, ingredients, seasonings, and cooking techniques of the country’s cuisines to create a variety of dishes relevant to both traditional and current trends.
3. Identify traditional flavors, stocks and mother sauces and further development into the modern approach
4. Explain the development of regional cuisines based on available food supplies and agriculture resources.
5. Discuss the sustainable practices within the region’s food system, from farm to fork and the local and global impact.
6. Identify how the traditional foods, ingredients and cooking techniques have influenced similar cuisines prepared in the United States.
7. Evaluate traditional foods prepared for flavor profiles, quality and authenticity.

I am extremely excited to take this course! I already had to buy a professional chef uniform consisting of black trousers, a toque, black closed shoes, a white button up shirt, and a black apron. Luckily Chef Fang understands that his class is composed entirely of beginners and he has adapted the course to fit our needs. I am excited to share with you all what I learn this semester!

Bon appetit!