JAPANESE SOUPS: 66 NOURISHING BROTHS, STEWS AND HOTPOTS By Keiko Iwasaki (North Clarendon, Vt.: Tuttle Publishing, 2021, 128 pp., $16.99, hard cover) When asked to name or identify a Japanese soup, you’ll probably think of miso, but can you think of many more? In her book, “Japanese Soups,” Keiko Iwasaki shares 66 different soups, all […]
Bento-making 101
July 21, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Ultimate Bento: Healthy, Delicious and Affordable 85 Mix-and-Match Bento Box Recipes By Marc Matsumoto and Maki Ogawa (North Clarendon, Vt: Tuttle Publishing, 2020, 168 pp., $19.99, hard cover) As a mother who currently has to make lunch five days a week for a child, I saw the cover of this book and was immediately ready […]
An extensive and accessible approach to Japanese food
July 21, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Japan: The Cookbook By Nancy Singleton Hachisu (London and New York: Phaidon, 2019, 464 pp., $49.95, hard cover) The first thing you will note about this cookbook is its sheer size. The recipes Nancy Singleton Hachisu has compiled through her time in Japan spans regions, time periods and occasions, and is extensive. This cookbook includes […]
Japanese American cookbooks as primary sources
November 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
I received my first cookbook from my Sansei mentor. “Asian Cookbook†had a sumi-e painting of winter matsutake (pine mushroom) and ripe fuyu persimmons on its cover, a chunky plastic comb binding, and ran an astonishing 429 pages. It was sold as a fundraiser for the Japanese American Services of the East Bay sometime in […]
‘Finding wellness in one’s roots’
January 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit By Candice Kumai (New York: Harper Wave, 2018, 336 pp., $29.99 hardcover) Candice Kumai is a well known wellness writer, chef, and content creator who has written a book that is a mixture of memoir, self-help and cookbook. Her recognized contributions to national wellness […]
A plant lover’s delight
July 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment
THE BERKELEY BOWL COOKBOOK: RECIPES INSPIRED BY THE EXTRAORDINARY PRODUCE OF CALIFORNIA’S MOST ICONIC MARKET By Laura McLively (Berkeley, Calif.: Parallax Press, 2018, 216 pp., $34.95, hardcover) It all started with an African horned melon. This peculiar orange fruit captured the interest of Laura McLively during a shopping trip to Berkeley Bowl, the revered East […]
A flavorful take on ramen
January 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment
SIMPLY RAMEN: A COMPLETE COURSE IN PREPARING RAMEN MEALS AT HOME By Amy Kimoto-Kahn (New York: Race Point Publishing, 2016, 176 pp., hardcover, $22.95 ) With the recent surge of ramen’s popularity, this book will interest any ramen fiend or foodie that’s ready to take on homemade (non-instant) ramen. In the words of a chapter […]
The art of sushi
January 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment
SUSHI ART COOKBOOK: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO KAZARI SUSHI By Ken Kawasumi (North Clarendon, Vt.: Tuttle Publishing, 2017, 128 pp., hardcover, $18.95) If you are a serious foodie interested in food art or sushi, this book might be for you. But this book is definitely for you if you’re a chef or aspiring chef, or […]
A taste of home
July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
JAPANESE SOUL COOKING: RAMEN, TONKATSU, TEMPURA, AND MORE FROM THE STREETS AND KITCHENS OF TOKYO AND BEYOND By Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat (Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, 2013, 256 pp., $27.50, hardcover) Even if you didn’t grow up eating okonomiyaki (pancake) or omu (omelette) rice, the savory, robust flavors in “Japanese Soul Cooking†will […]
Comfort food, Hawai‘i-style
July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
FROM KAU KAU TO CUISINE: AN ISLAND COOKBOOK, THEN AND NOW By Arnold Hiura; featuring Derek Kurisu and Jason Takemura (Honolulu: Watermark Publishing, 2013, 196 pp., $29.95, hardcover) “From Kau Kau to Cuisine†is a cookbook that alternates recipes representing two variations of the same dish, a “Then†version and a “Now†version. The styles […]
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