Quick & Easy Japanese Cookbook: Great Recipes from Japan's Favorite TV Cooking Show Host

I bought this book because I am an Iron Chef fan and enjoyed watching the battle with Katsuyo Kobayashi so much. Don't laugh, it turned out to be an excellent cookbook. The recipes are fresh, delicious, and easy to follow. My 5 year old that hates nearly any food he sees has yet to turn down a meal cooked from this book. I have several good Japanese cookbooks but this one just may turn out to be the one I use the most often.

Being cable deprived, I've seen the Iron Chef only once. Each episode's backbitingly brutal commentary on the competing chefs' techniques, choice of ingredients and finished product positively enthralls! Naturally, I was enticed by the caption of the author's photograph. It says, "Katsuyo Kobayashi can make anybody into an IRON CHEF." Well, I doubt that, since she'd have to give me culinary creativity and an ironclad ego, while teaching me to prepare her Iron Chef-winning Japanese delicacies. The book, however, had enough simple, creative recipes, beautiful full-color glossy photographs and some of the best food preparation advice I've experienced. Simply arranged into ingredient-themed sections, the book also has a section on the basic techniques of Japanese cooking (rice and stock making) and a glossary that you will want to take to the Asian market. Many of the ingredients will only be found there, but Kobayashi does give some Western equivalents, as well as the calories per serving. Time to prepare and cook helps, too, since most people have the impression that Asian cuisine is time intensive with all that chopping and dicing. Now I'm ready to tackle Clams steamed in sake, assorted tempura and steamed shumai dumplings with the best of them.