Customer Reviews:
Good.......2007-04-14
The book has a good presentation but is almost impossible to find the ingredients to do the dishes
Nobu West.......2007-04-10
We all knew that Nobu Matsuhisa is a great cook, but the way he combined the west cooking with the east and his influences from Peru is just grandious.
I would consider the best book I bought in years. Simple to follow, extremely well documented and the pictures are just marvelous.
For an amateur like me, an excellent purchase to explore further the pleasures of life.
Several New Things I've Got to Try.......2007-04-07
I don't really read cookbooks. I don't believe all the great words on the back cover and flyleaf about how wonderful this cook is. Instead I start by scanning the table of contents. And in this book, the top item on the second column is Nobu-Style Paella. Hold On! This is a Japanese cookbook. Paella is a traditional Spanish dish, and one of my favorites. So I had to look. Now I've go to try it.
One problem with esoteric cookbooks is that they often have esoteric ingredients that you can't get in my little town. The Paella recipie calls for Dashi, a soup base made from konbu and bonito flakes. A quick scan on the computer and behold, Amazon, in their Gourmet Foods section sells both of these. So I'll be trying this one day soon.
Then I find Ice Cream Tempura - two good things that have to be better together. And this book has a section on coctails. I have my own recipies for things like Martini's, Cosmopolitians, etc. But I'm always open to suggestions. How about a Lychee Martini?
All in all, several new things to try and what more could you ask of a cookbook.
Book Description
The Complete Book of Sushi is the definitive collection of traditional, contemporary and innovative recipes for lovers of this Japanese cuisine. Fresh and delicious, sushi is one of the healthiest foods you can eat, as it's low in fat and high in essential vitamins and minerals. Aesthetically pleasing, sushi is also surprisingly simple to make. This practical book will show you how to create beautiful and elegant sushi dishes with ease.
Featuring a wide variety of recipes for:
Planning and preparing a sushi meal
Sushi rolls
Nigiri-sushi
Molded sushi
Hand-Rolled sushi
Vegetarian sushi
Chirashi-sushi
Wrapped sushi
Sushi rice in fried tofu bags
Sushi in a bowl
New sushi
Drinks, sauces and side dishes
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful book, with great directions!.......2007-10-10
This is a beautiful book--artsy enough to be a coffee table book, but it's full of outstanding directions on making your own sushi (everything from ingredients--what they are, where to get them, and how to use--to making the sushi and how to present it in a traditional style). It's so pretty that it's very motivating and inspiring. I gave this to my parents as a gift, and they loved it! This is the only book you need to learn to make sushi!
Totally impractical........2007-08-11
Wow stunning photos but what a lousy cookbook. If you like looking at pictures of sushi, this book is for you. If you like actually eating or making sushi, then this huge book is totally impractical in the kitchen.
Lovely pictures.......2007-05-30
The explanations are pretty good, but what sets this book apart is the pictures: large, beautiful and varied. After reading reviews for this book and for the rather unlikely Sushi for Dummies, I elected to purchase both, this one for illustrations and admittedly decent content and the other book because, after all, "dummy" pretty well describes me.
Very Unhappy With This Book It has None Of The Main Roll Recipes.......2007-05-30
Today I received this book it has none of the main sushi roll recipes (spicy tuna roll, normal california roll, hawaiian roll, tiger roll, dynamite roll, pizza roll, crunchy shrimp rolls, etc. etc. etc.) mainly vegitarian rolls, and sashimi.
It does have nice pictures too bad it doesn't have good recipes. I am very disappointed with this book and am returning it.
Super easy!.......2007-05-12
This book has great full color pictures throughout. The directions have photos with each step. The directions are simple and super easy to understand. We made great sushi the first time!!!
Book Description
The specialized cuisine served at Kyoto's famed Kikunoi restaurant is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate, and
Kaiseki, by owner / chef Yoshihiro Murata, is at once a cookbook and a work of art. This sumptuously illustrated volume features-in seasonal format-the style of cooking that began as tea ceremony accompaniment and developed into the highest form of Japanese cookery.
Kaiseki celebrates the natural ingredients of each season with a spectacular presentation. After a front section explaining the history and components of kaiseki cuisine, Murata introduces his establishment's impressive menu. With candor and insight, he shares his thoughts on ingredients, preparation methods and the philosophy behind his dishes. He explains how the cuisine has changed over the years and continues to do so. His professional and personal accounts are enlightening; ranging, for example, from how some dishes evolve in the search for the proper combination of ingredients to a description of a learning encounter with a zen master.
Approximately twenty dishes from each season, chosen by chef Murata, have been lovingly and carefully photographed to convey the experience of being an honored guest at his restaurant. Also included are the exact recipes direct from the Kikunoi kitchen, and a glossary of kaiseki terms.
Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous. Sensual. But probably not for dinner tonight........2007-05-13
I have two sorts of cookbooks in my collection. There are the books that I cook from, in which many pages have food stains, folded-down corners, and bindings that fall open to favorite recipes. I also have cookbooks that I consider "picture books." Sure, they have recipes, but I look at them primarily for inspiration or entertainment or fantasy ("Yeah, like I'm gonna cook something with two pounds of fois gras!" or "That's over the top, but isn't it beautiful?"). I rarely cook anything from the picture books, but that's okay; I enjoy them nonetheless.
Kaiseki is very much in the latter category. If this book isn't nominated for an award on visual merit alone, I shall be appalled. Photographically, it's simply stunning. If you appreciate how beautifully food can be presented... well, it earns its five stars right there. It's also a stunning example of how good Japanese food can be; many of the photos make me yearn to consume them.
The cookbook is organized in an unusual manner. The recipes are all in the back of the book, in small type (too small, I think). Most of the book is given over to the delicious photos, menus, and text. The text is largely what you'd expect as a long headnote in a regular cookbook. For example, you get two long paragraphs about the seasonality of fresh bamboo shoots, accompanying a blow-you-away picture of bamboo shoot sushi (it looks like a bird of paradise flower arrangement). These sections are divided into Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, reflecting the restaurant's focus on eating whatever is ripe right now.
I can't imagine that I'm going to cook anything here, though. The author doesn't try to Americanize anything, or to suggest "if you can't find sea bream, substitute [something else]." It's definitely a Japanese book. Maybe, if you have more Asian markets than I do and you know the cuisine better, you're better able to contemplate the recipes. If so, you'll probably be interested in steamed tilefish with fresh green tea leaves; or abalone in a salt dome; or fresh black soybean skewered on pine needles.
But don't worry if your ability to make these recipes is as distant as my own. Kaiseki may spend more time on your coffee table than in your kitchen, and that's okay. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous book, and well worth it for anyone who simply loves to admire food treated well. It would make a superb present for any foodie, too.
Elegant Zen.......2007-05-09
Yoshihiro Murata's "Kaiseki" is a real beauty. It provides a walk through the most elegant of Japanese cuisines, showing off the fine purity of the tea ceremony meal with all of it's evocative wabi/sabi aesthetic. The photographs are stunning and well worth a perusal. The actual recipes are pretty arcane (I would refer the home cook to Tsuji's "Japanese Cooking" or Vitell's "The World in a Bowl of Tea"), but this will be a real addition to a cook's library or to the Japanophile.
COULD BE BETTER-PUEDE SER MEJOR.......2007-03-18
IT DESCRIBES TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CUISINE. BEAUTIFUL PICTURES AND THE BOOK IS MADE FROM EXCELLENT MATERIAL. BUT IT COULD BE BETTER.
the best in japanese cuisine.......2007-03-09
chef murata is one of the best kaiseki chef in japan, had the oppurtunity to met him once and learn a lot from a man with lots of passion and knowledge. the book allows non japanese reader to learn and open up to a very old tradition from japan.
a must buy book.
Amazon.com
Japanese food was virtually unknown in many Western cities in the 1980s, when Shizuo Tsujii wrote Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. M.F.K. Fisher's introduction eloquently sets the stage for Tsujii's classic work. It may be the most thought-provoking piece ever written about Japanese food for non-Asians, pointing out how food and even the physical act of eating differ from what they are in Japan. Tsujii's writing is clear and educational. He talks specifically to a Western, non-Asian audience, demonstrating far more awareness of our culinary preferences and prejudices than most Westerners have for his. Following the preface (which should not be skipped), an arrangement of color photos of key ingredients and dishes sets the scene. Next, part 1 provides a thorough explanation of techniques for Japanese cooking and instructions for making all the basic elements of dishes. These "lessons" cover cutting vegetables, steaming, grilling, and deep frying the Japanese way, and even how to make sushi. Recipes cover Basic Vinegar Salad Dressings, Sushi Rice, and Teriyaki. To prepare Vinegared Octopus, a complete series of drawings clearly demonstrates each step.
Part 2 consists solely of recipes. Gather together fresh ginger, soy sauce, the sweet wine mirin , sake, and rice vinegar and you can make many of them. Beginners might start with Deep Fried Chicken Patties, Steak Teriyaki, Tortoise Shell Tofu, simply bathed in a tasty sauce, and Asparagus Rice, a light and colorful dish. Because of its combination of background information, comprehensive recipes, and excellent instructions, Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art will always remain an important book for learning about this simple yet complex cuisine. --Dana Jacobi
Book Description
US: Available in April 2007
Since its release twenty-five years ago, Shizuo Tsuji's encyclopedic and authoritative work has been the acknowledged "bible" of Japanese cooking. Unrivaled in its comprehensive explanation of ingredients, tools, and techniques, the book guides readers through recipes with clear prose, while technical points are made understandable with deftly executed line drawings.
Much more than a collection of recipes, the cookbook is a masterful treatise on Japanese cuisine. In his preface, the author (who was truly a Renaissance man of Japanese and world gastronomy) discusses the essence of Japanese cooking, with its emphasis on simplicity, balance of textures, colors, and flavors, seasonal freshness, and artful presentation.
M. F. K. Fisher's introduction to the 1980 edition is a not-to-be-missed work of food writing. A new foreword by Ruth Reichl and an additional preface by Tsuji Culinary Institute president Yoshiki Tsuji provide culinary and historical context for the 25th Anniversary Edition. Eight pages of vibrant new color photographs illustrate over seventeen finished dishes.
After introducing ingredients and utensils, the twenty chapters that make up Part One consist of lessons presenting all the basic Japanese cooking methods and principal types of prepared foods—making soup, slicing sashimi, grilling, simmering, steaming, noodles, sushi, pickles, and so on—with accompanying basic recipes. Part Two features 130 carefully selected recipes that range from everyday fare to intriguing challenges for the adventurous cook. Together with the recipes in Part One, these allow the cook to build a repertoire of dishes ranging from the basic "soup and three" formula to a gala banquet.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book if you are serious about food........2007-05-30
This book explains everything, and is actually an enjoyable read.
Indispensable.......2007-04-28
This is an indispensable book to any cook's library. The original edition was written in an era of mystery. Japanese food was not known to many. In this light (or darkness) the author painstakingly explains the nuances of japanese cuisine. No other author takes such an effort.
We live an era of globalized cuisine where sushi is served at cafeterias, oriental ingredients are available everywhere, and almost every species of fish is available regardless of origin. Despite our growing familiarity with the cuisine most of us are still ignorant about what makes a meal japanese. This book has served as an introduction to cooking japanese food to most serious cooks. It is unfettered by all of the attempts at fusion japanese (cream cheese and salmon sushi, spam musubi etc.) and is strictly focused on classical cuisine. Most new cookbooks about japanese cuisine stray from the classical cuisine and lack authenticity. Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art belongs beside Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Jacques Pepin's La Technique, and Richard Olney's the Good Cook series. The only other way I know of learning the proper way of cooking japanese food is to work for a great japaese chef.
Fun and Easy To Use.......2007-04-17
My son went to Japan a few years ago and wanted me to learn to cook some Japanese dishes. As anyone who has ever tried a new cuisine can tell you, it's a frightening experience. And to the Japanese, the whole cooking process, including the preparation and presentation are key to the whole experience.
This book made the process easy and fun. The directions were easy to follow and concise. I also liked the pictures as they gave me something to compare my dishes to.
Now I try to cook something from this book when my son comes home from college.
More than sushi.......2007-04-12
I bought the first edition some decades ago and it has proved a "standby". This was the first Japanese cookbook which I purchased, by comparison, others have never matched it. In the past 10 years, I have been to Japan a number of times and sampled many different regional cuisines and specialties; food often not available or served in the West. This books does justice to them. If you are going to buy a cookbook on Japanese cooking .... this is it!
What a Wonderful Book!.......2007-04-11
Interesting, Beautiful to look at, Can't wait to start trying "new" things...Thanks
Amazon.com
If the food of a culture has a pulse, in Japan that pulse would be called washoku. It's a set of principles in fives that takes into account color, taste, ways of preparing food, the diner's senses, and the outlook brought to bear on both the cooking and the dining experience. The result? Meals that are balanced, pleasing, invigorating, healing, and satisfying--all in ways that seep deep into the soul. It's the great good luck of the West that Elizabeth Andoh chose a life in Japan and a focus on food. Her expertise has brought forth the award-winning An Ocean of Flavor as well as countless newspaper and magazine pieces.
With Washoku Andoh takes the reader into the heart of the Japanese home kitchen. She explains the guiding philosophy then brings it into practical terms with a section on the essential washoku pantry. Her section on the washoku kitchen begins with cutting and ends with shaping and molding. Recipes are found in chapters on Stocks and Condiments; Soups; Rice; Noodles; Vegetables; Fish, Meat and Poultry; Tofu and Eggs; and Desserts.
You might never prepare an entire Japanese meal from beginning to end (though with this book in hand you certainly could), but there's no reason not to believe you wouldn't begin to include some of these recipes in an expanding foodway. The sauces and condiments are particularly exciting. As is the underlying thinking that goes into how you are cooking and why you are cooking--the washoku of it all. Not a bad lesson to learn from an exemplary teacher. --Schuyler Ingle
Book Description
"Elizabeth Andoh's groundbreaking cookbook introduces Western audiences to the age-old concept of washoku, the art of creating nutritional and aesthetic harmony at the table, one that transforms our thinking about Japanese cuisine and culture. Composed with deep scholarship and loving craftsmanship, Washoku is filled with authentic recipes and personal stories that place the Japanese cooking and dining experience in a much needed cultural perspective only an insider could share." --Grace Young, author of The Breath of a Wok
"For American cooks, Elizabeth Andoh is THE guru of Japanese cuisine. It seems there's nothing she doesn't know, her language is clear and understandable, and her recipes work. What more could you want?"
--Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything
"We cook from the heart (kokoro) and express our feelings with our dishes. In this book, Elizabeth Andoh conveys the way of the Japanese kokoro through cooking to people around the world."
-- Nobu Matsuhisa
"Elizabeth Andoh's beautiful new book is not just a cookbook filled with enticing recipes, but a fascinating treatise explaining the philosophy behind Japanese home cooking and Japanese cuisine as a whole. Washoku confirms Elizabeth's stellar reputation as one of the most knowledgeable authorities on Japanese food and culture."
--Nina Simonds, author of A Spoonful of Ginger
In 1975, Gourmet magazine published a series on traditional Japanese food —the first of its kind in a major American food magazine — written by a graduate of the prestigious Yanagihara School of classical cuisine in Tokyo. Today, the author of that groundbreaking series, Elizabeth Andoh, is recognized as the leading English-language authority on the subject. She shares her knowledge and passion for the food culture of Japan in WASHOKU, an authoritative, deeply personal tribute to one of the world 's most distinctive culinary traditions. Andoh begins by setting forth the ethos of washoku (traditional Japanese food), exploring its nuanced approach to balancing flavor, applying technique, and considering aesthetics hand-in-hand with nutrition. With detailed descriptions of ingredients complemented by stunning full-color photography, the book's comprehensive chapter on the Japanese pantry is practically a book unto itself. The recipes for soups, rice dishes and noodles, meat and poultry, seafood, and desserts are models of clarity and precision, and the rich cultural context and practical notes that Andoh provides help readers master the rhythm and flow of the washoku kitchen. Much more than just a collection of recipes, WASHOKU is a journey through a cuisine that is rich in history and as handsome as it is healthful.
Customer Reviews:
Cooking Japanese Food Made Easy.......2007-07-14
Very pleased with the addition of this book to my collection. Ordering was perfect, arrival was perfect, and the happiness I have now at being able to cook for my daughter-in-law is awesome. Everything went smoothly and I am so pleased. Highest rating to a great service.
A very useful and informative book.......2007-07-12
This book is one that I would usually put in the "coffee table" genre. It is full of informative photographs, has sections on ingredients, tableware, service, recipes..... and it is beautiful have out for looks or information. It is well worth the price and that is something that is hard to find in the world of Japanese cookbooks in general. This is a huge book that is bursting with color and instructions. This is a book to add to your collection whether you cook, need a focal point for that special spot in your living room or actually want to cram your head with facts about Japanese cuisine and service.
Washoku: Recipes From The Japanese Home Kitchen.......2007-04-11
Others may better explain the concept of Washoku and its five harmonies applied when making a meal(harmony in color, palate, cooking method, senses and outlook). For me the value of this book has been its wonderfully thourough (almost encyclopedic) description of japanese ingredients, its illustrations, what a Japanese pantry would include (the essentials), instructions on how to prepare, tools needed, how to store, what to expect from foods (e.g. smells that we might not recognize and mistake for spoilage). I constantly refer to it as I use other Japanese cookbooks.
A Truly Wonderful Book.......2007-03-12
For a country so obsessed with food, why is it that we never take the time to really think about the way we eat the particular foods on our table. Do we ever consider the texture and color when preparing a meal? Is it at all important that the items on our plate achieve a certain harmony with each other? What do we know about our methods of food preparation in spiritual terms? And why is it that we only think about our stomachs at mealtime and not our metaphysical hunger? Because we just don't. It has no place in our culture of Fast Food and microwave-ready dinners.
It's only when you pick up Elizabeth Andoh's book, Washoku: Recipes From The Japanese Home Kitchen, that you begin to see how simple it is to think in these terms. Andoh talks about discovering the art and science of the food of her adopted country, her monther-in-law's Japanese home kitchen and lengths she went in preparing not only healthy meals but truly fulfilling dishes made with order and harmony.
Washoku explains the philosophy of thinking about the balance of color, taste, texture, technique, and ingredients in a meal. Andoh, In short, teaches you how and why each meal should feature five colors, five flavors, five cooking techniques and engage all five senses. The fifth principle, based in Buddhist practices, urges cook and diner to be mindful of the work that went into the meal, to be grateful, to put aside ill feelings, to eat for spiritual as well as physical well-being.
It is a truly wonder book. I couldn't wait to add it to my kitchen bookshelf.
Beautiful and accessible.......2007-03-11
After using a library copy of this book for several weeks, I am definitely purchasing my own copy. It's a beautiful book, yes, but more important, the recipes are easy to use and produce a fairly authentic flavor with little fuss and bother. I have one slight suggestion for future volumes by Andoh and other Japanese cookbook authors. It would be extremely helpful if the names for ingredients (in the ingredient glossary) would be given in both romaji and Japanese characters. When shopping, I often find products that are made in Japan and labeled only in Japanese. Since my reading knowledge of Japanese is extremely limited, it's difficult to figure out what the item is exactly. With hiragana and/or kanji labels in the book, one could compare to the product label and shopping would be far easier!
Book Description
A comprehensive, fully illustrated cookbook of popular Japanese recipes Japanese Homestyle Cooking makes use of each season's most plentiful ingredients for preparing delicious meals. Including over 135 recipes, this comprehensive cookbook brings the most popular meals in Japanese homes to
your home.
The menu variety is stunning, with foods that are simmered, broiled, pan-fried, deep-fried, steamed, and dressed with vinegar. Recipes include Sashimi, one-pot meals, rice, noodles, soups and more. Since Japanese cuisine is world renowned for using healthful ingredients it is no surprise that the
dishes featured here are ideal for health-conscious and weight-conscious consumers.
All dishes are beautifully photographed in color and include fully illustrated, easy-to-follow directions. A special feature provides an illustrated listing of common Japanese utensils with directions for their proper use. Japanese Homestyle Cooking is the best reference you'll find for making
delicious, healthy Japanese meals everyday.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for me.......2006-12-01
This is the best layout with lots of color pictures to illustrate step by step the recipes. I have a handful of well rated Japanese cookbooks but this one has the best layout so it is my favorite and the one I want to recommend. It makes me WANT to get cooking.
This book's style is of the kind found in books that are sold in Asian bookstores.
As with all the Japanese cookbooks I own, the writers mention Chinese cooking to compare and declare that something is similar but uniquely Japanese. However, that is not true but the authors are not authorities on Chinese cooking and culture so they can't be expected to know everything or anything true about Chinese authenticity. I bear this in mind and forgive the errors because I buy the book out of interest in Japanese not Chinese cooking. This book contains much fewer references and assumptions to Chinese than the other cookbooks such as the false claim that the cheap bamboo steamer baskets are the archetypal Chinese steamer equipment and that the square steamers or metal steamers are not Chinese. One can say that this is more procedure and less editorializing than other cookbooks.
This book could be sold in a Chinese bookstore without being offensive and would delight the Chinese with its recipes. I recommend this book and wish the author had written more than two books.
Lovely book........2006-04-04
Very nice - I love the illustrations and photos!
I find I needed to pair it with a dictionary for shopping, though.
"Homestyle".......2005-10-07
Don't buy this book if you expect to make anything that you would see on a standard Japanese table. I was given it after I expressed a desire to make some of the foods I'd learned to love living in Japan and was sorely disapointed. The pictures are lovely, however, and if you are just going for intresting dishes its not that bad. Its a lovely thing to page through to work up an appatite.
Very good, but too tool specific.......2004-09-14
What some people fail to realize, including apparently the author, is that you can substitute tools that you have for those required for preparation, even is that process is specialized like making square eggs. You only really need a small all-purpose knife, a serrated knife, a square baking tray (for the omelettes), a wok, two pots of different size for cooking soup and/or noodles, a pan, a cutting/rolling board, and a strainer. For steaming, simply put the foods into the strainer, and let the steam pass through.
Buying exotic tools doesn't work, as you can do the same with those you have once you know how to use them for this purpose, whereas odd tools you will only use once if you do not feel comfortable with them.
Great Book for Beginning Chefs.......2004-04-23
This is a great book for those of us who don't cook very often. The recipes are not quick but they're easy, and there are enough choices to make up for the occasional lack of utensils. This book is also available in English in Japan, which is helpful for those of us who are mada nihongo ga jouzu ni narimasen.
Book Description
This book offers an elegant way to enjoy delicious, healthy food on the run. Includes more than 40 main dish recipes and step-by-step illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
An American Review.......2007-09-22
I am an American, and also of Japanese background (i.e., born in the States and - unfortunately can't converse in Japanese.) I have an extensive culinary knowledge too with a background in Food Science from UCD. I'm a bit taken a back by the comments from reviewers who state they need more background as "Americans." I've known since a child gobo root, the various seaweed types and other ingredients--I'm in no way surprised that abura-age (fried tofu pouches) is a standard item in bento being such a yummy item--goodness I remember having Miso ALL the time as a kid--and as a kid thinking "again!?". I don't see the same comments for books on specialized/regional Italian cuisine (what is polenta, spaghetti, Parmesan Regiano, Italian parsley--because for Westerners, focusing on Americans of European background this is all obvious--Imagine a newly immigrated person from a non-European country trying to follow an "American" recipe and not being given details of say the difference between cake flour, regular flour, bread flour--or even using the tags of winter and spring wheat flour? Or unsalted (also called sweet!) butter and "butter" (also called salted butter!) or for other European cuisines -- what's Brie vs. Camembert, or buttermilk? corned beef? If you want to learn the foods of other nations, you need to start with the basic cook books of that nation--here you will find more details about ingredients, etc. Specialty books like this will assume rudimentary knowledge, just like a specialty book in Italian food will assume you know the difference between Parmesan, Assiago cheeses or capellini and linguini and you know what Arborio rice is without explanation. My recommendation for those less versed in Japanese cuisine is "The Joy of Japanese Cooking" (and like the western version--lacking on photos/drawings) and "A Dictionary of Japanese Food:Ingredients & Culture." Once you learn the lingo, everyday Japanese cooking is really no big deal. For example, all them seaweeds are dried and stay in your pantry for a year. I buy abura-age fresh then throw them in the freezer and take one out at a time as needed--if you don't have a market that sells fresh abura-age you can substitute slice firm tofu seasoned with soy sauce (aka shoyu) that's been pan fried (with or without oil) or toasted until brown in a toaster oven.
Don't give up! Everyday Japanese cuisine is not difficult... just a learning curve like any other cuisine you're not familiar with!
Haha.......2007-09-17
Don't get unless you plan on going to an asian grocery market. Otherwise the recipes do seem short and simple.
Perfect for quick small meals.......2007-08-31
This book has quick and easy Japanese recipes in one or 2 person servings. It is meant for making lunches packed on the go daily, so each recipe is meant to fill one box. So even if you're not packing bento, this book is great for quick small portioned meals to eat right away as well. Perfect if you live alone or if it's just two of you. For larger families, you'll have to upscale, or make more than one meal! I look to this book not only for bento packing, but also when there is not much time to cook or prepare and I'm hungry right now.
useful and fun.......2007-07-30
i only wish I had better access to the ingredients. nonetheless, it's a useful cookbook if you're an american or english speaker getting into bento making. great pictures and easy to understand directions.
Okay, but a bit vague on the instructions end..........2007-07-11
I bought this book based on others' positive reviews, but I was a little disappointed when I finally received it. While this book does have very good pictures, it doesn't spend very much time detailing the recipes or the ingredients, some of which can be a bit esoteric for Westerners (for example, it tosses around words like hijiki, mirin, lotus root, and aburage without giving much advice on what these are or how to judge quality when purchasing them).
In short, it's a decent book, but I think the recipes could have been better written.
Book Description
Nourish body and soul with simple, delicious food from Japan's temples.
The Enlightened Kitchen introduces readers to shojin ryori, the traditional vegetarian cooking of Japan's Buddhist temples. Shojin food, with its emphasis on fresh, seasonal vegetables, staples such as seaweed, grains and tofu, and natural flavorings rather than chemical additives, is a highly
nutritious and delicious alternative to the many unhealthy eating habits of Western society. In addition to its health benefits, the preparation and eating of shojin food in Buddhist temples has great spiritual significance. After spending their days in rigorous selfdiscipline, the monks welcome
mealtimes as a soothing respite, both for those preparing the food with loving care and for those eating it with
relaxed enjoyment.
Stunning color photographs accompany more than sixty recipes for soups, salads, tofu and bean dishes, vegetables, rice and desserts. The author, Mari Fujii, married to a Buddhist monk and an expert in shojin food for more than twenty years, presents an array of recipes including: Carrot and Mushroom
Soymilk Soup, Steamed Pumpkin and Tofu, Beans and Eggplant with Sesame Dressing, Ginger Rice and Banana Tempura. Her step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, and she has made an effort to use ingredients that are readily available in most good supermarkets. Fujii includes a guide to basic
cooking techniques used in the preparation of shojin food, an extensive glossary of ingredients and equipment, and fascinating background information on the history and philosophy of shojin ryori. Perfect for vegans, vegetarians and anyone interested in healthful eating, the dishes from The
Enlightened Kitchen will warm our hearts, sustain our souls, and fortify us inside and out.
Customer Reviews:
Pour the spirit of heaven and earth into every dish.......2006-06-18
Buddhism being a religion of reincarnation, one of the precepts of cloistered monks is to harm "nothing that flees when chased." After all, that might just be your brother or wife from a past life sizzling in your cookpot. However, even those pursuing enlightenment must eat, and even monks like their food to be varied and tasty, so the spiritually pure tradition of "Shojin Ryori" was born.
Shojin Ryori is a vegan cuisine still served today in the temples of Japan, based on seasonal vegetables that can be grown by the monks. Eating food that follows the flow of nature is considered best for the body and soul, and seasoning is kept light so that the natural flavor of the fresh vegetables can be preserved.
Author Mari Fujii learned the arts of shojin ryori from her husband Sotetsu, who was the Tenzo, or temple cook, during his ten years as a monk. Now a priest at a temple in Kamakura, Sotetsu and Fujii teach shojin ryori to all who wish to learn. With "The Enlightened Kitchen," they have brought this wisdom to a wider audience, allowing all to partake of the healthy, natural and delicious style of cooking.
In seven section, including soups, salads, tofu/beans, vegetables, potatoes/rice/grains, and deserts, Fujii has selected easy-to-make dishes using seasonal vegetables that should be easy to find in any grocery store. The recipes are delightfully simple, and you will be amazed that such great food can come from such little effort. She stays with traditional Japanese vegetables, as well as occasionally incorporating rarities such as avocado and celery to mix things up. The base for most of the sauces is sake, miso paste, sesame oil, rice vinegar and lemon. She has substituted maple syrup for mirin, thinking that mirin might be hard to find in the US, but it is easy enough to swap it back. Not all of the recipes are strictly vegan, as Fujii points out that Chinese and Tibetan Shojin Ryori allow for dairy products, although authentic Japanese does not.
Of the dishes I have made, the "Chestnut Tea Rice" was excellent, as were the "Fried Pumpkin with Peanut Sauce," "Tofu Fried with Almonds," "Sweet Potato and Soybeans with Miso/Lemon Sauce" and "Koyadofu Teriyaki." I am looking forward to exploring all of the recipes, and I have no doubt that they will be equally satisfying.
It is said that those who eat Shojin Ryori fell as if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. In the modern world where so much processed garbage gets shoveled into our bodies, it is a very pleasant feeling to sit down to a meal that is so completely natural.
Beautiful, Delicious, Simple, and Elegant.......2006-03-31
I am lucky enough to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where "shojin" cuisine (Japanese Buddhist temple cuisine) is served to two wonderful restaurants: Cha Ya and Medicine. I often say "I could live on that cuisine," so when I discovered Fujii's cookbook, I was thrilled. The recipes are so simple but divinely delicious - and of course healthful! Many of the recipes call for only 5 or 7 ingredients, some of which may be unfamiliar at first. But, after your first visit to an Asian grocery or even the Asian aisle of your supermarket, you'll be ready to master this cuisine. As a vegan cooking instructor and a lover of this simple but elegant cuisine, I have prepared many of the dishes in this book and recommend each one as highly as the next. The simplicity is amazing, and the flavors are divine. You'll love this book!
A cookbook of the traditional fare that has its roots in Japan's Buddhist temples.......2005-12-15
Written by the wife of a Buddhist monk who has taught temple cuisine for over twenty years, The Enlightened Kitchen: Fresh Vegetable Dishes From The Temples Of Japan is a cookbook of the traditional fare that has its roots in Japan's Buddhist temples. Emphasizing natural and healthy ingredients such as fresh seasonal vegetables, and the staples of grains, and tofu, these creations are simple and elegant delights, delicious without undue extravagance. All recipes are animal-free, making The Enlightened Kitchen especially ideal for vegetarians and vegans. Full-color photographs throughout and straightforward instructions clearly show the reader how to prepare such mouth- watering delicacies as Shiitake Mushrooms Stuffed with Tofu, Sushi Rolls (prepared entirely without fish), Buckwheat Crepes, Kenchin Style Vegetable Soup, and much more. Highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
love this book.......2007-02-28
i am an asian.i never knew how to cook.but with this book,it makes it possible.so easy n don't have to spend too long in the kitchen.love it
Book Description
This is a comprehensive and beautiful guide covering all aspects of Japanese cuisine, from its history and underlying philosophy, to its unique ingredients, methods of preparation, and cooking techniques.
Customer Reviews:
Super book on Japanese cuisine.......2007-01-29
And I should know because I think I have all of them!
The photos are stunning and this is one of the most extensive books on Japanese food that I've found. I will admit, Japanese cookbooks written by Japanese are really the best. The few books I have written by Western authors pale in comparison. They also tend to have fewer photos for some reason.
Alot of Japanese food and the ingredients are kind of odd. Some may not appeal to Western tastes so there are substitutions which is a great idea. There are some things the Japanese love and eat which will never translate to the Western palate such as devil's tongue jelly and natto. Eww. They taste terrible (though actually it is the texture of both that really offend!).
This book however tastes great. If you are going to own one Japanese cookbook - it should be this one.
Beautiful book.......2006-11-10
Comprehensive with many beautiful pictures. Deserves a place on the coffee table for everyone to see. Contains all the information you need plus many great recipies.
Clear, Concise, and Well-Organized.......2006-10-05
As a cookbook author, I often use other works for research. I am working with a Japanese chef on his book, and I felt I needed a brush-up on Japanese ingredients. This was mainly because so many new foods have been introduced to America since I first shopped for them in San Francsico when I was learning Japanese food basics in my youth. I flipped through many books, including the ones I had already, and this book blew the others out of the miso soup, hands down. The book does the reader a great service by giving two in-depth, encyclopedic sections on Japanese cooking equipment (including food culture)and ingredients. While these two sections take up half of the book, you won't be flying blind, mixing up udon and soba or the different kinds of miso. The writing is excellent, and the recipes interesting and only mildly challenging. If you are in the market for a primer on Japanese food, look no further.
Great book and detailled introduction into Japanese cooking.......2006-08-24
Japanese Food and Cooking is what I would call a school book for Japanese cooking. Important ingredients from spices to fish, meat and vegetables are explained item per item. You will also learn the typical courses of a Japanese meal. Finally you will learn the preparation of meals and the required traditional cooking equipment. Presentation of the meals and the typical tableware to be used is also explained in detail. Creative people will start developing their own cooking ideas after working with this book. Less creative people will have to purchase additional Japanese recipe books but will go back to this book to find explanations for what they need to successfully purchase the ingredients and to prepare the meals they find in the recipe book. For me this is the basis for authentic Japanese cooking and I believe it must be the first book to own if you want to start to become a non-Japanese Japanese cook.
Love Sushi!.......2003-11-29
I'll be breef. Excellent book with large picture to the point reciepts and durable cover. I love it!!!
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