Washoku Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen
Washoku Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen
“Elizabeth Andoh’s groundbreaking cookbook introduces Western audiences to the age-old concept of washoku, the art of creating nutritional and aesthetic harmony at the table, one that transforms our thinking about Japanese cuisine and culture. Composed with deep scholarship and loving craftsmanship, Washoku is filled with authentic recipes and personal stories that place the Japanese cooking and dining experience in a much needed cultural perspective only an insider could share.” –Grace Young, author of The Breath of a Wok
“For American cooks, Elizabeth Andoh is THE guru of Japanese cuisine. It seems there’s nothing she doesn’t know, her language is clear and understandable, and her recipes work. What more could you want?”
–Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything
“We cook from the heart (kokoro) and express our feelings with our dishes. In this book, Elizabeth Andoh conveys the way of the Japanese kokoro through cooking to people around the world.”
– Nobu Matsuhisa
“Elizabeth Andoh’s beautiful new book is not just a cookbook filled with enticing recipes, but a fascinating treatise explaining the philosophy behind Japanese home cooking and Japanese cuisine as a whole. Washoku confirms Elizabeth’s stellar reputation as one of the most knowledgeable authorities on Japanese food and culture.”
–Nina Simonds, author of A Spoonful of Ginger
In 1975, Gourmet magazine published a series on traditional Japanese food —the first of its kind in a major American food magazine — written by a graduate of the prestigious Yanagihara School of classical cuisine in Tokyo. Today, the author of that groundbreaking series, Elizabeth Andoh, is recognized as the leading English-language authority on the subject. She shares her knowledge and passion for the food culture of Japan in WASHOKU, an authoritative, deeply personal tribute to one of the world ’s most distinctive culinary traditions. Andoh begins by setting forth the ethos of washoku (traditional Japanese food), exploring its nuanced approach to balancing flavor, applying technique, and considering aesthetics hand-in-hand with nutrition. With detailed descriptions of ingredients complemented by stunning full-color photography, the book’s comprehensive chapter on the Japanese pantry is practically a book unto itself. The recipes for soups, rice dishes and noodles, meat and poultry, seafood, and desserts are models of clarity and precision, and the rich cultural context and practical notes that Andoh provides help readers master the rhythm and flow of the washoku kitchen. Much more than just a collection of recipes, WASHOKU is a journey through a cuisine that is rich in history and as handsome as it is healthful.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Glad I bought it.
This recipe book is also a book about Japanese culture. The author’s anecdotes and personal perspectives are both instructive and entertaining. The recipes are easy to follow and well-organized. I have a few Japanese cuisine cookbooks and this is the best one.
5 Stars The final word in authentic, delicious & beautiful Japanese cuisine
Elizabeth Andoh is a remarkably gifted writer and her cross-cultural expertise is unmatched. The delicious recipes in Washoku are just one facet of this truly interesting book. Her suggestions and practical tips are really helpful, while the aesthetic and design are none short of inspirational. Amongst the most elegant cookbooks around, the text is brimming with information and the recipes are approachable for daily use. I highly recommend Washoku for all fine cooks and as well as for Japanphiles.
5 Stars Great cook book and more
Washoku covers the philosophy of Japanese cooking as well as the essential ingredients and methods of Japanese cooking. The recipes are well-written and easy to follow and the photographs of ingredients are very helpful for shopping.
5 Stars A perfect Japanese cookbook
I have always held Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art to be the finest book available on Japanese cooking, but now I have to hold up “Washoku” as a strong contender. This book, written by American Elizabeth Andoh, who first learned Japanese cooking from her mother-in-law, and then from the Yanagihara school of classical cuisine in Tokyo, is equally comprehensive and even easier to use.
Andoh begins with a comprehensive study of Japanese ingredients and cooking styles. The first section of the book, “The Washoku Pantry,” gives an in-depth description of the spices and seasonings, vegetables, fish and meat, rice and noodles, seeds and nuts, and all other ingredients necessary to achieve authentic flavor. Because this is real Japanese cooking, not all of these ingredients will be readily available at your local grocery store (unless you are very luck, or live in Japan!), however many of them can be ordered over the internet and are available in specialty Asian grocers. Next is “In the Washoku Kitchen,” where various techniques are discussed, such as broiling, grilling and pan searing, removing bitterness, cutting and grating. Having cooked at an izakaya in Japan, I learned most of these techniques first hand, but I found Andoh’s descriptions to be a nice refresher course and easy to follow.
From there, of course, we get to the good stuff. The recipes begin with the basic stocks and condiments that are the foundation of Japanese food. Many of these can be purchased in pre-made form, but they are no match for freshly made stock using quality ingredients. She uses mostly English names for the foods throughout the book, such as “Basic Sea Stock” for dashi, which can be a bit awkward for those used to Japanese food, but she does include the Japanese name underneath the English name. Her stock and sauce recipes are fantastic, with really nice ponzu (smoky citrus-soy sauce) recipe and a few different miso bases.
There are sections on soups, rice dishes, noodles, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry, tofu and eggs and deserts. Most of her recipes are quite subtle in flavor, and comparing them to recipes in other Japanese cookbooks, such as Quick & Easy Japanese Cuisine for Everyone, I found that Andoh eliminates several of the non-authentic ingredients such as sugar. Pictures for the recipes are few, for which I am thankful because I would rather have more recipes than more pictures, but each chapter has a few to entice and delight.
A few recipes I have particularly enjoyed: “Simmered Snapper, Autumn Rain Style” was poetry on a plate, and one that I have made several times for myself as well as guests. “Citrus-and-Soy Glazed Swordfish” is a nice arrangement of a classic pairing. I have made this recipe with salmon before, but was surprised to find how well it went with swordfish. “Green Beans Tossed in Creamy Sesame-Miso Sauce” was also a hit, as was “Dark Miso Soup with Sweet Potato.” A really fun recipe was the “Soy Glazed Beef Burger,” which takes an American classic and blends it with dark miso, panko and soy sauce.
I haven’t had “Washoku” for too long, but already it is a well-worn book with food stains, the way any cookbook should be. This has replaced several lesser books in my cookbook collection, and anyone looking to make fantastic, authentic Japanese food won’t need much more than this.
5 Stars It’s the Real Deal
I live in Japan. This book will show you how to cook actual Japanese food. Of course I have the luxuary of access to every Japanese ingredient possible which makes my cooking tasks easier than yours might be when confronted with an American grocery store. If you have the money and the time to sharpen it get yourself a Japanese knife. There is no substitute for Japanese steel.
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