The Complete Book of Sushi
by Hideo Dekura, Brigid Treloar, Ryuichi Yoshii
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“The Complete Book of Sushi” is perfect for not only the sushi newcomer, but also as a reference book for the sushi lover. It is extremely comprehensive, including information from sushi customs to rolling sushi, and even provides recipes for soups and sauces that are commonly eaten with sushi.
For example, if you are planning on throwing a party or having a picnic, it has tips on what sushi to make and how to prepare and store it so it will taste great for the party. It gives recommendations for serving and storing the sushi so it won’t make anyone sick or go bad from sitting out. The book also has many tips on presentation, with a wonderful section on garnishes and sauces to make your sushi look fantastic.
The book has a superb section about sharpening Japanese knives, which is great for anyone who is a hardcore sushi fan (like me!). There is a comprehensive section about the tools that are often used for sushi preparation, such as the fish scaler, rolling mat, hangiri and square omelet pan. There is also a nice list of less known sushi ingredients such as bonito flakes, daikon radish, kampyo, and miso, with explanations of what these ingredients are and how to prepare and store them for use in sushi.
There is a great section about selecting and preparing fish and other seafood for both sushi and sashimi. The book includes a recipe for sumeshi that is very similar to the recipe that I have included on SushiDay. There are recipes for futomaki-zushi (thick rolls), hosomaki-zushi (thin rolls), tempura, uramaki-zushi (inside-out rolls), nigiri-zushi, temaki-zushi (hand rolls), inari-zushi, gunkan maki-zushi (battleship sushi), chirashi-zushi (sushi in a bowl), soups, sashimi, and other decorative and creative sushi. In addition, there are several recipes for sauces and condiments that are often eaten with sushi.
Overall, I recommend this book for just about everyone! People who are new for sushi will love the easy-to-understand explanations, while those who have been in a long-term relationship with sushi will appreciate the in depth explanations about sharpening sushi knives and selecting fish, in addition to the more creative and innovative sushi recipes.
