The Twin City Cafe "Cooking Class"

On September 5, this “Twin City Café” cooking class with 19 participants was held online, connecting Naples and Kagoshima. At the beginning, Ms. Nakajo welcomed the participants. Alessandra Di Mauro from Naples then introduced herself, explaining, among other things, that she runs cooking classes in southern Italy.

The featured dish was the traditional Neapolitan dish Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmigiana). The ingredients introduced included eggplant, cheese, basil, tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic, and salt.

Through a live demonstration, Alessandra explained the entire cooking process: frying the eggplant, preparing the tomato sauce, and layering the eggplant, cheese, basil, and other ingredients. She also shared several tips, including using a generous amount of Parmigiano cheese and thoroughly draining the fried eggplant on paper towels. Aniya provided brief explanations in Japanese, while the participants followed the online instructions and cooked along from their own homes. Alessandra also showed the participants the open, airy balcony of her home, which she was using as her kitchen and which offered a view of the sea.

During the question-and-answer session, Alessandra explained that vegetables such as zucchini could be used instead of eggplant and that, in such cases, bechamel sauce could be substituted for tomato sauce. The participants also exchanged views on Italian culture and customs relating to food and wine.

Toward the end, Alessandra invited the participants to take and share photographs of their finished dishes, preferably including themselves and their family members in the pictures. The participants expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to engage in cultural exchange between Naples and Kagoshima.

In closing, Alessandra said that she hoped to hold several more cooking classes in the future, using a proposed list of Neapolitan dishes as a basis.