Friday, February 25, 2011, 2:00PM - 5:00PM
ENGLISH
JETRO Event

In Los Angeles, it seems like everyone everywhere is becoming calorie-conscious. Preventing obesity is important, but are you sure you are still getting the essential nutrients you need? Chef Suki Sugiura, renowned for the menu he creates for the Golden Globe Awards, has cooked us American- friendly dishes using four Japanese lower-calorie, vegan-friendly, alternative ingredients. Come join us and witness the cooking demonstration and taste it for yourself!

INGREDIENTS

To see the recipes of Chef Sugiura's menu, please download this PDF ( 730 KB).

Hijiki
What is it?
Hijiki is a brown sea vegetable which grows wild on rocky coastlines around Japan, Korea and China.
Nutritional Benefits?
Hijiki has almost zero calories and is rich in dietary fiber and essential minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium.

Kanten
What is it
Kanten (Agar Agar) is a popular gelatin ingredient used in sweet Asian desserts.
Nutritional Benefits?
Kanten is calorie-free, will make you feel full, and is nutrient-rich dietary fiber.

Konnyaku
What is it?
Konnyaku (Konjac) is grown throughout Asia mainly to create flour or jelly of the same name. It is also used as a vegan substitute for gelatin.
Nutritional Benefits?
Konnyaku has almost no calories and is made of 97% water and the rest is fiber, protein, and calcium.

Yuba
What is it?
Yuba, also known as soybean curd or soymilk film, is made from the thin layer formed on the surface of heated soymilk.
Nutritional Benefits?
Often used to wrap dumplings, Yuba can be a lower calorie alternative to regular egg roll or dumpling wraps, which are higher in sodium. Yuba is also high in protein.

For more information about the ingredients, please click here to download ( 1.06 MB).

ABOUT EXECUTIVE CHEF KATSUO "SUKI" SUGIURA

Educated in Tokyo and raised in Europe, Executive Chef Katsuo "Suki" Sugiura has trained all over the world, infusing flavors and cooking techniques from across the continents into his culinary repertoire. Fluent in Japanese, Indo-Chinese, Caribbean, South American, Classical French, Mediterranean, Scandinavian and regional North American culinary traditions, Suki's signature dishes exquisitely blend spices, textures and ingredients to create universal cuisine with uniquely global flavors. Suki's philosophy is that great cooking is honest and meticulous. He takes endless effort to understand ingredients, their origins as well as the science behind them, including growing and production processes. Consequently, he has dedicated the past 15 years to studying the cultural origins of food.

Suki developed his global techniques by cooking all over the world including San Paolo, Berlin, Paris, London, Oahu and New York. In the mid-1980's Suki took his first Executive Chef position with Remington Hotel in Houston, and has been tantalizing the taste buds of the hospitality industry every since. From introducing a fusion of South American and European cuisine to the Grand Bay Hotel in Coconut Grove, Florida to helming the world famous Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Suki's menus continuously gain acclaim for their inspiration and originality.

With respect for each genre of his cuisine and the epicureans that will be enjoying it, Suki stocks his kitchen with nine different types of rice, cultivates his own herb garden, smokes his own meats and infuses his own vinegars. Constantly aiming to reinvigorate the palate, Suki works with his contacts from around the world to create new culinary innovations on an ongoing basis.

Some of his career highlights include:

• Winner of the AAA Five-Diamond Award in 2002, 2003 and 2004
• Named "Finest Chef Worldwide" by the American Academy of Hospitality Service in 1999 and 2003
• Named Los Angeles "Chef of the Year" in 1998 by the American Tasting Institute
• Contributing chef to "East West Food: Food from the Pacific Rim and Beyond, with 10 of the World's Hottest Chefs" (published by Hamlyn in 1997)
• Profiled as an accomplished and innovative chef in Gourmet magazine's September 1979, October 1989 and April 1993 issues
• Profiled in Bon Appetit's June 1994 issue as one of the top chefs in Hawaii
• Selected in 1989 by Food & Wine as one of the top ten new chefs in the U.S.
• Executive Chef at the Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Lounge from 1997-2004; led the Polo Lounge to garner the reputation as one of the top hotel restaurants in the world
• Appeared in the TV show, "2009 Japanese All Stars"
• Appeared on "CineTsu!" He presented his menu for the 67th Annual Golden Globes Award Show dinner for 1,300 celebrities to the worldwide media a week before the show.

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