Authentic Japanese American Cookbook: Traditional & Modern Recipes for Home Cooking | Sushi, Ramen, Tempura & More | Perfect for Family Dinners & Cultural Food Lovers

Japanese-Jewish cooking may not seem the most obvious combination. But, hey,  this is New York and people from all walks of life fall in love here, including Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel, two restaurant chefs whose love story informs the restaurant they opened together, .

Perhaps because Israel was smitten by Japanese food before he was smitten by Okochi, the food in Love Japan is predominantly Japanese, and the Jewish influence seems often to be American, as in the tofu Caesar dip. (Although who could deny the origins of the bonito-cured lox?).

Fussy distinctions aside, the book offers a great deal of appealing food. You’ll want a reasonably well-stock Japanese pantry, but you could soon be making:

• Tomato and tofu salad with umeboshi pickled plums and shiso leaves
• Broiled mackerel with grated daikon and ponzu
• Miso-honey broiled chicken
• Japanese sweet potato cheesecake

Working with co-author Gabriella Gershenson, Okochi and Israel have produced recipes which are explicit and thorough. Their personal comments on the recipes and the integration of their cooking styles make both chefs an appealing presence in the book.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.