A
chef uses a white towel to wipe down a 66-pound tuna sprawled out upon
a cutting board. He picks up a knife so large it looks more like a sword
than kitchen cutlery, and makes an incision on the giant fish that reveals
its purple flesh.
To his left, another chef slices the pale pink flesh of a salmon. Each
movement, every slice and cut, is done with purpose and grace.
This is business as usual during a pre-lunch butchering hour at downtown's
Rawbar, where master sushi chefs do their thing at an open sushi bar.
But preparation for something new has been put on the front burner.
Rawbar will be starting up its fall sushi preparation classes, which
began last winter after a three-year hiatus. In the classes, students
will learn how to prepare Asian cuisine, from sushi to sake to Thai
food.
The classes are taught by Darren Chadderdon, the restaurant's co-owner
and executive chef, who has been in the food business for 20 years,
during 17 of which he's worked as a chef.
Chadderdon has witnessed an increased interest in sushi during the past
few years, especially with the advent of "Americanized" sushi,
such as California rolls with crab and avocado, which he considers a
stepping stone to developing a more adventurous palate for Asian eats.
People are usually more willing to start off with sushi that contains
familiar ingredients than with something that looks like leftover bits
from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
But despite sushi's increased popularity in restaurants, it generally
isn't the type of cuisine people make at home. Raw fish can make people
sick if it is not properly prepared, and most folks don't have the expertise
for do-it-yourself sushi.
Fish suitable for sushi must be eaten only a day or two after it is
caught. Large fish, like the aforementioned 66-pound tuna, are caught
in deep waters, where it takes a while to get back to shore. The fish
are frozen the moment they are caught to kill any parasites.
Rawbar's cooking classes help take some of the mystery out of the art
of sushi. Students learn the basics of how to preserve fish, how to
prepare different kinds of fish, how to pair them with vegetables, and
how to make rice.
Students also learn where to get the supplies they need to make sushi
at home, plus some specific guidelines on how to prepare raw food. For
example, finding fish suitable for sushi takes more than visiting your
local grocery store. (But not to worry, students won't be asked to slice
up a tuna half their size, either.)
The best part, says Chadderdon, is that his students get to practice
the art of making their own rolls.
First, they gather around to watch demonstrations. Then they practice
rolling their own "dream rolls," made from whatever they feel
like eating. The Rawbar's apprentice chefs split up to work with the
students, two at a time.
"I'm more the voice and they're more of the hands for the class,"
Chadderdon said.
After the lesson is over, there is a big luncheon during which the participants
eat their creations. The feast is accompanied with a sake lecture for
those over the legal drinking age. Few people realize that sake is just
as complex as traditional wine and that it can be artistically paired
with different foods, Chadderdon said.
"It is a wine," Chadderdon explained. "It's just made
with rice instead of grapes."
The
classes becomes very social—the kind of atmosphere that would
make for a really fun date, says Chadderdon. People who take the classes
often stay in touch with each other beyond the lessons, and they are
as varied as the sushi bar menu itself. Students under 21 years old,
as well as couples in their 40s and 50s, have signed up for Rawbar classes.
Chadderdon looks forward to the classes because they give him the opportunity
to put paperwork aside and get back to his passion.
"Plus, I'm a food geek," he said, "and it's really fun
to talk about what we do and get people involved."
