In+the+Hot+Seat...

Featured guests coming soon...Stay tuned for snappy interviews on food related topics. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions. If there is someone or a particular topic you would like me to persue, please make suggestions. I will keep you posted!!!



Teaching foods has altered the way that I look, think and eat food. What was once substance that was a source of nourishment, has emerged in the forefront of my life. Food has made a stand: it has crept from the minutia of my daily routine and etched itself into my creative being. In a fascinating and exhilarating way, it has sparked new energy for the fare in the people that surround me. Kitchen challenges are a staple in my home and a meal rarely evades the camera. Perhaps, it is not surprising that many of my colleagues in the food industry are intrigued to hear about our journey together; however, my friends and family who have never expressed or indulged in conversation with me on this topic are now sending me emails, photos and sharing their ideas with me. The inundation of food in my life and my passion for it has contagiously made its way into the lives around me. Feverantly, I have been learning recipes that beckon fruition, and seeing people in a new light and their talents in the kitchen become impossible to ignore. One such talent, is Gloriee whom I have had the pleasure of working with for several years, and I am proud to have her in my circle of friends. She was excited by the challenge of coming into a high school classroom and sharing food history and trick of the trade.

Here is her Food Story:

Gloriee and I met over the western equivalent of asian cuisine: Noodle Box. Ironically, what we ingested on that Sunday afternoon did not find its way into the fabric of our conversation. We did, however, spend an hour diving into our life challenges and triumphs. Food= our appetizer. True to the way that I dance through life, I asked Glo the most challenging question first: How do you define your relationship with food? Poetically, and poignantly she conceived her relationship a a a love affair. Her love for food is followed with a strong sense of guilt. Like many of us, for Gloriee: food is a source of guilt and calls into question---"did I really //need// that?".

She candidly explored her childhood growing up living between and straddling two diverse and sometimes contradictory spaces. The western world, which seems to invite a challenge and a wolrd that has held on to one stereotype that defined her own personal challenges in the kitchen. That afternoon Glo explained how she came to be a sushi chef. Beyond the natural flow of life, her father owned a local Japanese restaurant for 30 years, she was sparked by a traditional Japanese "taboo" that men hold the exclusive honor of the kitchen. Justified from a practical standpoint, women's bodies are simply just a few degrees warmer than their male counterparts. She grabbed onto this taboo, embraced the challenge, and threw it out the window. Apprenticing and becoming a sushi chef sent a message to her world, and perhaps a metaphor for the way she broached challenges. Sushi for Gloriee is not simply an infusion of rice, fish and seaweed; it is a symbol of pride and her answer to the statement---you cannot. Beyond the kinesthetic, practical teachings that she has to offer Gloriee is a living testament to the way we can all grapple with misconceptions in our worlds.

Rapid Fire:

Favorite Foods--Pad Thai, Sushi and Fettuccine Alfredo.

Dessert---Moosetracks icecream.

What food are you bringing to a deserted island? Rice, Eggplant, Apples.

What are you scared to eat? (lucky for Glo she wasn't in attendance at the Reversal Cafe) Any part of the animal that is difficult to recognize. Dim Sum: Ahhhh Tripe. //For the record, Ms. Pollock loves dim sum!.//

Tell us a local hot spot--- Foo on Yates and Blanshard. She recommends butter chicken.

Wellness Goal---find a balance and be healthy, just really listen to my body. I want to be able to obtain all of my nutrition through food. To get to a point where I supplements are not required.

What is the weirdest food you have ever ingested? Pufferfish while in Japan. I did not enjoy it.

What is the biggest difference between Western and Japanese Cuisine? Here, soy sauce is a commodity; but, for me it is the basis of all cuisine. For example, it would find its way onto my perogies.

What about Japanese dessert? Contemplation...green tea ice cream. It seems as though much of Western food is been adopted and altered to suit the Japanese palate. Its like we take a simple staple and alter it. Meh, white bread not good enough. It has been recreated to something fluffier and moister to something that we could drool and dream over. The same goes for the way we create desserts.

If you could create the menu for your last day of life what would you put on it? Simple: Traditional Risotto.

Sushi

What are the tools of the trade? My high carbon knife, it has to be chop your finger off sharp. Oh, and I have lopped off the end of my finger.

Aesthetically? Sushi doesn't look perfect. The point of it is to look artistic, pretty but not perfect.

What people should know is that sushi has the illusion of being healthy when in all reality it has a large quantity of starch.

Gloriee grew up with Japanese food around her and infused her world in a very unique way. To this day, her dad continues to make sushi despite his decision to exit the restaurant industry. An industry that was a thread in his life for 30 years. He owned, operated and lived through his restaurant "Hime Sushi". Hime, meaning empress or princess, was a nickname that he lovingly gave Gloriee, and she was literally the logo of the restaurant. She was truly emblematic of the cuisine. Her journey in the restaurant began at the age of 13 and ended at the age of 26. Her four year apprenticeship spanned from the age of 20 to 24. I couldn't help but wonder, so I asked "why stop". Gloriee's humorously responded that she simply did not like smell of fish permeating her life. It deterred men. She recalled a moment while sitting in a taxi, the driver expressed that she smelled like fish. For Gloriee, that was a pivotal moment that shifted her life. I am proud to say that Gloriee's talents are widespread and a she never fails to surprise me with her creativity and passion.

Foods 9- Meet Gloriee Itakura. I hope you are all excited to meet her and have her be a part of both our class and our wiki community.