My Japanese Table: A Lifetime of Cooking with Friends and Family [Hardcover]

Debra Samuels (Author), Heath Robbins (Photographer), Catrine Kelty (Contributor)

Book Description

Release date: September 10, 2011

Bestselling author and food writer Debra Samuels uses her unique skills and deep love of Japan to make the cuisine of her adopted country attainable in My Japanese Table.

Bringing a wealth of experience and a great passion for Japanese cooking to the table, Debra introduces the aesthetics and quality food that are the hallmarks of Japanese cuisine. She learned through her years in Japan that true Japanese homestyle dishes are easy to prepare once you master a few basic techniques. And now that authentic Japanese ingredients are available in most supermarkets, Japanese cooking has become far more accessible than ever before.

The recipes in this book, the result of decades spent teaching and preparing homestyle Japanese dishes, include familiar favorites like Hand-Rolled Sushi and classic Miso Soup and less familiar but equally welcome dishes such as Lobster Rolls with Wasabi Mayonnaise and Fried Pork Cutlets. There is also a chapter on the increasingly popular obento lunch boxes, along with a wonderful selection of desserts, including the delectable Mochi Dumplings with Strawberries. All of the recipes come with stories and cooking tips to help bring the sights, aromas and tastes of Japan into your kitchen at home.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"My Japanese Table takes you on a valuable journey of all the different facets of Japanese cuisine."—Roy Yamaguchi, chef/founder of Roy's Restaurants

"The Boston Globe food writer Debra Samuels compiles 125 of her best Japanese recipes in the shiny, heavy and possess-able My Japanese Table."—Metropolis

About the Author

Debra Samuel's invites us to enjoy her lifetime of experiences with the people and cuisine of Japan. The co-author of the bestselling The Korean Table, Debra has been teaching cooking classes on Japanese cuisine for over two decades. She is a regular food writer and food stylist for the Boston Globe. When she's not visiting Japan, Debra lives in Lexington, MA with her husband. CookingAtDebras.com

An avid cook himself, Heath Robbins' passion for food is evident in his mouthwatering imagery. His pictures have graced the pages of national magazines and can be seen in advertisements for Welch's Grape Jelly, Uncle Ben's and French's. Robbins recently photographed Fresh and Honest, Ciao Italia Big Five and The Korean Table cookbooks. He resides in Sherborn, MA with his family.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; Hardcover with Jacket edition (September 10, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4805311185
• ISBN-13: 978-4805311189
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.8 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Japanese

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Homestyle Japanese cooking demystified September 5, 2011

By Sarah TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Debra Samuels, a longtime resident of Japan, demystifies Japanese homestyle cooking in "My Japanese Table." Included are such favorites as sushi (including hand-rolled sushi and chirashi-zushi), skewers (grilled mixed veggie and tofu, chicken), donburi (one-dish meat and rice bowls), okonomiyaki (cabbage and egg "pancakes"), and a whole chapter devoted to bento, ornate Japanese lunchboxes prepared according to a strict balance of colors, flavors, and ingredients. I liked the photos of Debra's chrysanthemum bento box so much that I ordered an identical one from Japan!

"My Japanese Table" is a perfect starting point if you're new to Japanese cooking; it's not as intimidating or complicated as other Japanese cookbooks, and it uses commonplace American supermarket ingredients whenever possible. The vibrant photography and clear font make it especially easy to read and cook with. The thorough intro on Japanese cuisine includes the handy mnemonic device of "sa shi su se so" (the Japanese hiragana letters that correspond to sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso, the staples of the Japanese kitchen). And kudos for a particularly helpful section on Japanese ingredients with clearly labeled photos to match. There is also a handy bibliography and list of shopping resources (mostly online).

Like Tuttle Publishing's other Asian cookbooks, "My Japanese Table" is designed to fit today's busy lifestyle and includes many main-course recipes that take 30 minutes or less to cook using common (U.S.) supermarket ingredients (both the prep times and cooking times are helpfully included at the top of each recipe). Another bonus is that measurements are given both in metric and imperial measurements; no need to convert if you're cooking overseas.

I just spent six months working in (and cooking my way across) Japan, so I was really looking forward to testing these recipes. First up were the colorful matcha mochi cupcakes. Mochi are sticky pounded rice cakes (no relation to American "rice cakes") traditionally served at New Year's, but variations of mochi are found in many common Japanese desserts. I made the cupcakes as instructed and sprinkled cinnamon on top, but they still needed a little something extra, so I added the matcha frosting from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. This gave the cupcakes an extra boost of grassy green tea flavor (and color) with a touch of sweetness (see attached photos).

Next up, I tried several of the vegetarian recipes like the Sweet Simmered Mushrooms, Pumpkin Rounds and Japanese Mushroom Mélange with Butter and Soy. In some cases, I found that I had to adjust the cooking time. In the case of the mushroom mélange, you're instructed to bake 2 pounds of mushrooms for 15 minutes (the cooking time at the top said 20), but I had to bake them for closer to 30 before the mushrooms released their juices. Also, it was difficult to fit two pounds of mushrooms into a 10 x 13 piece of parchment paper as instructed!

I was happy to see that some traditional Japanese desserts were included, mostly focused on mochi, anko (sweet red bean paste), and green tea. You'll find favorites like ichigo daifuku (ripe strawberries wrapped in a layer of bean paste and coated in mochi) and matcha and black sesame ice creams. The chapter is rounded out with instructions on how to prepare several kinds of traditional teas (sencha, matcha, and hojicha).

Debra is a patient teacher (Tuttle has dubbed her "The Julia Child of Japanese cooking") and frequently defers to Japanese colleagues, or includes stories of her life in Japan that makes "My Japanese Table" part cookbook and part travelogue. The book could have benefited from a little extra proofreading (there were several typos in addition to mismatches between stated cooking times, conflicting instructions, etc.), but overall "My Japanese Table" has something to appeal to everyone, from the meat-and-potatoes crowd to vegetarians to kids (there are several cute bento box suggestions aimed specifically at kids and teens).

(Many thanks / arigatou gozaimasu to Tuttle Publishing for generously providing a review copy)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to cooking Japanese food September 5, 2012

By Joanne Brazinski

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great combination of her memories and simple versions of Japanese food. I was particularly happy to find a recipe for Black Sesame Seed Pudding--I'd eaten some in Japan, but didn't know what it was. When I saw the recipe, I realized what it had to be. The recipe was easy to follow, too. I also made okinomiaki and they were delicious--just like the ones I had in Japan. The bento section was very helpful, too.
My only problem was, my version is on my Kindle, which is not the best to cook from. A paper copy would be better to bring into the kitchen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful cookbook from a Japanese culinary expert that makes it easy even for a beginner cook! February 1, 2013

By G. Niwa

Format:Hardcover

I have a ton of Japanese cookbooks but I go back to this cookbook over and over again simply because I find the flavors so clean and delicious. The instructions are not complicated and the presentation of the food always inspires me. The photos are beautiful and I love the japanese dessert recipes that I don't usually see in other cookbooks. The obento chapter is a favorite and I now create fun obento lunches for my children. Debra Samuels is passionate about Japanese cuisine and it is evident in this cookbook. She enjoys sharing her love for Japan, the lifelong friends she has made there, the cuisine and what I love is that every recipe has a personal story attached to it. I totally recommend it!