Sushi for Wimps: Seaweed to Dragon Rolls for the Faint of Heart (For WimpsT Series) [Paperback]

Aya Imatani (Author), Matt Cohen (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: For WimpsT Series | Publication Date: April 28, 2004

This popular topic combined with the proven success of the WimpsTM series will equal a blockbuster.

Sushi is fun, sushi is in, and even a wimp can make it at home!

Raw fish is the hot dish—but of course, you never prepare it yourself. After all, you’re no samurai chef. But now, with the newest entry in the best-selling Wimps series, you can practically have your own Japanese restaurant at home. With lots of fun and instructive pictures, and the most basic guidance, beginners will feel confident with the necessary tools, tableware, techniques, and ingredients. You’ll see how to choose a whole fish or filet; whip up sauces; slice the fish for each sushi type; make a variety of different rolls, plus sashimi, nigiri, and gunkanmaki; and arrange it all beautifully on the plate. There are soups, specials, and vegetarian sushi, too. So who’s a wimp? Not you!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even the bravest of home chefs are likely intimidated at the thought of rolling their own sushi. In this latest "for Wimps" series cookbook, sushi maestra Imatami (who was fileting fish at age five in her parent’s Kobe sushi bar) unravels the mystery of this exquisite, exotic cuisine. With clear, playful instructions, she guides sushi novices through selecting proper ingredients and slicing, shaping, or rolling both traditional and more cosmopolitan sushi and sashimi creations. Her advice on how to pick the freshest whole fish and filets, as well as how to quickly filet a fish are particularly useful, as are tips on making sticky Japanese rice. Matt Cohen’s colorful, step-by-step photographs vivify delectable recipes like Norwegian Saimaki with salmon, avocado and scallion or Shitaki Maki roll from the all-vegetarian section. This approachable guide will soothe the sushi fears of even the most skittish neophyte.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (April 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402706731
• ISBN-13: 978-1402706738
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,127,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, if a bit cute, August 4, 2008

By 

jannielane (Littleton, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sushi for Wimps: Seaweed to Dragon Rolls for the Faint of Heart (For WimpsT Series) (Paperback)

I bought this book when it was published and have found it useful, if a bit too cute. There is really no need any more for sushi to be presented as exotic and scary, a stereotype which somewhat underlies the premise of this book. That said, it is useful to see real people making the sushi (even if the supposed friends of the author have been selected to look beautiful on the page). Stripping away the silliness, you end up with a well-written and detailed, step-by-step guide to making various kinds of sushi. The book is not intended to be comprehensive, but it is easy to understand and covers many kinds of sushi preparations, and contains enough information that a cook can feel confident improvising from the printed recipes. The reader is guided through the cooking of rice, the selection and cutting of fish and other ingredients, and of unique value, the making of various sauces to accompany sushi. A good choice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for all make-it-yourself sushi enthusiasts!, July 6, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sushi for Wimps: Seaweed to Dragon Rolls for the Faint of Heart (For WimpsT Series) (Paperback)

Sushi is a delicious, nutritious, and increasingly popular form of seafood that can go disastrously wrong if and when American kitchen cooks doesn't really know what they're doing. Enter Aya Imatani's Sushi For Wimps: From Seaweed To Dragon Rolls For The Faint Of Heart! Aya Imatani's father owned a sushi bar in Kobe, Japan, and she draws upon her years of experience and expertise running a catering business to show the aspiring sushi chef what tools and tableware to use, how to go about choosing a whole fish or fillet, the role of sauces in sushi dishes, and taking even the most novice kitchen cook step-by-step through the process of turning out simply wonderful sushi dishes for the home. Superbly enhanced throughout with the color photography of Matt Cohen highlighting plating and presentation, Sushi For Wimps offers mouth watering recipes that range from sushi styles and categories ranging from sashimi, nigiri, gunkanimaki, and temaki, to hosomaki, saimaki, vegetarian sushi, Japanese soups, and kawarizushi (Aya's "Specials"). Confidently recommended for all make-it-yourself sushi enthusiasts!

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, January 31, 2012

By 

C. Bassett "rope rescue team member" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sushi for Wimps: Seaweed to Dragon Rolls for the Faint of Heart (For WimpsT Series) (Paperback)

Perfect for first time sushi makers as well as pros. It has great pictures, explanations, and details. We've bought multiple copies for sushi loving friends.