Customer Reviews

Quick & Easy Tsukemono: Japanese Pickling Recipes

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No Japanese meal is complete without tsukemono. Whether you are having a traditional dinner, some sushi, a bowl of udon or even a plate of curry rice, in a Japanese home or restaurant a small dish of pickled yummies will always be set aside your plate, providing a colorful and flavorful accompaniment.

Continuing the "Quick and Easy" series of Japanese cooking, chef Ikuko Hisamatsu has laid out almost 100 easy-to-follow tsukemono recipes that allow you to prepare these necessary side dishes, using seasonal Japanese ingredients which complement the various meals of Japanese cuisine. In addition to the common tsukemono, there are five Korean kim chee recipes, some dessert items like pineapple in lemon, fish side-dishes like salted squid, and some original creations like garlic in honey and garlic in miso.

The ingredient list might require a Japanese or Asian grocery store, unless you have ready access to daikon, shiso leaves, kombu, ume and the like. Required Japanese spices are things like miso, sake-kasu, karashi, wasabi and yuzu citron. Nothing terribly rare, but exotic enough that they probably won't be found at a regular grocery store.

The recipes are easy to follow. If you have never done any pickling before, you can expect some trial and error before you get it exactly right. There are some overall tips for pickling, and advice as to the specific equipment you will need. Pickling does require some special equipment and preparation, so it is not really a "grab and go" type of cook book, although there are simple recipes that you can try right away. The length of time for the recipes vary, and you are probably better off trying a one hour pickle before tackling the two-month long fermentation of the delicious ume boshi.

A necessary book for anyone serious about cooking authentic Japanese meals.

From garlic pickled in honey, to sweet and sour shallots, stuffed cucumbers, and so much more, Quick & Easy Tsukemono: Japanese Pickling Recipes is packed from cover to cover with colorful photos, intriguing dishes simply not to be found elsewhere, and preents them with a lively presentation which lends to easy home pickling for even the most novice kitchen chef. Even home cooks used to traditional pickling dishes will find plenty that will be new to them here; for Tsukemono's Japanese emphasis is very different from American pickle recipes. Quick & Easy Tsukemono is unique and enthusiastically recommended for gourmet pickling enthusiasts!

I love this little book. Very simple instruction, great illustrations - has moved me up to another level of food fermentation. Great stuff

My wife is Japanese as well as a great deal of our friends and most have been in the U.S. less than five years. They get quite disappointed in a lot of allegedly Japanese foods in this country. This book has been great for me, as it has made me able to create authentic tasting Japanese style pickles for this picky audience. All the instructions in the book are quite clear with good pictures to make things even more clear. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is all the measurements are metric. Not that this is a big problem because kitchen scales that do both grams and ounces are inexpensive and easy to get these days, but it would have been a nice touch.

this book tells you and shows you what you need to know about making many kinds of japanese pickles, and also the korean kim chee and some american varieties. you will need some things like rice bran or rice koji for some of the most delicious ones, but please check out "bob's red mill" for rice bran. and gem cultures where they will sell you some culture to make your own rice koji from rice that you can order from bob's. both are on the internet. and you can make a lot of the pickles with just stuff you can get at most modern usa stores.

the little tsukemono book is very sweet. i just need a little asian grocery with everything to go with it. or a place that sells the seeds to grow things, especially shiso. but still, you can make much.

Japanese people eat pickled foods everyday, like koreans eat kimchi everyday. the pickling creates more enzymes that help you digest food and its nutrition better. they also have the lowest obesity rates in the first world. this book teaches simple recipes that use a formula of salt wt to food wt to create the enzymes. they are all listed by the time required (i.e. 1 hr pickles, 24 hr pickles, etc.) also each recipe is listed as light tasting or rich tasting for ex. each page shows all ingredients and step by step pictures. its also something that you can start out with the simplest and work your way up to the more involved, never getting bored. im waiting for garlic and shallot season, since you need fresh produce for pickles that can keep for a long time. in the meantime i can make classic thousand slices turnips, radish kimchee and marinated mushrooms. great book!Quick & Easy Tsukemono: Japanese Pickling Recipes

This little gem is definitely worth more than the cover price. The recipes are simple and easy to follow and their range is incredible. The book covers a variety of pickling types from quick to slow, including Bran pickling, salting, and vinegar pickling. The foodstuffs which are used include everything from apple to daikon to squid. Thee are pictures of each finished product and lots of helpful step-by-step photographs to illustrate the instructions. This is another great book from the 'Quick and Easy' series.

Great book for real Tsukemono. That said some are more work than I am willing to do. But he gives the right way to do it. The recipe for garlic pickled in honey is great.

This is a fantastic collection of recipes. I began making Korean kimchi and wanted a Japanese counterpart as the fiery nature of the Korean kitchen was getting to me! This book is the answer. I am literally eating a bowlful of Tsukemono as I write this. Lovely--and low carb too, for people with that interest. Tsukemono or kimchi, a bowl of rice and te protein of your coice round out an easy to prepare (ahead) meal.

For the Tsukemono lover, this is a great book to start with when attempting to make your own. The ingredients are easily obtained in larger supermarkets and the preparation is EASY. There has not been a recipe I have not liked. Easy directions and great photos on glossy pages in case of splatter. A nice find.