Japanese Homestyle Cooking
by Tokiko Suzuki
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Book Reviews of Japanese Homestyle Cooking
Book Review: 1 of my favorite cookbooks wonderful meals visualy pleasing
Summary: 5 Stars
Japanese Homestyle Cooking is one of my favorite cookbooks. It has over 135 easy to follow recipes. The directions are simple and straightforward. It has pictures of tools used, like the deep-fry pan (Tempura-nabe), wooden tub (Handai), etc. Has an average of about 7 great pictures per page showing dishes at various stages of preparation. It shows oil at various temperatures, different types of knife cuts, how to tell if a clam is alive or dead, how to clean a squid, and more. The tools and ingredients are listed in both English and Japanese, in the recipe the ingredients are listed by name, if it is not that common of a name, say like mitsuba, it will have the English common name listed in parentheses (honewort); Kinugoshi-dofu (silken tofu). The book is broken down into 14 basic sections, four being seasonal menus (each recipe also has a season in the corner just to let you know the what season is recommended for that dish), and another 12 that cover things such as: Basic stocks, Unique Ingredients, Daily Menus, or How to eat Dobin-mushi. There are also tips throughout the book. One last note on the pictures, they are all in color with many wonderful dishes and bowls, very visually pleasing. This cookbook is great for everybody, beginner on up that wants to add Japanese Homestyle Cooking to his or her lives.Book Review: Can't Get a Better Book
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an American currently living in Japan and have grown very fond of the Japanese cuisine. I take Japanese cooking classes and have found that the techniques I have learned are included in this book both in description and in easy to follow pictures. A great reference when I can't quite remember what the next step is. I have found that I can duplicate some of my favorite meals with this book. The recipes are easy to follow. The directions are as simple as they can be. The breakdown of recipes includes seasonal recipes as well as categories such as deep-fried dishes, steamed dishes, broiled dishes, sashimi, one pot dishes, rice and noodle dishes, and soups. There are also some very useful photos of the equipment used to prepare the dishes. In this book you will find that they go beyond many cookbooks by providing information and pictures on table settings and manners for eating Japanese foods. To sum things up - simple easy to follow recipes, GREAT pictures showing techniques and step-by-step images of what the preparation should look like, pictures of required cooking equipment. If this hasn't convinced you then the last thing I have to back this up - I showed this book to some of my Japanese friends and they wanted to know where to buy it!!!Book Review: Very good, but too tool specific
Summary: 4 Stars
What some people fail to realize, including apparently the author, is that you can substitute tools that you have for those required for preparation, even is that process is specialized like making square eggs. You only really need a small all-purpose knife, a serrated knife, a square baking tray (for the omelettes), a wok, two pots of different size for cooking soup and/or noodles, a pan, a cutting/rolling board, and a strainer. For steaming, simply put the foods into the strainer, and let the steam pass through.
Buying exotic tools doesn't work, as you can do the same with those you have once you know how to use them for this purpose, whereas odd tools you will only use once if you do not feel comfortable with them.
Book Review: User-friendly cookbook for non-Japanese
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is different from other cookbook for Japanese dishes. Not only are the pictures great as illustrations for important steps, the layout is clear and organized, and the ingredients are exactly those that are used by the Japanese for the dishes, without 'compromising' say, sake with other types of wine; and yet the ingredients can be conveniently purchased at Japanese supermarkets. This is what is important for a cookbook - not merely filled with brilliant pictures but difficult for readers to 'practise'. This book also provides general guidance on cooking methods like how to cut a fish and a glossary of the utensils used for cooking. It is a very good book - to read and to follow.
Book Review: Great!
Summary: 5 Stars
The book is full of great recipes and techniques. Ideal for the beginning cook. Wonderful for anyone who doesn't know how to cook Japanese food but wants to learn how. I haven't cooked a single meal from this book that has not been a hit. The only hard part is finding some of the ingredients. The book is incredibly authentic, yet easy to understand and approachable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Japanese food.