Sonoko Sakai
Sonoko Sakai is a Japanese American cooking teacher and food writer.[1] She has worked as a foreign-film buyer and producer. She was also a buyer for Kadowaka, Gaga and Nippon Herald[2] before focusing on the food industry. She writes about Japanese cuisine at the Los Angeles Times and, in 2011, she created the organization called Common Grains.[3] Common Grains promotes Japanese food and culture and has an emphasis on rice and grains. Common Grains has organized food pop-ups,[4] cooking classes,[5] onigiri (rice ball) competitions and speaker panels. In 2013, she went to Google headquarters to oversee the Japanese dinner for 800 employees.
Media career
Sakai's stories and recipes have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Saveur, Lucky Peach and Zester Daily. She has appeared on national television, including the Food Network, and public radio — KCRW’s “ Good Food” and “Sounds L.A.,” PRI’s “ The World.”
She was featured in the Omotenashi episode[6] of KCET's The Migrant Kitchen,[7] demonstrating Nihachi-Style Soba.[8]
She was featured in the It Starts with Dashi[9] episode of the Big Root podcast.
She was featured in the Inside the Incredible World of Japanese Cooking with Sonoko Sakai[10] episode of the Milk Street radio program,[11] February 7, 2020. "Sakai teaches us about real Japanese home cooking — from the world's easiest broth to bento boxes to the surprising way she kneads her udon dough."
Publications
Books
- 1986 : Poetical Pursuit of Food: Japanese recipes for American Cooks ISBN 9780517556535 - as Sonoko Kondo
- 2016 : Rice Craft: Yummy! Healthy! Fun to Make! ISBN 9781452142876
- 2019 : Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors ISBN 978-1611806168
External links
- Sonoko Sakai's website
- 'Passing on the traditions of Japanese home cooking: Food writer, Sonoko Sakai' in Discover Nikkei (25 Oct 2011)
- 'Changing Careers: From Cinema to Soba' in Medium (7 July 2015)
- 'L.A. Soba Queen Sonoko Sakai Is Hosting a Pop Up at Cofax Coffee' in Los Angeles Magazine (9 Nov 2015)
- 'Pen in Hand: Sonoko Sakai: Authentic food and the art of soba' in Tehachapi News (20 Mar 2016)
- 'The farmer and the chef: How rice was woven into two women's shared history' in San Francisco Chronicle (28 July 2016)
- 'For Sonoko Sakai, working with your hands affects more than just the food you make' in National Post (6 Feb 2020)
References
- Bargar Suter, Lesley. "Buckwheat Wild! Sonoko Sakai of Common Grains". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- Baum, Gary. "The Eat Sheet: Common Grains' Sonoko Sakai Takes THR's Taste Test". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- Ferguson, Gillian. "Making Umeboshi with Sonoko Sakai". KCRW Good Food. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- Coser, Crystal. "Sonoko Sakai to Host Soba Noodle Workshop on January 31 at The Standard Downtown". Eater Los Angeles. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- "Soba Noodle Workshop". Course Horse. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- "S2 E3: Omotenashi". KCET. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- "The Migrant Kitchen". KCET. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- "Sonoko Sakai's Nihachi-Style Soba". KCET. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- "It Starts With Dashi". Big Root. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- "Episode 405: Inside the Incredible World of Japanese Cooking with Sonoko Sakai, February 7, 2020". Milk Street. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- "Milk Street Radio". Milk Street. Retrieved 24 March 2020.