Above: The Library is promoting learning how to make these seasonal Japanese sweets. (image cropped from flyer)
The Southborough Library is offering a free virtual cooking workshop. Participants will learn how to make a sweet bean paste, and mold it into autumn themed shapes.
The Library promotes:
Experienced instructors will lead an autumn themed traditional wagashi Japanese sweet making workshop. This will feature nerikiri, a kneaded sweet bean paste that can be made into many seasonal shapes. Easy to follow virtual instruction will include fashioning chrysanthemum and maple leaf sweets with autumn colors. Wagashi are usually served during the traditional Chanoyu tea ceremony gathering and can also be enjoyed with steeped tea and coffee. Recipes will be provided to participants.
The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, November 10th at 7:00 pm over zoom.
To participate, pre-registration is required through Southborough Recreation’s website. The site provides the following background on the instructors:
Kimika Soko Takechi & Larry Sokyo Tiscornia are long time instructors of the traditional Japanese art of Chanoyu, the tea ceremony. They teach Urasenke Chanoyu and its many related arts in San Francisco, California, and travel to many places sharing their knowledge with others. They also lecture and give demonstrations at both public and private schools as well as colleges and universities. They received their professional tea names in 1985 from Sen Soshitsu XV, the now retired head tea master of the Urasenke School of Tea, in Kyoto, Japan. The name Soko translates to “fragrance” and Sokyo to “bridge” and both received the Junkyoju, associate professor, degree from the Urasenke School in 1994. Larry received the Kyoju, professor, degree in 2020.
The program is made possible using a grant from the Mass Board of Library Commisioners. It’s part of a series of cooking programs that will be offered between now and next summer. On December 10th, the Library will offer DIY Healthy Gifts Everyone Will Love to Eat!. Participants will learn to make homemade and decadant desserts to make as gifts in time for the holidays. Other future events will cover “making healthy vegetable stew, Banh mi, & more”.
Patrons interested in learning about the upcoming food programs can email msorensen@southboroughma.com.
Readers interested in cooking also might be interested in the Library’s Cook Book Club. The next meeting on November 1st at 6:30 pm will focus on recipes from the book Half baked harvest: Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard. Participants are encouraged to cook a dish to share from the book and bring it to share with other members. (Please email your selection in advance to msorensen@southboroughma.com.)
