Show Your Skills Dad - Kaiseki Meal

Frequently my Dad gets to go to Japan for business, so he's learned a lot about the Japanese traditions and food culture. Unfortunately my mom and my sister have both been able to travel with him and see this beautiful country, but I have not. Can I cry about it now?

No? Okay, fine. On the bright side, my Dad is an awesome cook and he put on a show with what he learned about the traditional Kaiseki meal.

Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course meal done in Japan. It is a culinary display of a variety of cooking techniques and skills, in order to impress guests and offer a celebratory dinner (says wikipedia).

It goes like this:

(by the way, I'm not using tradition Japanese names because I've never heard of them before... nor can I pronounce them... and I'm not attempting to preach the origins of this meal; I'm merely sharing my excitement over our fun family meal)

1. Appetizer (amuse-bouche)

2. Side dish

3. Sashimi and sushi

4. Protein grilled

5. Boiled soup

6. Cooked Fish

7. Light palette cleanser

8. Cooked vegetable dish (not featured)

9. Celebratory rice dish

10. Picked vegetables palette cleanser

11. Miso Soup

12. Dessert

What I researched, there where many more small palette cleaners and soups dotted in between, but I think my dad may have run out of kitchen space if we added any more. Not to mention being full after course 6, only half way!

1. Amuse-bouche :

Pea Puree cubes with Roe and Smoked Bonito Cubes. Salty, savory... mmm, it got the appetite kick started

2. Small Plate:

Heirloom tomato with Nori strips and Japanese chili seasoning.

3. Sashimi

Octopus, Tuna, Clam

4. Grilled Course

Grilled Squid - one of my favorite

5. Boiled Soup

Kabotcha squash with Shitake Mushrooms and Nori

6. Cooked Fish

(This was combined with the rice dish in Course 9)

7. Palette Cleanser

Rice Vinegar Marinated Cucumbers with Crab

8. Cooked Vegetable

(Usually tempura veg... but we were getting too full and we opted out of this one)

9. Rice Dish

Salmon baked with Leeks and Mushroom in Cedar packet with Chestnuts and Azumi Red Beans in Rice.

10. Pickled Vegetables

Pickled Eggplant, Cucumber and Burdock

11. Miso Soup

Miso Soup!

12. Dessert

Grilled Peach with Caramel Ice Cream, Walnuts, and Honey

ANNNDDDD STUFFED.

But it really really did feel like we had a celebration night with that meal.

So when's the next one Dad?

And if you don't want to cook it again..... we could always just go to Japan for the real deal right, right?