Customer Reviews

Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
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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.

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.

This book pays homage to the traditional foundations of Japanese cooking, including very detailed information on techniques and treatment of quality ingredients. You will find recipes of dishes readily available in Japan but practically unheard of in North America. If you're ready to move past run-of-the-mill sushi and tempura, then this book is an absolute treasure.

We have used this book for years. Even in rural Oklahoma most of the recipies are possible with a little help from mail order and trips to Tulsa. Last year for the first time in many years I had two business trips to Japan. That was a real sanity check for this book - and yes it tells you how to do the real thing. At one lunch when we were eating cold udon noodles in a basket I looked at my Japanese hosts and said quite honestly - "you know I make this exact thing at home." They were amazed, but because of this book it is true. This should be everyone's first book on Japanese cooking.

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.

I have been searching a long time for a comprehensive book on Japanese cooking because I grew up with a mother who was a fantastic cook. Unfortunately, she never used recipes or measuring devices, so I have been struggling to duplicate the many delicious dishes of my childhood to no avail. This book is the answer to my quest. The recipes are very authentic, and the author talks about the history of the various recipes and cooking techniques. This enhances the enjoyment of the beautiful cuisine. I feel like I am back home in Mom's kitchen!

This book is a gem. Even with the lack of color illustrations accompanying each recipe, this book deserves to be regarded as the Bible of Japanese cuisine. This is not because it contains a lot of nice recipes, but because it includes a wealth of information on culinary techniques. The material on knife-work is excellent, especially the pages devoted to filleting the various types of fish. That section alone makes this book well worth the price. Novices who are looking for a simple introduction to Japanese food should probably avoid this book for the time being at is really aimed toward persons with fairly advanced experience. Serious cooks will definitely want to have this book on their shelves.

A particularly good discussion of knives and knife techniques, which are integral to this cuisine. It's not a fluffy book. If you really want to start learning about this cuisine, this is an excellent place to start. Much more than a few recipies and some pictures. Well done!

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.

"A Simple Art" is complete, authentic guide to japanese cooking. I love sushi and bought this book to learn more about its preparation, but that is just a small part of the book. It's an all-in-one reference, containing recipes, technique, history, and culture. Like a cross between Rick Bayless and Iron Chef, only it's not funny like that would be.

The simplicity referred to in the title is not ease of preparation; nearly all recipes are from scratch. Simplicity refers to the ethos of Japanese cuisine: natural and fresh. All the basics, many of which are surprisingly simple to prepare, are in here, as well as many more unusual recipes. However, you'll probably need different ingredients than what you can find at the local supermarket.