3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hmmmm....sashimi, July 8, 2008
This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sushi and Sashimi (Mass Market Paperback)
I ordered this book months ago when on a quest to find a definitive book on sashimi. My husband as I are sashimi addicts. It's so good. It's fresh. It's also expensive. A meal out can run anywhere from $65 to $150. And with dining out 6-8 times a month, that expense needed to be curbed.
I wasn't willing to give up sashimi. At the same time, I feared shopping and handling my own fish. This is where the quest for the book comes. After discovering a fantastic place to buy sashimi (Catalina Offshore Products), my focus then shifted to how preserve, prepare, and know what to look for with sashimi grade fish. I bought two other books, Sashimi: The Essential Kitchen Series by Dekura, Hideo and The Great Sushi and Sashimi Cookbook (Great Seafood Series). Neither of these were complete.
This book isn't complete either, but I like it better than the others.
Here are a few of my issues with the book:
This book does not mention giant clam (geoduck or mirugai), which I believe is sacrilege.
This book doesn't explain cleaning techniques. For toro, I get specific instructions on how to care for toro (warm salt bath) prior to consuming. It's kinda disappointing that's not mentioned in the book.
There are many ways to make spicy tuna/salmon that don't include chili sauce. It mentions there are various ways "using various spices", but then only gives a recipe for one. My favorite is combining the fish, wasabi (to taste), soy sauce, scallion, sesame seed, and roe - mix with hand and either put it in a roll or eat on slices of cucumber....yummy.
The book implicitly says that mayo is the same as Japanese mayo. Yuk. Japanese mayo is lighter. I'd never use Helmmans in place of Kewpie.
I really, really wish it had included a recipe for ginger dressing, as I've been trying for months to no avail.
Anyway, it's worth the [...]for the recipes. There are a few I hadn't seen before (Hawaiian Poke) and the pictures are delicious looking.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I could live on this stuff..., July 27, 2008
This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sushi and Sashimi (Mass Market Paperback)
Ummmm.... Sushi....
I haven't met too many pieces of sushi I haven't liked, so I could resist picking up a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sushi and Sashimi by James O. Fraioli and Chef Kaz Sato at the library when it became available. If you are capable of following a recipe, you shouldn't have too many problems creating most of the items contained here. I *will* say I wish there had been more pictures of the finished pieces, however.
Contents:
Part 1 - The Basics: The Key Ingredients; Additional Ingredients; The Sushi Kitchen; Tips and Techniques
Part 2 - The Recipes: Sashimi a la Carte; Sushi; Sushi Rolls; Cooked Rolls and Tempura Rolls; Vegetarian Recipes; Appetizers and Salads
Index
For a relatively short book, Fraioli covers most of the essential knowledge in a concise manner. You learn about the different types of fish often used, other ingredients such as vegetables and fruit, as as well as the equipment you'll need to get started. He also covers the best ways to cut and slice the meat so that you get the best sections of the fish without dealing with bones and other undesirable fishy pieces. The majority of the book is then devoted to different recipes that you can follow to create your own delicacies. He goes everywhere from tuna sashimi to tuna rolls, scallops to shrimp heads, California rolls to Dragon rolls. The instructions are pretty easy to follow, and once you've done a few you should be well on your way to making tasty sushi that doesn't look all too bad once you set it on a plate.
The only nit for me in the book was the lack of pictures. There are eight full color pages in the middle that each show a couple of different dishes. But in many cookbooks, I'm used to seeing both the dish and the recipe side by side so you know what you're working towards. Granted, doing that format would have made the book much larger and more expensive. Still, sometimes it's hard to conjure up an idea of what you should be looking at once you finish.
Now, after all that reading, I need to find me a sushi bar... I'm hungry!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book, June 27, 2009
This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sushi and Sashimi (Mass Market Paperback)
The book was great. The recipes and instructions were very helpful. I love sushi and have wanted to try to make it myself. This book was a great help in doing so.
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