Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art

Rating:
Summary: The Base
Review: I have had my copy of Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art for twenty-three years. I learned most of what I know about traditional Japanese cooking from it. I have never needed another Japanese cookbook. My Japanese wife of nineteen years goes to it first for recipes and reference, preferring it over anything available in her native language. We have lived in Japan now for seventeen years. She has never bought another cookbook on traditional Japanese cooking, although she does have two with western influenced recipes. We eat traditional Japanese dishes at about half our meals. What you can't find in here, you will have to ask an advanced chef about. That's it; it's The Base.

Rating:
Summary: Tsuji is one of the greats of contemporary Japanese cuisine.
Review: I have read this book and also used Tsuji's Japanese books -- he is heir to the light flavors and elegant presentation of west Japan (think Kyoto) food, but he makes it all his own in terms of practicality and modern appeal. His recipes stand out because they are classic, not faddy; because Tsuji will always tell you the best and the simplest way; and because you can be sure he has thought about every aspect, he isn't just parroting the past -- the attitudes in this cookbook should extend to improving your cooking in any field.

Rating:
Summary: Not a book for beginners...
Review: If you love Japanese food, this is the book for you. More then simply a list of recipes, it really does describe Japanese cooking as an art form. Unfortunately, if you are a newcomer to Japanese cooking as I myself am, the book is not particularly useful in the kitchen. First of all, the book sacrifices ease for authenticity. This means that many of the dishes require ingredients or tools that aren't readily available at the local supermarket. However, if you want to really learn how authentic Japanese food is prepared, look no further.

Rating:
Summary: If your serious
Review: If you want to get the spirit of Japanese cooking then this is the best place to start (aside from visiting Japan itself). I used to go to my local Japanese store and I didn't understand all those different products. After studying this work I now have good beginers know how. This book is much more than a cookbook.

Rating:
Summary: A great overview of Japanese cooking
Review: This book is wonderful because it doesn't just show you a bunch of recipes, but explains how and why Japanese cooking can be so lovely. The recipes explain the concept behind each dish so that variations and invention are easy. Plus, any book with an introduction by MFK Fischer has to be worth it's salt.

Rating:
Summary: A must for any Japanese cuisine enthusiast
Review: This cook book is essential to anyone who is serious about Japanese cuisine. It's a great reference, and provides a very impressive battery of recipes. My copy is falling apart, and has oil stains throughout, I've used it so much. I've used this one book more than any other in my cooking library. It's like my 'textbook' on Japanese cuisine.

Rating:
Summary: A must for any Japanese cuisine enthusiast
Review: This cook book is essential to anyone who is serious about Japanese cuisine. It's a great reference, and provides a very impressive battery of recipes. My copy is falling apart, and has oil stains throughout, I've used it so much. I've used this one book more than any other in my cooking library. It's like my 'textbook' on Japanese cuisine.

Rating:
Summary: excellent: ingredients, methods, menu planning
Review: This is an excellent book with an absolute wealth of information on ingredients, cooking techniques, background information and presentation. Several colour plates compliment the recipes but I would have liked more of them. Some menu planning ideas and lots of line drawings illustrating technique. Rather short section on sushi - look elsewhere for that.

Rating:
Summary: At its worst, it is impressive
Review: This is not just a great Japanese cookbook. It is a great cookbook in general. Not content to merely compile a series of recipes, Shizuo Tsuji adds descriptions of cooking techniques unique to Japanese food, insight into Japanese culture, and more importantly he imparts valuable knowledge on how to understand and appreciate Japanese cuisine.

He divides the book into two parts. The first part begins with a discussion on how meals are prepared and composed. Then he explains ingredients, tools, and techniques that are frequently used in the book. He ends part one with recipes that are intended to be a basic introduction to various types of Japanese food (each "type" employs different methods of preparation and cooking, such as frying, steaming, etc.) The recipes are traditional Japanese meals that you would encounter if you went to Japan.

Part two is all recipes, again divided into the same types that part one is divided into. However, these are slightly more complex and they build on the techniques learned in part one.

This is a book that can be used by beginners or more advanced cooks. It is definitely a useful reference for all those who love Japanese food and would like to know how to make it and how to enjoy it authentically.

Rating:
Summary: At its worst, it is impressive
Review: This is not just a great Japanese cookbook. It is a great cookbook in general. Not content to merely compile a series of recipes, Shizuo Tsuji adds descriptions of cooking techniques unique to Japanese food, insight into Japanese culture, and more importantly he imparts valuable knowledge on how to understand and appreciate Japanese cuisine.

He divides the book into two parts. The first part begins with a discussion on how meals are prepared and composed. Then he explains ingredients, tools, and techniques that are frequently used in the book. He ends part one with recipes that are intended to be a basic introduction to various types of Japanese food (each "type" employs different methods of preparation and cooking, such as frying, steaming, etc.) The recipes are traditional Japanese meals that you would encounter if you went to Japan.

Part two is all recipes, again divided into the same types that part one is divided into. However, these are slightly more complex and they build on the techniques learned in part one.

This is a book that can be used by beginners or more advanced cooks. It is definitely a useful reference for all those who love Japanese food and would like to know how to make it and how to enjoy it authentically.