Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art

Holistic approach to Japanese cooking customs, techniques, & tastes from the Osaka region. Very approachable too. It's a classic for a reason.

If you're looking to learn the fundamentals of Japanese food from a book that emphasizes the detail and craft, look no further. This is the bible. It reflects the author's lifelong dedication, and contains options ranging from simple to complex. You won't find a better cookbook.I found myself going to my local izakaya a bit too often, and was looking for a way to prepare treats at home and save money. This came highly recommended with good reason. While other books might have more glossy color photos, they lack the depth and fundamentals.Tsuji's prose is gorgeous. Chapter by chapter, he elegantly lays out the philosophy behind the cuisine and breaks things down into components. Everything emphasizes how it fits into the discipline as a whole. Reading teaches you how to select ingredients, prepare them carefully, then present the results beautifully.The depth can be intimidating. Some of the equipment and skills don't have Western equivalents, and I found myself wondering whether I had overestimated my capacity. However, if you're determined, Tsuji will guide you on your way to delicious food. Many recipes are quite simple. And, like anything, it gets easier with practice.You could spend years with this book and not run out of options. You can also find something you like within an hour. The breadth and depth of Tsuji's masterwork has things to offer for both the novice and the master.

Got this after it was recommended for a thorough introduction to Japanese cooking. The book is incredibly detailed. Even better that the anniversary edition was on sale. My BF was so happy with the surprise.

This book is a comprehensive guide to Japanese cooking, ingredients, table manners, utensils, and methods. Tsuji's writing is highly accessible and, most importantly, very clear, especially regarding methods. Although my wife and I are complete n00bs regarding Japanese cuisine, we have had no trouble following the instructions and getting fantastic results. The recipes are delicious, and most of them are reasonably easy to prepare. You will use a lot of dishes, however, as many ingredients have to be cooked separately before they are combined.The only potential issue we have noticed is in choosing ingredients and their amounts. Be very careful that you buy exactly the right ingredients, especially if you are not familiar with them. We accidentally bought thick-sliced fried tofu instead of thin fried tofu for pockets because we did not pay attention to the specific name of the ingredient. Ask for help if you are not sure about what you are buying. Also, the recipes themselves will not always be completely clear on how much you should use: "one block" of konnyaku, for instance. In some cases, including konnyaku, Tsuji will specify the size of a single portion in the section of the book dealing with that ingredient, so double-check your amounts before going to the store.

Great book if you are interested in Japanese cuisine. Offers an in depth look at various types of cooking and gives you explanations on why things are done a certain way.

This is my second favorite Japanese cookbook, after The Japanese Kitchen (Non). There is certainly plenty of overlap between the 2 books, yet they are unique enough to warrant getting both. Both books offer plenty of instruction and background as well as a host of recipes. The format is easy to follow in both. I think Shimbo's book feels more polished and of the recipes I've compared between the two, I've preferred hers, but once again, both are good and variety is nice.

Good quality and great book.

I'm sure you could use this book for ideas, but it is especially useful if you've eaten something you'd like to make and aren't quite sure how to go about it.That said, I live in San Francisco and pretty much every Japanese ingredient you might need is readily available to me at a reasonable cost. I also have the benefit of having eaten some great Japanese food to give me ideas; I find for myself I look up recipe names rather than browse to find something to cook, but this has enough of technique and flavoring to really help someone develop their skills at cooking Japanese food, which is what I wanted it for.As always, this cookbook is best used by somebody who has a bit of cooking experience and can understand basic directions without missing a beat. I own 3 Japanese cookbooks and looked at many more before settling on them; this is one of them.If you are curious, the other two are:Washoku Kitchen (Andoh--great introduction to Japanese cooking)The Japanese Kitchen (Shimbo--similar to this book but with different recipes and dishes covered--fills in the rest of the gaps.)