Patricio Garcia de Paredes (Japan),
was introduced to macrobiotics at the age of five by his mother, Luchi Baranda, in his native Spain. After graduating from the Kushi Institute, he began to teach and give cooking classes in Southeast Asia, South America, and Spain. In 1998 he moved to Japan to spread macrobiotics through developing macrobiotic restaurants, giving cooking classes, presenting lectures, and publishing macrobiotic cookbooks. In Japan, he was executive chef at Kushi Garden and Chaya Macrobiotic restaurant.
Presently he is the education director at the Kushi Institute of Japan. He maintains a busy international schedule and currently resides in Japan with his wife, four daughters and one son.
Cooking Classes
Innovative Use of Soybean Products
Soybean products have provided an important healthy plant source of basic nutrients, including protein with all the essential amino acids, calcium and iron to people in Asia. In addition when we get these nutrients from soybeans, it is very economical, conserves energy, contribute to sustainability and help protect the natural environment, all of which is essential for our livelihood. Soybean products are very versatile and as we will discover with a little imagination they can be easily arranged in delicious ways.
Quick Homemade Pickles
Pickles contain live microorganisms, such as lactobacillus bacteria and enzymes that aid digestion and absorption of food as well as helping to maintain a sound intestinal flora and strengthen the intestines. In recent years these microorganisms have been found to be very beneficial to our health and have been classified under the name probiotics, meaning “for life.” In this class we will focus on quick pickles that can be eaten soon and can be made even by those with a limited cooking time.
The Art of Steaming
Steaming is a wonderful cooking method that retains the nutrients and enhances the flavors of many foods. While living in Japan, I have been surprised at the different ways and original ideas for steaming. From grains and breads to vegetables and fish or even sweets, there is almost nothing that can’t be steamed. Steaming is actually very simple and easy to incorporate and together we will explore some of the possibilities.
Classic Western Dishes with a Japanese Twist
Food cultures around the world are becoming increasingly internationalized. When the foods we use are wholesome and suitable for our environment, this can actually contribute to better eating habits and better nutrition leading to better health. While learning to cook traditional dishes from other cultures can be fun and a nice way to increase variety, sometimes we can also consider introducing new foods into dishes that we are already familiar with. This will be the theme for this class, as we will fuse popular western dishes with foods of Japanese origin to enlarge our cooking repertoire.
Sea Vegetable Possibilities in the Modern Healthy Kitchen
Sea vegetables are fast becoming an indispensable food for modern living. Coming from the ocean, sea vegetables contain a broad range of minerals with alkalinizing properties. This can help offset the demineralizing and acidifying effects of our modern food and environment that leads to the rise of many current diseases. Meanwhile sea vegetables have been found to protect us from the effects of an increasingly polluted environment by eliminating toxins and radiation from our bodies. However, being a new food to many, it is important to learn how to properly cook them in ways that even beginners can appreciate and easily enjoy them.
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