Cool Tools or Catch of the Day

Cool Tools: Cooking Utensils from the Japanese Kitchen

Author: Kate Klippensteen

What do chefs use to grate wasabi, the eye-watering Japanese "horse radish"? To pick up the delicate cubes of tofu from boiling water? To cut those elegant slices of sashimi? Or scoop freshly steamed rice from the cooker?

Japanese cuisine is flourishing among the food-conscious all over the world-as are the recipe-laden cookbooks. Now, this book goes inside the kitchen, but this time into the cupboards and drawers, onto stovetops and wall hangers where all sorts of utensils, pots and pans are stored. Here are the items that are manipulated in the hands of the famous in their awe-inspiring kitchens-and the not-so-famous in their homes.

As with so many Japanese creations, the utensils that stock a Japanese kitchen are both functional and artistic. And the pieces that are the focus of this book are treated as both works of art and items of practical interest. The photography, by one of Japan's leading lensmen, celebrates the care in materials and design. The text, by a longtime columnist on Tokyo dining and entertaining, celebrates the history, the usage, the people behind these tools in brief, informative and entertaining entries.

This is a book for the professional chef and the curious amateur, a perfect addition to the well-stocked cookbook library.

Publishers Weekly

Japanese cooking is no longer considered an exotic cuisine, available only in big cities with large Asian populations. Today, many of us can buy ready-made sushi at our local supermarkets along with wasabi-covered peas and frozen edamame. What are not so familiar to us are the traditional tools used to prepare authentic Japanese dishes. Klippensteen, a freelance writer living in Japan, fills this void with a beautiful guide to Japanese cooking utensils. Enamored with the organic quality of these handmade instruments, she considers them works of art. Vibrant photos by Konishi dominate the book and reinforce this belief. Not surprisingly, Klippensteen pays particular attention to Japanese knives: their history, specific functions, and production. Along the way, she explores the less familiar, such as the versatile suribachi (mortar) and the oroshigane (wasabi grater). Kuminabe-stackable, handle-less metal cooking pots-double as measuring cups; the okama, precursor to the electric rice cooker, is made of heavy cast iron to retain heat and make fluffy rice. From the recognizable, such as the makisu sushi mat, to the unusual, such as the oni oroshi, used to grate daikon radish, Klippensteen provides an enjoyable and informative journey through the Japanese kitchen. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

In this beautifully crafted book, freelance writer Klippensteen and photographer Konishi have teamed together to create an elegant tribute to Japanese cooking tools. Traditional tools and utensils used in all phases of Japanese cuisine, from preparation to cleaning up, are carefully described and photographed. Klippensteen admits to being drawn to their handmade quality and organic nature, which is evident throughout, especially in the descriptions and color photographs of well-used tools. Klippensteen provides details on the history of specific tools, how they are made, and how they are currently used in both home and professional kitchens. Unfortunately, all the suppliers in the list she provides are located in Japan, but she does append a list of utensils with their English, Japanese, and Romanized Japanese names to make shopping simpler for the dedicated cook. This book is a winner and will surely engage many readers. Recommended for public libraries where there is interest in Japanese cooking and the design of cooking tools. Andrea R. Dietze, Orange Cty. Pub. Lib., Santa Ana, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Terence Conran
"I cannot think where you could find a more beautiful collection of products than the Japanese cooking utensils illustrated and described in this book. If there was ever an example of the form and beauty following function, this is it. They make you want to slice, grind, sieve, strain, cook and eat."
—

Nobu Matsuhisa
"These kitchen tools-like the dishes they are used to prepare and serve-are windows into the heart of Japanese culture. They are made by dedicated artisans for very specific uses, and only come to life in the hands of a chef who honors and respects them."

Go to: Toxic Consumer or Salud Total En 8 Semanas

Catch of the Day: Catch It, Clean It, Cook It

Author: Carla Johnson

Carla Johnson loves the sea, fishing, diving and cooking. The next natural step - Catch Of The Day.

Carla will teach you all you need to know about your favorite southern waters seafood. She starts with catching those favorites with tackle, snorkeling, free diving, or SCUBA in the United States and the Bahamas. She moves on to properly cleaning the fresh catch. Last but most important, she will lead you through her delicious recipes for preparing your freshly caught favorites.

Even if you don't like to fish or can't stand the thought of cleaning any seafood, you owe it to yourself to prepare all of Carla's unique and inventive recipes in these pages. Your taste buds will thank you for it.

Illustrated

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Chapter One
A Word on Conservation
Chapter Two
Laws and Limits-Know Before You Go
Chapter Three
Diving Techniques
Chapter Four
Caribbean Spiny Lobster
Chapter Five
The Queen Conch
Chapter Six
Reef Fish
Chapter Seven
Deep Sea Fish
Chapter Eight
Crab
Chapter Nine
Shrimp
Chapter Ten
Potpourri
Chapter Eleven
Provisioning and Galley Guide
Chapter Twelve
Resources
About the Author