Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors Hardcover – November 19, 2019

I can't say enough good things about this cookbook! For context, I am a pretty intense home cook, and after four trips to Japan have become obsessed with learning everything I can about Japanese cooking. I have just about every Japanese cookbook available, and have read them all. I had seen Sonoko Saiki speak at the 2018 Grain School in Colorado Springs about soba and buckwheat, so waited with giddy anticipation for her cookbook to come out this past fall. I was not disappointed!There are several things that make her book so special and unique. First, she has lived in both Japan and the U.S, so has the perfect background for explaining processes and ingredients in a way that makes them accessible to a U.S. home chef. Second, starts the book with a long narrative about ingredients, how to find them, and how to create your own simple, essential pantry items. Third, she sprinkles wonderful personal stories throughout the book about her relationships with specialty vendors both here and in Japan. Fourth, she tells you where to get hard to find ingredients. And I could go on and on, but you get the idea. If you are into Japanese cooking, you need this book!I'll also say that I had the fantastic opportunity to take a soba making class from Sonoko after I read the book. It was such an amazing experience to get to work with her in person and I highly recommend taking one of her classes if you can! She teaches both out of her LA home, and she also travels to events and workshops around the country.

Japanese cookbooks can usually be quite complex or a bit too easy.This one falls right in-between. You're not going to find simple recipes that you could have just found online, Nor will you find super intimidating recipes that you would never try to make.It strikes a really beautiful balance.There is an explanation of Japanese ingredients, typical in most cookbooks that require ingredients that cannot always be found at a local supermarket.Please note, it's also not hard to track down these items. A couple clicks and they'll be sent to you.Japanese home cooking specifically requires technical skills, which Sakai does a great job at walking you through.My personal favorite part of the book is the Japanese home cooking that has been influenced by Chinese home cooking, which is actually a pocket within Japanese cuisine. Her takes on family favorites were interesting and made a difference in how I wanted to continue to cook a dish.My only compliant is that some of the portions of what you're making can be huge, and can be quite difficult if you're someone who lives alone. But maybe this will give an excuse to host a great dinner party.Overall, if you've taken an interest in Japanese home cooking, this is the book for you.I've purchased a ton of Japanese cookbooks and this might be my favorite one.

Just received it but we've looked through most of the book and picked a few recipes to make ASAP. I generally appreciate how succinct and relatable the language in the book is. Sakai does a good job of giving context and talking about personal experience/history without getting too wordy. The recipes are straight forward but not in a choppy shorthand kind of way. While I am familiar with the most of recipes in the book, I'm happy to have a simple reference for the essential Japanese foods that is so approachable. I also reference the book "Japanese Cooking a Simple Art" for in depth info on techniques. All that said, I dont understand the other reviews saying that the recipes aren't "easy enough."...maybe those folks aren't familiar with Japanese cooking. If you want plug and play food, try something else. Japanese cooking often requires cooking from scratch more often than many Westerners are used to. Ingredients and flavors in Japanese cooking are so specific that Americanized versions aren't going to work...and substituting specialized ingredients isn't really an option...IE if finding Kombu and Bonito is too much work you aren't going to find any substitutes that work.BUT, if you like to cook and are interested in some basic pickling, dashi stock, making your own tofu, making Ramen noodles in addition to complete entrees that tie everything together...just getting a little outside your comfort zone and working from scratch then buy this book. There really is nothing too crazy. Sure, we aren't all going to make sashimi at home, but there's something in here for all skill levels.

Enjoying this cookbook very much. As a beginner, the recipes are easy to follow and delicious!