May 26, 2009

Japanese food might be Kei's Kitchen's raison d'etre, but we love all good food, and occasionally, Kei's friend Stefano Manfredi comes to give Kei's Kitchen students lessons in Italian cuisine.

On May 26, 2009, he made an appetite inducing squid salsa, which about 12 of Kei's regular cooking class students who attended this special class cleaned up with Ciabatta slices, then there was the dreamiest creamiest polenta with mushrooms, followed by a wicked melt in your mouth braised beef cheek served with pea puree.

Even an apple pie dessert followed, but by then everyone was profoundly full (as no-one went for the Godiva chocolates that Michiko kindly brought, who passes up Godiva?)  

Stefano Manfredi is one of Sydney's most celebrated chefs, and is a regular columnist at The Sydney Morning Herald .  He is now chef at Bell's in Killcare and his new cookbook "Seasonal Italian" which he signed with very intimate, special messages on this day for all the class participants, has just been released through Fairfax Books. 

What Kei loves about Stefano is his regard for fine, fresh, seasonal produce which he cooks with imaginative simplicity. Kei feels that simple flair which distinguishes Italian food is very similar to Japanese food.   

After lunch, Kei and Stefano's friend Marco Balestrini of Lario International showcased some of his great Italian products including fabulous Porcini Mushrooms.

by Masako Fukui Copyright Kei's Kitchen (2009)