Mastering the Art of Japanese Cooking with @chef_morimoto

When the maestro himself, Chef Masaharu Morimoto, demystifies the secret of umami-packed Japanese cuisine, you make it a point to get in line for a copy of his newly released cookbook – Mastering the art of Japanese Cooking. Well in our case, 10 of us made the coveted cut for BookClubCookbook.com’s #JapaneseHomeCooking Blog Party.

The revered Iron Chef shows how to make flavorful, exciting traditional Japanese meals at home in this beautiful cookbook that is sure to become a classic, featuring a carefully curated selection of fantastic recipes and more than 150 color photos.

Japanese cuisine has an intimidating reputation that has convinced most home cooks that its beloved preparations are best left to the experts. But legendary chef Morimoto, owner of the wildly popular Morimoto restaurants, is here to change that. In Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking, he introduces readers to the healthy, flavorful, surprisingly simple dishes favored by Japanese home cooks.

Chef Morimoto reveals the magic of authentic Japanese food—the way that building a pantry of half a dozen easily accessible ingredients allows home cooks access to hundreds of delicious recipes, empowering them to adapt and create their own inventions. From revelatory renditions of classics like miso soup, nabeyaki udon, and chicken teriyaki to little known but unbelievably delicious dishes like fish simmered with sake and soy sauce, Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking brings home cooks closer to the authentic experience of Japanese cuisine than ever before.

With winter at our heels, it only seemed appropriate to pick one of Japan’s ultimate comfort dishes – Soba Noodles in a warm bowl of home made Dashi. Adorned with a few prized ingredients, we have – Kamo Nanban Soba, a one pot meal. Crunchy asparagus, soft soba, delectable duck, snappy snap peas, dancing in an intense umami broth, it’s the essence of fine Japanese Cuisine we have grown to revere. It’s got this lightness, combined with a hauntingly savory note, which I rarely find in any other cuisine.

Permission granted to scream and slurp!

DASHI

It’s hard to believe it only takes 15 minutes and 2 ingredients to create Japan’s divine dashi. A blank canvas with limitless adaptability. Gosh, what have I been missing all my life!

Ingredients:

• cheesecloth
• 1/2 ounce kombu (dried kelp)
• 1.5 ounce bonita flakes
• 8 cups filtered or bottled water

Directions:

• Gently wipe the kombu with a damp towel to remove dirt or grit, without taking off the white stuff.
• Combine the water and kombu in a medium pot and cook uncovered over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Until you see small bubbles break the surface of the water. Switch off the heat and remove the kombu with tongs.
• Add the bonita flakes to the warm water and let steep for 3 minutes. Strain the broth gently through a cheese cloth or sturdy paper towels. If you are not using the dashi right away, cool at room temperature, and store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freezer for 4 months.

 

Christmas came early this year, well at least for my Asian-cuisine obsessed family who would gladly trade in my Indian cooking skills for some authentic Asian deliciousness. So for all you wanna-be Shokunins (skilled Japanese cook/chef), who have been secretly aching to dabble their nimble finger into Japanese cuisine but had no clue where to start or like me lacked in courage. Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking unlocks all the secrets for an umami-packed punch.

From November 10-15, 2016, #JapaneseHomeCooking will feature recipes from this amazing new cookbook. Check back for bloggers’ posts as the party and adventures continue! Follow along using the hashtag #JapaneseHomeCooking on social media and enter to win a copy of Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking.

Japanese Home Cooking Bloggers

 

 

 

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