Irwin Wong
WOMEN’S GROUP Living in a suburban setting for the first time, she made a discovery while eating the food prepared by her host family. “Food is the best way of exploring culture,” she says. She also realized that she had been eating a substantial amount of mediocre food up to her arrival in Japan. Amazed at the difference between good food and bad, she says that she “became more than curious as to what made the difference.” A yearlong scholarship stretched into a prolific career of almost half a century. Andoh enrolled in the prestigious Yanagihara Kinsaryu School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine. Encouraged by the school’s founder, Toshio Yanagihara, she received a grounding in traditional Japanese cooking techniques. “I learned the story of food is as important as being able to make it,” she says. In Andoh’s first cookbook, Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen (2005), she explains the principles of cooking flavorful, nutritious food though a cultural lens. While washoku means Japanese food, it can also be translated as the harmony of food, which is achieved, according to Andoh, through the application of five elements: five colors, five tastes, five cooking techniques, five senses and five outlooks. Her second book, Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions (2010), introduces the idea of kansha, which Andoh describes as “the appreciation of nature’s provisions.” By using home chefs all over the world to test her recipes, she says she is able to ensure that her dishes can be easily duplicated, regardless of cooking expertise. For a number of years now, as part of the Club’s Tokyo: Here & Now orientation program, Andoh has been explaining Japanese cuisine and ingredients to new arrivals. And at this month’s Women’s Group luncheon, she will explain the relationship between pottery and food in Japan—an ideal event for those joining next month’s tour to the Mashiko Pottery Festival. Although consumers in the United States have only recently begun demanding products that are grown locally and harvested at their peak, Andoh has long been a proponent of eating seasonally. Since the early 1970s, she has been writing a column, “The Seasonal Japanese Kitchen,” for Gourmet magazine about regional specialties and seasonal produce. Her latest project, an e-book titled Kibo (the Japanese word for hope), was written in response to last year’s Tohoku disaster. Focusing on the culinary heritage of the three most
affected areas—Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate—she says she hopes to contribute to the long-term recovery of the area. A portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the recovery effort. For picky eaters delving into Japanese food, Andoh has plenty of tips: try items you enjoy cooked several different ways; keep a food diary, complete with photos and names, noting what you liked and what you didn’t; and be proactive with the local produce by sampling and ranking varieties of items and ingredients. It’s through such advice, as well as lectures, books and workshops, that Andoh has been able to impart her passion for Japanese cuisine and its diverse culture with the rest of the world. o Cannell is a member of the Women’s Group. Elizabeth Andoh www.tasteofculture.com
“Feasting on Ceramics” with Elizabeth Andoh Monday, October 29 Doors open: 11:30 a.m. Program begins: 12 p.m. Manhattan I Women’s Group members: ¥3,150 Non-Women’s Group members: ¥4,200 Sign up online or at the Member Services Desk Tokyo: Here & Now October 10–11 8:45 a.m.–3 p.m. Members: ¥20,000 (non-Members: ¥22,000) Cocktail Party Friday, October 12 6–9 p.m. Members: ¥5,000 (non-Members: ¥7,000) Sign up online or at the Member Services Desk
Mark your calendar for this year’s International Bazaar and Asian Home Furnishings Sale. For the first time, these two popular sales will be combined for one fabulous event. These annual events help the Women’s Group raise funds for local charities and Japan-based projects. Last year, most of the money raised was directed to recovery efforts in the earthquake-affected Tohoku region. Members’ shopping and generosity at April’s Still Jammin’ for Japan fundraiser helped to send 72 children from Fukushima to summer camp in Chiba. We hope that we can do something similar again. Shoppers can expect the perennially popular range of vendors, selling everything from artwork and antiques to furniture and accent pieces. This is the perfect place to pick up Christmas gifts or a few mementos of Japan.
Meanwhile, a café and lucky draw will offer shoppers the chance to rest, refuel and possibly win. o Schnetzer is a member of the Women’s Group. International Bazaar and Asian Home Furnishings Sale Wednesday, November 7, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Thursday, November 8, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. New York Ballroom and Brooklyn rooms Open to the public Volunteers Wanted Volunteer at this year’s sale and enjoy early shopping and the chance to make new friends. No experience necessary. To sign up, e-mail wgvolunteers@hotmail.com.
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