There are few people in the western world who have not tried and consequently fallen in love with Japanese food. I’m not talking about the high-brow stuff of celebrity chefs (or indeed, of obscure dining establishments in Tokyo), but the simple family fare you can find in practically every major city in the world. Tempura, sushi (the california maki/tamago kind rather than the puffer fish), chicken teriyaki, beef sukiyaki and the simple oyakudon (which incidentally was served in my school cafeteria, which was NOT anywhere close to Japan).
For the cook in the home kitchen who has a hungry family with a yen for Japanese food (pardon the pun), the cookbook Japanese Family-Style Recipes by Hiroko Urakami is a favourite choice. With over 50 recipes for all the family to enjoy, backed up by a good-quality photo with every dish, the cookbook can inspire and teach even the most inexperienced with Japanese cuisine.
According to Tokyo-nativeHiroko Urakami, ” A characteristic Japanese family meal, includes a main dish of fish or meat, a side dish of braised vegetables, and a vinegared salad, accompanied by steamed rice and soup.”
And he follows this through in this delightful and easy-to-follow cookbook with what its fans claim have fool-proof recipes which can please even the native Japanese. There are also a good number of substitutions for the Western kitchen, and its short and clear instructions demystify what many in the west believe Japanese cooking to be – perfectionist, time-consuming and much about the detail and presentation.
[tags]Japanese food, Japanese family cooking, Japanese cookbook[/tags]