Japanese Ingredients Take Center Stage at Event with Star Chefs

Recipes created with home chefs in mind

NEW YORK, March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- At a media event celebrating the quality
and diversity of food ingredients from Japan held on Tuesday, March 24, at The
Nippon Club, several of New York's top chefs, including Chef David Bouley of
Bouley, Chef Anita Lo of Annisa, and executive chefs from Nobu Matsuhisa's
restaurants in New York, demonstrated the preparation of dishes using Japanese
food ingredients, after which attendees had an opportunity to sample these and
other dishes. The event, "Recipe for Inspiration: Quality Ingredients from
Japan," which was sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries of Japan, also featured presentations on Japanese ingredients,
including burdock and lotus root as well as yellowtail. In addition, recipes
were provided to enable US home chefs to prepare these dishes in their own
kitchens.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090326/NY89772-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090326/NY89772-b )

After opening remarks from Mr. Mikio Numata, Deputy Consul General and Deputy
Chief of Mission of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, Professor
Theodore Bestor of Harvard University, author of Tsukiji: The Fish Market at
the Center of the World, spoke about the intense focus on the freshness and
seasonality of ingredients in Japanese cuisine, and Chef Bouley shared his
perspective on Japanese ingredients, including personal anecdotes revealing
the deep relationship Japanese chefs have with the ingredients they use. There
were also presentations on the growth of the organic food movement in Japan by
Radish Bo-ya, which runs Japan's largest network of natural and organic
growers, and on the cultivation of yellowtail by Hyoshoku, which raises
superior-quality yellowtail in giant ocean beds.

These presentations were followed by three demonstrations:

-- Anita Lo, chef and co-owner of Annisa, prepared her "Grilled Shrimp
with Hijiki and Fingerling Potatoes."
-- Matthew Hoyle, Executive Chef of Nobu Fifty Seven, showed how to
prepare
his "Salt Baked Black Cod."
-- David Bouley, chef and owner of Bouley and restaurants in Tribeca,
demonstrated the preparation of his "Sashimi Grade Big Eye Tuna
Carpaccio with Yuzu-Miso Dressing and Herbs."

Each chef provided recipes for his or her preparation and offered additional
dishes for tasting. Chefs from The Nippon Club also provided tasting dishes
and recipes, including "Sauteed Lotus Root with Shrimp and Tofu Filling,
Topped with a Broth Made with Japanese Yam, Served with Braised Burdock Root."

Attracted by the opportunity to see top chefs in action and sample dishes
prepared using a variety of Japanese ingredients, media from both the US and
Japan attended the event in force, including several television crews and a
wide variety of print and online food journalists. There was even live
twittering of the event by a local food writer.

Judging by the blissful expressions on the faces of these journalists as they
sampled dishes at this event, the chefs succeeded in highlighting how Japanese
ingredients can be used in new and creative ways with delicious results.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, whose mission
includes promoting exports of agricultural products, seafood, and other food
products, is sponsoring special events in major cities around the world that
showcase the rich variety and high quality of Japan's food products. These
events are designed to promote a deeper understanding of food ingredients from
Japan and how they can be used in a variety of dishes, both in restaurants and
in home kitchens. In addition, in response to global concern about safety of
imported foods and ingredients, they are intended to underline the superior
quality and safety of ingredients from Japan.

SOURCE The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan

Michael Solomon, MSA Partners LLC, +1-212-764-4760, Solomon@msapr.com