Cooking Class in Kucho

Yesterday, my friend Josh invited me to a cooking class he taught in the Kucho neighborhood of Ikata. The menu included the following American classics: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw. The audience consisted of 13 or so woman who, on the surface, appeared to be your average Japanese housewives, but in fact are members of a top-secret, underground "cook club" with a loose network of cells operating throughout the greater Nanyo area. One source (who agreed to speak with me on condition that she remain anonymous) informed me that membership into this clandestine group is granted only after a most rigorous test in which the pledge is locked in a room with an egg, a saucepan and some wakame. The pledge has approximately one hour to transform said products into a gourmet meal.

Seriously, these women were phenomenal! They approached the recipe with all the gravity of a logistician reading schematics in the war room of the Pentagon. As for me, I managed to walk around the kitchen without being too much of a nusance, and designated myself group photographer.

Translation coming soon - Japanese for Cooking with Angie:

(1) Is this milk spoiled?

(2) Help! The stove is on fire!

In short, it was a HUGE success, and I just need to give a shout-out to Josh for such a well-organized and well-executed event!!! Here are some more photos...

Slicing the apple, celery, and onion for meatloaf with expertise

Yes...mashed potatoes were an alien concept to them...look how serious everyone appears in this photo!