 | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Cooking, Food & Wine | | Author: | Shizuo Tsuji |
This is one of my best gambles in Amazon. I can't remember how I stumbled into this book but upon checking out Amazon, I saw there weren't many reviews but all were amazed at how thorough and authentic the book is. I guess this one is a classic. The edition I have was first published 25 years ago!
This book tells me all I need about Japanese cooking. The writer conveys the spirit of Japanese cooking while acknowledging that it is OK to substitute as long as the spirit is there. The book is divided into two parts: part one elaborates the culture of food in Japan, ingredients, utensils, and various cooking techniques. There is even a dedicated section on knives in this part one. Part two contains recipes following the cooking types.
Although the writer can be a little too much in his chauvinism (that Japanese food is the best), I enjoy the book immensely and read it from cover to cover, all the 470 pages. It is such a good read. I learn useful things like good cutting techniques and otherwise unfamiliar ingredients and a few interesting facts (the Japanese word for potatoes is Jaga-imo which reflects their journey from Europe to Japan through Jakarta or so I am told).
The cooking method can be tiresome at times. Fried food must be blanched in boiling water to get rid of excess oil, all veggies must be parboiled separately but some are really simple. I've been having craving for tempura and am really surprised to find that it's very easy to make. No special flour is required but special mixing technique is needed to avoid heavy and oily batter. I will definitely try this.
The recipes are classics. From the simple beef-bowls, rice-bowls (donburi), salads, pickles, noodles to the more challenging teriyaki, yakitori, tempura, etc. Some are not so well-known or exotic such as the sake-steamed abalone or salt-grilled sea-bass. Each recipe is accompanied by serving recommendation (for example,foil-cooked enoki mushroom is said to go well with deef-fried kebabs and clear soup with shrimp).
I tried one simple recipe, udon in broth with corn, dried sea-weed, and shitake, and I was transported to rainy days when we used to patronize a Japanese noodle shop in Jakarta, but with less MSG.
This book is not cheap but worths every penny, especially considering that good Japanese food is almost impossible to find here. Furthermore, this handsome book is printed in Japan and the paper quality shows. However, be warned that there is no photograph in the book, only illustrations to describe some utensils or technical aspects.   | menarik banget !
hmm..di kinokuniya ada nggak ya ? :-? |
 | bookshop wrote on Mar 4, edited on Mar 4 After. So after deep frying, boiling water is poured off the fried food to get rid of the excess oil. Blanch is probably too strong a word, rinse is more approriate. Sorry for that. |
| Gak kali yah? Ini kan gorengan model tahu, ikan gitu. Bukan yg disalut adonan ato tepung seperti tempura ato.. apa sih itu yg dibalut bread crumb? |
 | oo.. gue kira buat tempura juga hehehehhe okok thanks ya. great tip! =D |
 | yaaa boleh2 jadi list kado lagi... hmmmmmm jadi pengen punya deh .. |
 | Kalo uda nyoba Tempuranya, jangan lupa di foto and upload ke mp yah...=) |
 | check di webnya kino singapore aje say.... |
 | bintang 5 pen? wahhhh.. ada tips2 bikin sushi gak dibukunya? :D |
| flona wrote on Mar 4, edited on Mar 4  However, be warned that there is no photograph in the book, only illustrations to describe some utensils or technical aspects.  Gimanah kalo tiap apa yang dikau coba trus elo poto biar gue bisa studi perbandingan...ato approach pengarangnya ajah Pen *otak bisnis mulai bekerja* soale gue agak2 kurang pede kalo nyoba resep yang tanpa gambar |
| |
