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A review by julianabrielle
The Gaijin Cookbook: Japanese Recipes from a Chef, Father, Eater, and Lifelong Outsider by Ivan Orkin
4.0
I own a copy of Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji, and it is all the things they say: comprehensive, encyclopedic, exhaustive. And it left me a little exhausted. It’s hard to know where to begin, which is why I sought out a simpler, more narrowly focused book as a stepping stone.
I’ve made several recipes out of this book (and a few out of his Ivan Ramen book, which has more complex recipes and a better teriyaki recipe than the one in here). The chicken and vegetable rice (tori no takikomi gohan) is simple and was liked by the whole family, as was the okonomiyaki recipe in here. I love the blends of Japanese foods with his own food heritage - shiso gravlax, for instance. It gives ideas of how to incorporate Japanese flavors into your own cooking, which is one of my goals. Also, many of the recipes here gave me a springboard to find other, more complex or more authentic versions. The list of ingredients in the back is incredibly helpful for getting your pantry stocked for Japanese cooking as well.
This is a good beginner's Japanese cookbook aimed at American cooks, and I enjoyed his writing. I do wish he had included a few more suggestions for substitutions; it’s obvious he’s spent his life in big cities. Still, I feel more equipped to tackle Shizuo Tsuji now.
I’ve made several recipes out of this book (and a few out of his Ivan Ramen book, which has more complex recipes and a better teriyaki recipe than the one in here). The chicken and vegetable rice (tori no takikomi gohan) is simple and was liked by the whole family, as was the okonomiyaki recipe in here. I love the blends of Japanese foods with his own food heritage - shiso gravlax, for instance. It gives ideas of how to incorporate Japanese flavors into your own cooking, which is one of my goals. Also, many of the recipes here gave me a springboard to find other, more complex or more authentic versions. The list of ingredients in the back is incredibly helpful for getting your pantry stocked for Japanese cooking as well.
This is a good beginner's Japanese cookbook aimed at American cooks, and I enjoyed his writing. I do wish he had included a few more suggestions for substitutions; it’s obvious he’s spent his life in big cities. Still, I feel more equipped to tackle Shizuo Tsuji now.