You need to have this cookbook at home if you love Japanese food

Do you go wild for Japanese food but don’t have the time or inclination to spend hours in the kitchen making it yourself? JapanEasy by Tim Anderson is an introduction to authentic Japanese cuisine through the most accessible dishes.

From incredibly fresh sushi at Tokyo’s fish market, takoyaki and towering matcha soft serve – no joke – in Osaka to the world-famous fresh soba noodles in Kyoto. I’ve just returned from a food holiday in Japan, where I ate myself silly, quite honestly, indulging in all the fantastic things Japan has to offer.

Every now and then, a glass of yuzu sake (with lots of ice, highly recommended) to neutralize the taste and then, off we go again. It was heavy at times, but in Japan you simply can’t avoid doubling up on breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Minimalist yet complicated

Once back in the Netherlands, I found JapanEasy, the new cookbook by English chef Tim Anderson, on my desk. Somewhat skeptically, I leafed through it. Japanese dishes may be minimalist and therefore seem uncomplicated, but preparing them is anything but. Japanese cooking is a craft that requires years of practice. It can’t be simplified into thirty minute meals for every day.

Accessible authentic recipes

Fortunately, that isn’t Tim Anderson’s aim at all. With JapanEasy , he doesn’t aspire to teach you to cook like a Japanese master chef. In his own words: ‘Forget refined knife work, complicated techniques and elaborate recipes: you don’t need any of those for a whole lot of delicious Japanese dishes.’ Those very dishes are what you’ll find in this book. Consider it an introduction to authentic Japanese cuisine through the most accessible recipes.

Did you know that these vegetables grow like this?

Simple is the magic word

Fair enough, I’m convinced. I don’t feel like going all out in the kitchen every day either. Simple is increasingly becoming the magic word – especially on weekdays. Although eating well and deliciously every day remains a must. For anyone who shares that philosophy and, like me, is crazy about Japanese cuisine, this cookbook is a must-have. Not least because Anderson works with seven essential seasonings that allow you to make almost all the recipes. Add ten commonly used ingredients and you’re all set. Watch the video for an explanation by Anderson:

Essential seasonings

So put the ingredients below on your shopping list, drive to the Asian specialty store and, on the way, quickly pop into your local bookshop for JapanEasy:

Seasonings

• Japanese soy sauce
• Mirin
• Rice vinegar
• Dashi
• Sake
• Miso
• Rice

Common ingredients

• Tofu
• Roasted sesame seeds
• Nori, wakame and other seaweed
• Mushrooms
• Noodles
• Kombu
• Katsuobushi
• Panko
• Sesame oil
• Sweet-and-sour ginger

Noted? Great, then you can get started right away with the mushrooms with soy-garlic butter, the doughnuts with brown sugar syrup from Okinawa and the yakisoba/yakiudon. Itadakimasu, or something like that!

Title: JapanEasy
Author: Tim Anderson
Publisher: Spectrum
Price: €24,99
Publication date: 17 August