Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook

Product Information

In The Vegetarian Cookbook, her latest book, Nancy gives the reader a fascinating and comprehensive overview of what it means to be vegetarian in Japan, explaining among other things their deep gratitude for the earth's produce that sustain them and their no-waste approach. It may seem trite to point out, but “Japanese food,” like any other cuisine that spans a nation of regions and cooking styles, is a vast canvas of brilliant flavors and distinct regional cuisines—much of it meat-free. Vegan Japaneasy has some great rice and noodle recipes, and the Yakisoba with carrots and hispi cabbage is a winner. On top of this classic miso base, Vegan Japaneasy also tells you to add dried mushrooms which give real depth of flavour, and leeks that melt down to buttery slivers.

What an extraordinary book Nancy Singleton Hachisu has written about Japan and its vegetarian cuisine. Granted this may be because I am biased towards Japanese cooking and vegetarian recipes, but Andoh explains pretty much everything in striking detail and boasts wonderful pictures (we all know thats what makes a good cookbook GREAT).White soy sauce enhances soups, sauces, marinades and countless other dishes by adding depth of flavour and white miso is famously flavourful and versatile. I understand that it's controversial to count cookbooks in one's "read" list as cookbooks are often large page counts with little text that is actually read closely. I knew this book would be a companion on this journey, immersing me in Japanese tradition, culinary terms and cultural principles and concepts. Biography: Nancy Singleton Hachisu is a native Californian who has lived with her Japanese farmer husband in Saitama prefecture since 1988. vegetarian dishes, bringing the exquisite flavors of the nation’s elegant cuisine to those who follow a plant-based diet or want to lower the amount of fish and meat they eat.

I am not sure why she chose not to mention this fact, instead just saying "Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhism, etc) but it actually makes the book seem less credible to me.Several pages throughout the book are dedicated to exploration of a single ingredient like kombu, shoyu, or natto, recounting the history of the ingredient, the types, and modern-day sourcing tips. The author gives the example of using an entire daikon radish, from the trimmings and leafy top to the entire part of the root itself. However, her romaji is weird--I believe it's the Hepburn-Shiki, not the Nihon-Shiki or the Kurei-Shiki. And although I had a little mishap with one of the recipes, I think Vegan Japaneasy is a nice cookbook overall. Of all nationalities, the Japanese have to be those who do vegetarian to perfection, mainly because of their particular attention to all things seasonal; and there is no better person to guide you through the seasons and how to make use of the earth's bounty than Nancy Hachisu.