The Joy of Japanese Cooking

ISBN: 4079751508

Author: Takahashi, Kuwako

Condition: New

This elegant, yet superbly practical and comprehensive book, is written for western cooks working in western kitchens with locally available foods and equipment. Both novice and experienced cooks will find the carefully tested, precise and clearly illustrated recipes simple to use in creating the delicious and beautiful dishes of Japanese cuisine.The book provides many recipes, basic and fundamental information about Japanese cooking, and also includes invaluable tips often missing from basic cookbooks...."A successful Japanese dinner is like a poem - one is reminded of the season by the materials, the choice of dishes, or by the way the food is arranged, with a leaf or two..." so writes author Takahashi. As in many other aspects of Japanese life, an appeal to more than just one of our senses is expected and achieved with food. Not only must the cook's efforts result in succulent dishes for our palate, but our eyes and nostrils must also be tantalized and delighted! In addition, we can enjoy the comforting knowledge that Japanese foods, with their emphasis on fresh vegetables, fish and poultry, are nutritionally excellent for us.The author has included lucid instructions for the simplest, most commonly prepared items in the Japanese diet as well as many elaborate, sometimes spectacular, party dishes to prepare for special occasions.Many "mysteries" of Japanese cooking are unraveled for western cooks by the author in a clear and uncomplicated manner. Uniquely Japanese ingredients are described and carefully illustrated, and easily found substitutes are suggested for items not widely available outside Japan. Great care has been taken to teach the important food preparation techniques of Japanese cooking, and these are abundantly illustrated. Unfamiliar oriental ingredients and materials are explained, and unusual cooking equipment is compared to western equivalents.Those using this book will soon find themselves enjoying the delicacies of Japanese cuisine in their own homes and include their favorites as part of their regular menu.