Japaneasy: Classic and Modern Japanese Recipes to Cook at Home

Through love of food, delighting and taking pleasure in cooking food across cultures I have over many years gathered a large collection of cookery books. I recently purchased Japaneasy and was bowled over by the sheer beauty of its design, photographs and sumptuous looking food. I haven’t yet had a chance to cook any of the recipes . I am a novice to Japanese cooking but everything about this book invites you in to have a go. There is such clarity to his writing specially where he explains the various important but basic ingredients and differences between the Japanese and Chinese versions of the sauces. The recipes don’t look complicated at all so I am looking forward to starting to learn to cook for my young grandchildren who love to eat at my local Japanese restaurant. For me the book , when I recently received it, was a page turner and in amongst all my cookery books I can’t remember finding a cookery book such pleasure to hold, read and gaze at in one sitting. It has the essence of Japanese simplicity combined with mastery for which the Japanese are renowned. I hope to follow on this review once of I have cooked and tasted a few recipes. I have already ordered another as a present for my daughter-in-law.

Since I was bereaved several years ago, I've been living alone and 'making do' at cooking. At first this meant that almost everything consisted of tinned stuff or microwave ready meals, until one day I decided that this was a deeply unhealthy diet. But I've never managed to be 'a cook'. Even my 'healthy' efforts tend to be nothing fancy - everything dumped into a roasting pan or a slow cooker... It's not been for want of trying. I'd be ashamed to tell you how many cook books I've bought. And most of them have been utterly USELESS - either requiring levels of skill that are way beyond me, or ingredients that are as unobtainable as they are unpronounceable. I even bought one called 'Simple'. Huh. Maybe the recipes are simple if you're Gordon Ramsey or one of those guys... Anyway, I gave this a go. Don't as me why - I had no particular interest in Japanese food. But wow. Yes there are a few ingredients you probably won't find in Tesco (though I was surprised how many they DID sell). As for the others, I find I can get them here on Amazon with no problems whatsoever. And oh joy, the recipes actually ARE easy!!! Ok, I note that one reviewer has sniffed his nose and proclaimed that this is a 'Western' take on Japanese food. So if you're some sort of purist, you may want to bear that in mind. But they're EASY and seriously tasty. All I can say is that this book blew my culinary mind and opened whole new horizons for me. I've taken the liberty of posting pics of the first few things I tried based on this book. Compare those to my usual efforts - most of which look like they've been freshly squeezed out of a Whiskas pouch - and you'll see why I personally can't recommend this book highly enough.

This is very nicely presented, I love the way it feels in hand, there are lovely photographs and the instructions are easy to understand and follow. the book starts with explanation of some of the main ingredients that will be useful for cooking, which is great, as I can now go on a hunt and hopefully get them all in one go. The book includes recipes for some of the most known dishes such as rice curry, ramen, etc, and a few more obscure things I have never heard of. The recipes look easy to make as well, so a bonus, and you dont need a whole lot of expensive ingredients, but a handful of them and reuse them in various recipes. I would love more recipes though, hence 4 stars, as I think there is so much potential in Japanese cuisine which was not really used (maybe because the author published other books on the topic and spread the recipes through them, rather than put more in one?). As I said photos are lovely and appealing, but also mean there is less content. Overall, a great intro to Japanese cuisine, but once I go through the recipes I will probably try to get something more comprehensive with more content.

This was for a gift so I can't say much about the full content but I did some research in it and seemed the right choice for people into experimenting recipes and Japan. The book is actually stunning on its own and the blue profile of the pages add a charm to it. Pictures are mouthwatering too!

Lovely book, first meal is being planned.

I love Japanese food but my 18 year old son lives for it. I bought him this book for his birthday, and now he’s making it at home. This book makes authentic Japanese food accessible to any half-decent home cook. The author pulls back the kimono to expose the dozen or so simple staples behind most Japanese favourites. From Sushi to Tempura, Yakatori to Gyoza, Udon to Ramen, all the authentic favourites that westerners have come to love are here to enjoy, plus many more. The author makes awesome dishes seem simple, with lots of helpful hints and encouragement and, most importantly, the dishes taste just like they would in a good restaurant, even if perfecting the knife skills takes practice. The book is laid out logically, with clear and enticing pictures, friendly introduction and well written explanations. Like any delicious Japanese food, I’d like to have had more of everything. Finally, there was an issue caused by a courier but the seller Books etc went out of their way to address the issue and the courier. Books etc were responsive and courteous.

One of the pleasures of getting a new cookery book is sitting down with it and a pack of sticky markers then going through the recipes, tagging the ones I want to try as I go. So I sat down with Japaneasy, a glass of something very nice by my side, some Japanese classical music playing, to get the right vibe, and started reading. The stickies remained unused. I wanted to try everything. So I decided to tag the recipes I didn't want to try and carried on. The stickies still remained unused. I've still got a good way to go, but I have never read a cookery book where I want to try all of the recipes without exception. This is unprecedented. I am currently putting together an industrial-sized order for the seven main ingredients and ten or so additional ones needed for the majority of the recipes. Kampai.

Perfect book! Thanks so much.

Interesante (para el que aprecia este tipo de literatura) bien editado, a no mal precio y puesto en la puerta de tu casa en un tiempo razonable….. Yo no esperara a más! Si tú esperas otra cosa, no lo compres

I am a huge fan of eating Japanese food and now I am a professional in cooking Japanese (ok not actually, but I feel like it). This is the only book you will need and EVERY recipe I have made has been EASY for sure and super delish!!!

Again, I am not a good cook. I merely have aspirations to learn. But this book is wonderful. Clear instructions, mouthwatering recipes and really, really simple. Great photography, too.

First, I received this book very fast and packaged very well in environmentally-friendly cardboard wrapping. The book itself is very artistically done and even looks sewn together instead of glued. I've looked over the recipes and they seem easier than many others I have made from Japanese books. I look so forward to trying out one after another. I so miss Japanese cooking and that is something one cannot get out here in the countryside far from a big city. Thank you so much.

Facile à lire et à réaliser. Kindle de bonne qualité. L'autre livre de Tim Anderson est à acheter également (Nanban)