THE WOK, RECIPES AND TECHNIQUES By J. Kenji López-Alt (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2022, 666 pp., $49.50, hardcover) If you have a more-than-casual interest in cooking, or look for recipes with search engine phrases that begin with “the best recipe for,” or “the best way to,” chances are, you have come across […]
The ABCs of cooking California-style Japanese food
July 16, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Japanese Cookbook for Beginners: Classic and Modern Recipes Made Easy By Azusa Oda (Emeryville, Calif.: Rockridge Press, 2020, 146 pp., $16.99, paperback) With “Japanese Cookbook for Beginners: Classic and Modern Recipes Made Easy,†genius home cook and designer Azusa Oda has embraced the traditional Japanese flavors and dishes that she grew up with and recalibrated […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: The soul of the kitchen
December 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment
No, it’s not the Sub Zero French Door refrigerator with the custom paneling, the GE Advantium oven or the six-burner Wolf range. It isn’t even the 15 1/2-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven or the All-Clad copper core eight quart stockpot. It’s the most basic and essential tool in the kitchen, and like the katana was […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: What a ham!
March 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
“How do you take a sick pig to the hospital?†“In a hambulance!†“What did the pig say when he was sick?†“Call the hambulance!†OK, I’m not talkin’ about that kind of ham. The ham that I’m speakin’ of is of the cured pork persuasion: Savory, salty and useful in a wide range of […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Veggies and the art of dry cooking
January 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
OK — that was my take on “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values,†which really didn’t translate too well. Oh well! But unlike Robert Pirsig, who states in his introduction that despite the title, there is no factual information on Zen Buddhism or motorcycles, this article does contain pertinent information […]
Japanese flavors meet American ingredients
January 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
HIROKO’S AMERICAN KITCHEN: COOKING WITH JAPANESE FLAVORS: 6 EASY SAUCES; 125 MODERN RECIPES By Hiroko Shimbo (Riverside, New Jersey: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012, 224 pp., $24.99, paperback) The basic goal of Hiroko Shimbo’s new cookbook “Hiroko’s Japanese Kitchen†is simple: to help American home cooks infuse familiar ingredients with Japanese flavors and preparation styles. Take […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Gadgets for the wine lovers and chefs in your life
November 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
For the wino in your life, may I suggest several wine gadgets: The Durand corkscrew It’s a little pricey at $125. OK, make that very pricey, but it combines the best of a standard corkscrew and Ah-So bladed cork extractor. It isn’t needed for every bottle of wine, but it shines with older bottles of […]
GOCHISO GOURMET: The joy of soy
May 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The humble soybean is so versatile; a multitude of food applications can be employed to satisfy any soy craving. From slightly sweetened okara served simply “as is†or formed into fried croquettes to slightly sweetened soy milk as a morning vegetarian milk substitute to that ubiquitous curdled soy milk product, tofu, to the refined textured […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Lookin’ for inspiration
November 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Sometimes we find it without even lookin’, sometimes it keeps knockin’ at our door without us knowin’, but sometimes we do find it and it changes our very core… OK, maybe not so grandiose. It may be as simple as makin’ that first Bolognese sauce or startin’ that first exercise routine or simply makin’ us […]
Rice, it’s what’s for dinner
August 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
THE HAWAI’I BOOK OF RICE: TALES, TRIVIA AND 101 GREAT RECIPES By Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi (Honolulu: Watermark Publishing, 2011, $15.95, paperback) A blend of history book, storybook and cookbook, “The Hawai’i Book of Rice†introduces readers to rice through a collection of personal anecdotes and original recipes gathered from chefs, individuals, and organizations. The influence […]
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