Japanese Home Style Cooking

This is the first Japanese cookbook I ever bought, and still one of my favorites. (Full disclosure: I've semiprofessionally taught Japanese cooking classes.) Shizuo Tsuji's book is the ultimate English-language Japanese cookbook of gourmet and traditional foods; this one is about what people actually eat in their homes. The one problem recipe I've encountered in this book is the sekihan recipe - I use Tsuji's steaming method instead of this one's rice cooker method, because when you cook glutinous rice in a rice cooker it turns out a sticky greasy mess, much like his description. His process is more intensive but in that case it's worth it. The rest of the recipes in this book have been just fine for me, though. I'm impressed by both the simplicity of the directions and the breadth of coverage in less than 100 pages.

This is a great volume of *home cooking* recipes. It has great pictures to help guide you a bit and information on uncommon (in this country) ingredients. I have tried several recipes and while I don't consider them *fast cooking*...what i mean is I wouldnt necessarily start cooking them after a long days work... I don't see them as long or overly invovled.Once you stock up on the traditional ingredients, flavorings, spices cooking this way is much easier. And much less time consuming... There are a good number of recipes that, once the intitial ingredients are purchased, are very economical (featuring eggs, rice, chicken thighs)The feel of the book is very good. The pages are smooth and easy to wipe up if you have to, the spine is sturdy (an issue i have with non-spiral cook books) and hasnt broken on me even after two or so years of reading and using. A big plus for a cook book. Excellent quality picturesPersonally, I like more recipes for cook books...i find this book a bit thin. Even so, I think its a great addition to a collection and probably a great first japanese cook book.

My Japanese mother is now elderly and no longer able to cook my favorite dishes, so I needed a Japanese cookbook if I ever wanted to eat homestyle cooking again. This book is wonderful! This is your basic everyday cooking, not fancy restaurant foods (even though they are delicious enough for a restaurant). Recipes are very easy to follow (in addition to helpful hints in preparing them) and there are beautiful color photographs of what the final dish is to look like. I started off with the basics - two different recipes of Japanese pickles - my mother loved them! What better compliment could you ask for!

I've lived in Japan for several years and have been looking for a cookery book that could show me how to make simple everyday dishes I've enjoyed so often in Japanese homes. From Niku-jaga (a meat and potato dish) to tempura (vegetables or fish deep-fried in batter) to zoni (soup with rice cakes), not to mention sushi, all the home basics are included here. There are lots of photos showing you both the final product and key steps in preparation. The introductory section also has photos of commonly used basic ingredients such as fresh ginger and wasabi (Japanese horseradish) with tips and explanations on how to prepare and use them in dishes. A practical, well-thought out book.

This cookbook was NOT written for the US market, it is a Japanese cookbook written by the Japanese version of home and garden translated. None of the tastes are modified to the US palet. If you want REAL Japanese food, this is the book for you.