The world is shrinking and more of us than ever have taken
advantage of travel opportunities. We move
with ease around the globe and adopt and adapt culture, lifestyle and
food.
Whilst all that is true we could be forgiven for overlooking the impact
of Japan’s food on the West. America, in particular, has embraced
Japan’s food. The USA has a close relationship with the country and
sushi is common. Europe has not had quite that same exposure to
Japanese cuisine although larger towns in Britain might sport a brace
of Japanese restaurants. It might therefore come as a surprise to know
that the Japanese food philosophy has made a great impression on
Western eating habits.
Remember Nouvelle Cuisine? That’s French, isn’t it? Well, the name was
French but the concept was Japanese. Young French chefs travelled to
Japan in the 70s and 80s and were amazed at the simplicity and beauty
of its dishes. They translated that to suit the restaurant-going
populace of London and Paris... and Nouvelle Cuisine sunk like a very
light, Zen and minimalist brick... but the germ of an idea was growing.
Chefs now appreciate aesthetics, flavour combinations and freshness of
ingredients in a different way.
This 25th anniversary edition of Japanese Cooking – A Simple Art has
not been updated and massaged. It stands in its original form with only
a new foreword by the celebrated restaurant critic and food writer,
Ruth Reichl, and a new preface by Yoshiki Tsuji, son of the author.
This book has not been revamped because what was true and valuable a
quarter of a century ago remains so.
Shizuo Tsuji graduated with a degree in French literature from Wasada
University in Tokyo and then worked as a newspaper reporter. In 1960 he
established the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka to train professional
chefs. He studied with the greatest chefs in France and was recognised
by the French government who awarded him Meilleur Ouvrier for
outstanding promotion of French cuisine. He published over 30 books on
gastronomy, music, essays and translations.
Japanese Cooking – A Simple Art is considered a masterwork of Japanese
cuisine. Nigella Lawson has described it as “...quite the most
illuminating text around on Japanese food.” It’s an encyclopaedia of
Japanese food but it’s also an absorbing read. The line illustrations
demystify what might sound like complex techniques, revealing those
techniques to be surprisingly simple. There is not a wealth of
expensive equipment to buy although an enthusiast might be driven to
acquire some stunning tableware to add a touch of visual authenticity
to a Japanese meal.
American home cooks, at least in larger cities, will have no problem in
finding the more exotic of ingredients. There are fewer Japanese
supermarkets in Europe although many Asian stores carry Japanese
products. However there is a good selection of internet sites which
offer food products to stock your Japanese store cupboard.
An example of an easy dish made with ingredients found in most large
supermarkets is Ginger Pork Sauté (Butaniku Shoga-yaki). This is
a delicious and quick dish of pork and shiitake mushrooms cooked with
ginger, mirin, sake and soy sauce.
Vegetarians are well catered for in Japan. Bean Curd Dengaku (Tofu
Dengaku) are small grilled lollies (popsicles) of tofu with toppings.
You might be able to buy the traditional two-pronged forks from
specialist shops but a couple of thin wooden kebab picks will work just
as well. These are tasty and attractive morsels that will tempt even a
Japanese food debutant. Substitute small fish and other seafood or
vegetables such as aubergine (eggplant), mushrooms or peppers.
Japanese Cooking – A Simple Art is a classic. It’s considered
outstanding by the wise and worthy of the international food industry.
It explains the more complex of traditional dishes as well as the
uber-simple ones. This is real Japanese cooking that will delight and
intrigue both the eyes and the palate.
Asian cookbook review: Japanese Cooking – A Simple Art
Author: Shizuo Tsuji
Published by: Kodanashi International
Price: $45.00US
ISBN 978-4-7700-3049-8
For more on Asian cuisine visit Mostly Asian Food
There is no denying the popularity of Japanese food
in the UK these days. There has been a proliferation of new restaurants
showcasing that cuisine. All of our cities will have some and many have
a slew of sushi-peddling establishments, but few offer extensive menus
of
cooked Japanese food. Even the Japanese do not live by sushi alone.
Nice from time to
time but boring for both lunch and dinner seven days a week.
We can easily cook real Japanese food ourselves.
The Japanese have cold snowy winters just as we do in Northern Europe
and they need hearty and hot fare just like us. This volume offers a
good
over-view of authentic Japanese cuisine, and the ingredients will
mostly be on-hand
in your local chain supermarket.
If one still craves cool rice then try Onigiri.
These are stuffed rice balls and the equivalent of a sandwich. They are
a staple of bento boxes which are sold at every Japanese railway
station.
They are simple to make and can be filled either
with some well-flavoured left-overs or the suggested stuffing of tuna
and
Japanese mayo. These would be a great addition to an Asian buffet.
Donburi are those bowls of hot rice with various toppings. Prawn
Sukiyaki on rice
has a mound of garnishes that are light yet flavourful. It’s a complete
meal
and very attractive. Use the basic recipe but substitute the seafood
with thin
slices of cooked beef or a selection of vegetables. Fried Pork Cutlet
might not
sound very Japanese but in fact it’s very popular and it makes a good
topping. Donburi is traditional and versatile.
Green Tea Ice-cream is my pick of the book. Tea in all its guises is
more popular
than ever these days. We have enjoyed a revival in the classic English
afternoon tea, but it’s the health properties that have given these
leaves a boost.
Japanese green tea has a distinctive agreeable taste and imparts a
beautiful
pistachio-green colour when used to infuse milk-based dishes. Green Tea
Ice Cream makes
a fitting end to a Japanese meal, where presentation is key to success.
Its delicate flavour calms the palate, and a simple mound of this could
persuade many of us down the Zen path. Nothing fussy here: few
ingredients
providing a confection that is as correct as an understated but
well-crafted
Ikebana – flower arrangement...and made in your very own understated
IKEA-inspired kitchen.
Japanese food might have been hi-jacked by fast conveyor-belt sushi
shops, and they
do have their place in the food chain, but we can prepare authentic
Japanese
food at home. No need for special knives or crockery, and the Japanese
Bible
introduces the reader to the dishes that the Japanese would cook for
themselves.
Asian cookbook review: Japanese Bible
Published by: Dorling Kindersley
Price: £5.99
ISBN: 978-1-4053-6326-6
For more on Asian cuisine visit Mostly Asian Food
You probably won’t recognise the name of the chef unless
you are reading this in Japan. It’s no surprise, but our ignorance has
everything to do with geography and nothing to do with lack of
celebrity or talent on behalf of Chef Murata. He is a much-Michelined
restaurant owner/chef as well as being a familiar face on Japanese TV
cooking shows. 
Yoshihiro Murata was born in Kyoto to the family owning the renowned
Kikoni restaurant. This serves classic Japanese food, and Yoshihiro is
now the third generation to own this restaurant and its two sisters,
one in Kyoto and the other in Tokyo. He has a passion for Japanese
cuisine and has become its international ambassador.
I love Japanese food but I much prefer the more complex cooked dishes
to the ubiquitous sushi and sashimi. These are marvellous foods but I
would tend to eat the best raw fish in a trusted restaurant rather than
making it myself and having to trust the seafood counter at my local
supermarket. Grilled, fried, steamed, simmered dishes are easy to
accomplish at home with ingredients commonly found in any high street.
Japanese Home Cooking with Master Chef Murata offers 60 quick, easy and
healthy recipes for the Western enthusiast. Some will be unfamiliar but
the names of others will ring bells. Perhaps you might even have been
fortunate enough to find a Japanese restaurant serving a couple of
them. You won’t need to buy any specialist equipment and you won’t need
a diploma from the Nagasaki Culinary Institute (is there such a
school?) to undertake the preparation. There is nothing here to cause
terror.
Shabu-Shabu Hot Pot could not be easier. It’s a one-pot meal
constructed, rather than cooked, at the table. It’s a process much like
fondue. Start by heating stock in a pot over a burner. Add vegetables
according to their cooking times. Allow each guest to cook their own
beef. Shabu-shabu is said to be the sound of the aforementioned meat
being agitated in the soup. Remove the vegetables to bowls and enjoy
with either Ponzu Sauce or Peanut Sauce (recipes here). Another stylish
but simple hot dish is Chicken Meatball Hot Pot. It’s finished in
minutes and would make a superb starter or warming winter supper. A
light and healthy meal.
For those who must have their fix of rice and fish, there are recipes
aplenty. Tuna-Mayo Rice Balls make delicious snacks, but for something
no more taxing but a little more adventurous try the Seared Rice Balls
with Bacon Soy Sauce. Well-flavoured filling encased by cooked rice and
then grilled to golden, toasty perfection. One would make a substantial
snack ...but who could stop at only one?
This is an inspiring collection of Japanese recipes for the European
cook. Fresh ingredients used to make flavourful and comforting meals.
The photography by Akira Saito marvellously showcases the finished
dishes but it’s a book to use as well as admire.
Asian Cookbook: Japanese Home Cooking with Master Chef Murata
Author: Yoshihiro Murata
Published by: Kodansha International
Price: £13.99
ISBN 978-4-77003132-7
For more on Asian cuisine visit Mostly Asian Food
Kimiko Barber has produced a book which
is bound to become a classic. It’s stunning to look at with a wealth of
marvellous photographs by Martin Brigdale which make it appealing to
anyone interested in either Japanese food or culture.
The Japanese Kitchen is an encyclopaedia with recipes...or a cookbook
with amazing information about Japanese ingredients. Either way it’s a
detailed and well-researched volume of 100 ingredients and 200 recipes
both classic and contemporary.
Part 1 consists of an introduction to the history and culture of Japan.
You’ll want to read this as it puts the food into perspective. Part 2
is all about the ingredients. It’s true that there are some unfamiliar
ones here but you’ll find them in many Asian food stores and they will
be worth trying.
Japanese dishes are not just raw fish, rice and noodles, although these
do play a big part. It’s a complex and sophisticated cuisine but not
necessarily difficult to master. There are very few techniques that
will be challenging but presentation is important: simple yet striking.
Spring onions might not be the first Japanese ingredient to spring (if
you’ll pardon the pun) to mind but here they are used in two simple but
typically Japanese recipes. Negi Toro (Spring Onion and Tuna) is one of
the most popular fillings and toppings for sushi. The spring
onion and pork stir fry is quick, has few ingredients and would be a
delicious dinner served with noodles.
It’s no surprise that there are some delightful seafood dishes. The
Japanese are passionate about seafood of every kind and have some of
the most exciting and flavourful recipes. Squid with Salmon Roe is
light and zesty with lemon. Deep fried squid in batter is a classic and
is crisp and succulent, and just right with drinks or as part of a
traditional tempura.
There is a list of Japanese food suppliers with addresses, phone
numbers and a few web sites. If you can’t find Japanese ingredients
near you then you will be able to get them on line. It will be worth
taking the trouble just to enjoy a truly different culinary experience.
“An excellent book” says celebrated food writer Jill Dupleix and I
wholeheartedly agree. It’s exceptional.
ASian cookbook review: The Japanese Kitchen
Author: Kimiko Barber
Published by: Kyle Cathie
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-1-85626-769-4
For more on Asian cuisine visit Mostly Asian Food
It’s fair to say that Kimiko Barber is the undisputed
queen of Japanese
cooking in the UK, and this book is just another illustration of why.
Japanese Pure and Simple has over 100 health-giving recipes that are
simple and flavourful and a feast for both the eyes and the palate. The
photographs by Jan Baldwin are gorgeous, giving the large format book
an overall feel of elegance.
Kimiko presents Japanese food as nourishing, balanced and seasonal. The
fresh ingredients are tinkered with as little as possible to retain
nutrients and texture. There is evidently something to be said for that
philosophy as the Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the
world.
The recipes are divided into various categories such as Soup, Fish,
Poultry, Rice etc and they are a marvellous selection, but my favourite
dishes are the Japanese Hotpots. These take fondue to new heights of
sophistication and have the advantage of being good for you. There is
the usual process of cooking raw meats and veggies in a stock but then
you are left with a richer and more flavourful broth than you started
with. Anyone who has a little space at the end of the Hotpot can finish
that broth with the addition of rice or noodles.
Teriyaki dishes are always popular. They are easy to prepare and have
that sweet rich flavour that is irresistible. Teriyaki Pork Steak is
one of those dishes that you’ll make often as either part of a Japanese
meal or served with western vegetables or salads. The ingredients are
easy to find and not expensive, and once the sauce is made you can keep
it for a while in the fridge. It works equally well with lamb chops but
I love it with chicken breasts.
The Japanese are renowned for the exquisite presentation of food and
Kimiko has thoughtfully given us some pointers. You don’t need to
invest in new crockery although I think that a small Sake flask and
cups adds a hint of authenticity. Use your usual plates but don’t pile
on the food, rather create landscapes with plenty of space and artful
use of garnish. Very Zen!
Kimiko Barber writes books that are full of advice to enable you to
prepare truly beautiful but healthy food with surprising ease. Choose
the freshest produce and enjoy these delightful dishes.
Asian cookbook review: Japanese Pure and Simple
Author: Kimiko Barber
Published by: Kyle Cathie
Price: £14.99
ISBN 1-85626-665-6
For more on Asian cuisine visit Mostly Asian Food
It’s a bento cookbook. But I know for a fact that not
everyone in Europe will know exactly what bento is. Most people would
have heard the word and will remember that it has something or other to
do with Japanese food. Bento isn’t an ingredient, it does not have to
be Japanese, and it isn’t necessarily even exotic. Bento is a lunch box.
Japan is famed for its refined culture. That artistry extends to food
and we all know about intricately displayed fish for sashimi, and
tightly-rolled and bejewelled sushi, but let’s consider the Japanese
equivalent of a curly sandwich. Yes, you are quite right. It doesn’t
exist.
Railway stations in Japan offer their customers bento boxes. There are
small shops that offer these foods; and mothers and wives send their
loved ones from the house with food that will still be tasty after a
few hours. Bento is pre-packed lunch, but not often of the
cheese-and-pickle and white-sliced variety.
The Just Bento Cookbook – Everyday Lunches to Go will fire the
imagination of those responsible for making the food for meal breaks.
Kids will be excited by the contents of their plastic boxes and are far
less likely to swap for a packet of jelly beans. The suggestions here
offer vibrant flavours and different textures as well as dietary
balance.
If we lived in Japan we would have a wide selection of bento boxes to
choose from. Two layers and interlocking, single layer with movable
dividers, large bento box with individual lidded containers within. The
rest of the world, apart from India with its unique tiffin boxes, has a
plastic box with a snap-on lid. You will be delighted to know that the
regular sandwich box or even an ex-almost-butter box will do. No need
to go on a shopping spree to Osaka.
For the moment banish from your mind the thought of sarnies. Consider
rice, either fluffy or compressed. How’s about some cool and flavourful
noodles, some fresh veggies with a light dressing and some cooked meat
with a soy sauce lacquer. Sounds enticing doesn’t it?
An inspiring and rich bento meal listed here is that for Ginger Pork
Bento. It’s a hearty meal that would work just as well for supper and
served on a plate as it does for noon from a box. The tangy meat is
paired with braised new potatoes and there are stir-fried peppers and
bean sprouts, cauliflower in mayo, and rice to make this a complete
meal. An adult bento if ever there was one.
The most child-friendly compilation here is perhaps the Pan-fried
Chicken Nugget Bento. It includes a potato salad and a selection of raw
vegetables with a citrus-herb sauce. A healthy meal but fun to eat. An
alternative might be the Pork and Shrimp Balls with Onigiri. These are
balls of compressed rice and much more practical for little lunchers
than negotiating separate grains of rice with chop sticks. No need for
cutlery at all.
My favourite recipe from The Just Bento Cookbook is for the
Sukiyaki-style Beef Donburi Bento. This is another substantial boxful
of meat over rice with a garnish of vegetables. The meat has a sweet
yet savoury flavour that is most agreeable even when cold. This version
uses snow peas (mange-tout) and daikon, but one could substitute other
vegetables which might be more readily available.
The Just Bento Cookbook – Everyday Lunches to Go is a colourful and
attractive volume that will be a boon to anyone who eats a packed lunch
every day. These recipes are simple but will offer something a bit more
enticing than the usual sandwich and bag of crisps. There is a bento
here for every taste. A book full of practical ideas.
Asian cookbook review: The Just Bento Cookbook – Everyday Lunches to Go
Author: Makiko Itoh
Published by: Kodansha Europe
Price: £13.99
ISBN 9784770031242
For more on Asian cuisine visit Mostly Asian Food
Kunio Tokuoka is executive chef of Kyoto Kitcho. He was
born in 1960, and is the grandson of Mr. Teiichi Yuki, founder of
Kitcho. He became a chef at twenty and was sent to work at Kitcho
Arashiyama , the flagship restaurant in Kyoto. The restaurant was
awarded three Michelin stars, and Hana Kitcho, another in the group,
was awarded one star in 2009.
The formal Japanese cuisine we are familiar with today can perhaps be
traced to those days after the Meiji era - 1868 to 1912. Another
suggestion is that it was born from the haute cuisine of ritualized
honzen ryori, the traditional tea ceremony of the Momoyama/Edo era of
the 16th to 19th century. Kaiseki is a simplified form of honzen ryori
and has grown into a meal of many courses that flows with the seasons
by using the best of fresh local ingredients. Kitcho is considered by
many inside and outside Japan as that country’s leading classic
restaurant. Kitcho, the book, allows us a peek into the philosophy of
one of the world's most respected practitioners of the stylised art of
Japanese food.
Chef Kunio Tokuoka has a formidable reputation although his approach to
cooking is straightforward. For the first time, the techniques and
history of one of the world's greatest cuisines are presented in
stunning fashion. This is without a doubt the most sumptuous book on
any cuisine I have ever seen. It will become a treasured tome for any
serious chef, a source of endless inspiration for the domestic
enthusiast, and a welcome gift for anyone with a love of Japanese
perfection. It is nothing short of amazing. Leaf through pages of the
best food photography you will ever see. Superb pictures of traditional
serving dishes, bowls and architecture. Yes, there are recipes, but
this is more the ultimate coffee-table book. It will become your most
pawed-over volume for transporting you to an exotic haven of
tranquility and culinary contemplation.
Asian cookbook review: Kitcho – Japan’s ultimate dining experience
Author: Kunio Tokuoka
Published by: Kodansha International
Price: £30.00, US $45.00
ISBN 978-4-7700-3122-8
For more on Asian cuisine visit Mostly Asian Food
