The Art of Umami with Hiroko Shimbo

In this talk and hands-on workshop, Japanese culinary authority Hiroko Shimbo will lead an exploration of the famous fifth taste, umami. Hiroko will illuminate and explain the supposed “mystery” of umami: What is it? Where does it come from? How do we taste umami? And how can we learn from Japanese culinary tradition to use umami in our own kitchen?

We will begin with the most famous and concentrated natural source of umami, kombu (kelp). After tasting pure kombu stock and making simple pickles made with kombu, we'll explore a fundamental component of Japanese cuisine: umami-rich dashi stock. Dashi is made from kombu and katsuobushi (skipjack tuna flakes), and is the bedrock of Japanese cooking. True Japanese dishes cannot be crafted without dashi, though it can be used in Western preparations as well.

You'll learn a quick and easy method for preparing dashi stock, as well as how to build flavor in dashi. Then, you'll prepare your own dashi and use it to make a delicious dashi-maki omelet to take home. You'll also have a chance to purchase one of Hiroko's award-winning cookbooks after the event.

Doors open at 6:00 pm, program begins at 6:30 pm.

About Hiroko Shimbo:

Hiroko Shimbo is an authority on Japanese cuisine who has earned world-wide recognition. She is a chef-instructor at respected culinary schools, a consulting chef to diverse food service industries, and a cookbook author based in the United States since 1999. Her associates and clients comprise a domestic and international cohort of renowned food professionals, organizations, and companies. Hiroko has written three award-winning cookbooks. The Japanese Kitchen (Harvard Common Press, 2000; IACP 2001 Finalist), The Sushi Experience (Alfred Knopf, 2006; James Beard Foundation 2007 Finalist), and Hiroko’s American Kitchen (Andrews McMeel, 2013 IACP Winner). The Japanese Kitchen and The Sushi Experience are considered essential primers on Japanese cuisine and continue to attract professional chefs and home cooks.

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