Let’s Cook Japanese Food!: Everyday Recipes for Authentic Dishes

“Home-style Japanese cooking is demystified in this refreshing and informative cookbook.”—Publishers Weekly  
 
New Jersey girl Amy Kaneko learned the art of Japanese cooking from her mother-in-law and sister-in-law after marrying into a Japanese family. In this cookbook, she shares what she learned, offering recipes for both family favorites and home versions of restaurant dishes. American readers will find a world beyond the familiar foods available in the US, and discover that they don’t need to go to a restaurant to enjoy this healthful, tasty cuisine. They’ll learn how to make home-style offerings like Gyoza and Tempura, as well as recipes that combine Japanese and Western influences such as Omu Rice, an omelet stuffed with tomato-y chicken fried rice.
 
In a helpful glossary, Kaneko identifies the basic ingredients and equipment needed to recreate these recipes in an average Western kitchen. Chapters devoted to Tofu and Eggs; Vegetables, Fish and Shellfish; Meat and Poultry; and Rice Noodles and Dumplings intersperse recipes with sections highlighting Japanese traditions, plus personal recollections on the author’s time living in Tokyo.

HC
5.0 out of 5 stars 
A great intermediate-level book
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I just bought a copy of this book because I was so thoroughly pleased with it when I borrowed it from my local library. I spent a school year living in Japan with a host family and a mother that loved to cook. I watched her cook and loved eating her food, and the basics I did not gather from watching her were filled in by this book. The beginning of the book does a GREAT job of explaining how to use and buy ingredients and tools. The photos in the book are really helpful, so much that I wish there were a few more, especially of the finished products. As far as recipes are concerned, I have tried four or five of them and all but one tasted absolutely amazing on the first try. That's far better luck than I have had with translating recipes and attempting them.

I am not sure I would recommend this book to people with absolutely no knowledge of Japanese food, but if you know Japanese food when you see it and want to learn some easy and good Japanese home cooking, this is a great tool.