Quick & Easy Japanese Cookbook

Rating:
Summary: quick and easy but not so tasty
Review: After having lived in Japan for 3 years I was very interested in preparing home-cooked Japanese meals and received this book as a gift. The recipes are easy to measure out and prepare, but I have not been satisfied with the outcome of any of the dishes. They do not taste the way I have had the pleasure of eating them at homes or restaurants in Japan. If you would like to prepare authentic Japanese meals I would not recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A staple Japanese cookbook
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: needs updating
Review: I was excited to buy this book after seeing the author beat an Iron Chef on FoodTV. I love to cook Japanese dishes, and her recipes cut my prep time in half, and they still taste as good as the fancier version. However, I wish the book offered more recipes, and more variety. I feel it barely scratched the surface of Japanese cuisine. Still, the recipes offered here are delicious. It's just a matter of whether you feel it is worth spending the money on so few recipes.