It’s time to sharpen those knives and dig up your best recipes as contestants, judges, and other hungry mouths gather for one of our most popular (and delicious) events of the year!

There are three categories for Iron Chef entries:

• Side Dish
• Main Dish
• Dessert

There will be prizes awarded to the winners of each of the categories. Note that any ingredients can be used in the creation of these entries.

This year we’re adding a Sensei Sauce Competition between JETAA Portland and the Pacific Northwest JETAA chapter.  One Portland member will go up against one PNW chapter member cooking up a dish using Sensei Sauce, this year’s featured ingredient.

This is a great opportunity to meet the members from the PNW chapter of JETAA.  They will be traveling from northwest locations such as Seattle to attend our Iron Chef event and using the “Tatami Timeshare” program to stay with Portland-area members.  Please e-mail any questions you have.

When: Saturday, May 15, 4-9pm
Judging begins at 4:30, prizes awarded at 5:30
Where: Demaree’s House
RSVP for directions to Beth Schnyder: treasurer@jetaaportland.com
(Please respond by May 9th and include what you plan to bring)

Record Turnout for the 7th Annual Competition
A great time was had by all at this year’s Iron Chef Competition. This was the 7th year JETAA Portland has hosted this event, and it was by far the largest and most successful! We had over 45 people: JETAA members, J-Kaiwa friends, family members and kids. It was a family-oriented event with great opportunity for everyone to catch up and enjoy good conversation and of course…great homemade Japanese food!

Iron Chef Results
This year’s competition proved quite fierce as separate tables were needed for each of the competing categories. Below are the winners (and their winning dishes):

• Iron Chef Main Dish – Leslie Siebert (Boiled Gyoza), runner up Walt Barker (Thai stew)
• Iron Chef Side Dish – Jarod Bishop (Miso Salad), runner up Chiyomi Higashi (hijiki)
• Iron Chef Dessert – Scott Smith (Green Tea Ice Cream), runner up Tracy Suzuki (Kuzu Mochi)

All Iron Chef winners not only basked in the glory and pride of winning, they each received a gift card to Uwajimaya. Runner ups received consolation prizes of Pocky snacks.

Sake Tasting
This year we added a bit of sake to the mix. We enjoyed sake tasting featuring a variety of delicious sakes from Sake One (www.sakeone.com) in Forest Grove, the only American owned Sakery in the world! Choices for sipping were: Asian Pear, Organic Ginjyo Junmai, and Organic Nigori. All three provided the perfect complement to the great food.

Consulate Participation
Recently arrived Vice Consul Shoichiro Watanabe attended his first official event for the consulate by attending our Iron Chef party. This was his first impression of JETAA and it appeared that he was very impressed.  Thanks to everyone who introduced themselves and got to know him. He wrote a very nice thank you note and looks forward to attending our J-Kaiwa and other JETAA events.

JETAAs Old & New
The highlight of this party was the wonderful collection of JETAA members. In attendance were members from the first year of the JET Program through recent returnees and included six past presidents! Former president Tracy Suzuki and previous Sports Chair Chris Reidel hadn’t seen each other for 7 years! And Charlotte Stewart (2002-2004) found out that she lived in the same apartment building as Leslie Siebert (1993-1996) in Japan! These stories are examples of why coming to JETAA Portland functions reminds us why our time in Japan was so special.

View the pictures from last year

Related posts:

1. Iron Chef 2009
2. JETAA Shinnenkai 2010
3. 2009 Hanamikai set for April 4, 2009 at Portland Waterfront

Iron Chef Results
This year’s competition proved quite fierce as separate tables were needed for each of the competing categories. Below are the winners (and their winning dishes):

• Iron Chef Main Dish – Leslie Siebert (Boiled Gyoza), runner up Walt Barker (Thai stew)
• Iron Chef Side Dish – Jarod Bishop (Miso Salad), runner up Chiyomi Higashi (hijiki)
• Iron Chef Dessert – Scott Smith (Mochi Ice Cream), runner up Tracy Suzuki (Kuzu Mochi)

All Iron Chef winners not only basked in the glory and pride of winning, they each received a gift card to Uwajimaya. Runner ups received consolation prizes of Pocky snacks.

Sake Tasting
This year we added a bit of sake to the mix. We enjoyed sake tasting featuring a variety of delicious sakes from Sake One (www.sakeone.com) in Forest Grove, the only American owned Sakery in the world! Choices for sipping were: Asian Pear, Organic Ginjyo Junmai, and Organic Nigori. All three provided the perfect complement to the great food.

Consulate Participation
Recently arrived Vice Consul Shoichiro Watanabe attended his first official event for the consulate by attending our Iron Chef party. This was his first impression of JETAA and it appeared that he was very impressed.  Thanks to everyone who introduced themselves and got to know him. He wrote a very nice thank you note and looks forward to attending our J-Kaiwa and other JETAA events.

JETAAs Old & New
The highlight of this party was the wonderful collection of JETAA members. In attendance were members from the first year of the JET Program through recent returnees and included six past presidents! Former president Tracy Suzuki and previous Sports Chair Chris Reidel hadn’t seen each other for 7 years! And Charlotte Stewart (2002-2004) found out that she lived in the same apartment building as Leslie Siebert (1993-1996) in Japan! These stories are examples of why coming to JETAA Portland functions reminds us why our time in Japan was so special.

View the pictures here

Related posts:

1. Iron Chef 2010
2. 2009 Hanamikai set for April 4, 2009 at Portland Waterfront
3. 2009 Calendar of Events

• Meet guest of honor Lauren Kessler, author of the tremendously successful book The Stubborn Twig. Lauren’s book, the 2009 selection for the Everybody Reads community reading project, will be available for sale and signing.
• Take a tour of the Garden during cherry blossom time with one of our wonderful Guides.
• Enjoy the beautiful koto playing of Mitsuki Dazai.
• Toast the occasion with sake by Sake One, taste the delicious tea of the Tsuen Tea Company, and enjoy light Japanese snacks prepared by Chef Naoko.

Please reserve your space for this free event soon. We look forward to seeing you at the Garden.

JETAA Members: Please RSVP to Stephanie Smith – kawaiisteph@yahoo.com

Related posts:

1. Volunteer Event at Portland Japanese Gardens
2. Sip Sake and Watch the Autumn Moon Rise over Portland
3. Obon at the Portland Japanese Garden – Volunteers Needed

It’s beginning to look a lot like Sakura season! We’ve seen blossoms on some trees (probably plum) and just know the cherry blossoms are going to spring forth in no time.

Remember how we told you that “this year, instead of setting a specific date for the party, we’re going to try to time it to best coincide with the flowering of the cherry blossoms at Portland’s Waterfront Park”? Well, the time has come to set the date.

WHEN: Noon on April 4th (if it rains, April 5th-check the website for updates)

WHERE: Portland’s Waterfront Park near the Japanese Memorial (north of the Burnside bridge).

WHO: All JETAA and Family and Friends (a great event for JETAA families)

WHY: Because we like to view cherry blossoms, eat oishii tabemono and drink ocha. Although Portland does not allow alcohol in public spaces, we’re sure that won’t stop you from having a great time.

WHAT TO BRING: Preferably, your favorite potluck dish and beverages, blankets/mats to sit on, general hanamikai/picnic attire.

If your last name begins with:
A-G: Bring a Side Dish
H-N: Bring a Dessert
O-Z:- Bring a Main dish

Questions? Need more information?
Contact Darren via email at social@jetaaportland.com or contact us through the website.

Related posts:

1. Hanamikai 2010
2. Iron Chef 2009
3. JETAA Portland Newsletter – May 2009 Edition

Related posts:

1. October Chapter Meeting
2. JETAA Portland Officer Elections
3. JETAA Portland 2010 Election Results