Japanese Culture & Cuisine
Posted
Fri, 11/04/11
I'm very pleased to announce:
Japanese Culture & Cuisine was released today as part of Food Fare's exclusive Culinary Collection. The book contains information about the food and culture of Japan, including a brief history, common food, mealtime and dining, sushi, rice variations, eating with chopsticks, table settings and etiquette, tea, sake, Japanese snacks, authentic recipes, food terms, words and phrases, and resources for further study.
The book is available in both Kindle and Nook editions. Some of the recipes in the book, which are also on Food Fare's Japanese Recipes page, include:
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Jingisukan (Genghis Khan Stew)
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Kurigohan (Steamed Rice with Chestnuts)
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Omuraisu (Rice Omelet)
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Shogayaki (Ginger Pork)
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Yakisoba (Deep-Fried Noodles)
Because I love most all things Japanese, including architecture, art, food and literature, Japanese Culture & Cuisine is perhaps the most earnestly motivated undertaking in the Culinary Collection. It is more highly detailed than any other book in the collection, which up until today was Medieval Cuisine.
While the research process for Japanese Culture & Cuisine was rather intense, it was also enjoyable because of my interest in the topic. It's strange how the human brain works, isn't it? Forced study - such as pass-or-fail requirements during our school years - often result in a dismissal of facts once the project is complete. I liken it to enduring math studies in high school, which I hated with a passion. I learned just enough to receive a passing grade, but quickly forgot all about it and never used the information again.
However, when we feel passionately about a topic of study we seem to retain all the facts and figures, even the seemingly inconsequential tidbits. And so it is with Japanese Culture & Cuisine. I recall every morsel of information from the top of my head without referring to the book or my research notes. I can't say that about all titles in the Culinary Collection, although I do love writing in just about any form.
There
is also an odd back-story that goes along with
Japanese Culture & Cuisine.
Nearly a decade ago, I launched my first web site called Shenanchie's Kitchen
(now known as Food Fare).
My first culinary-culture feature was a four-page article about Japan. It wasn't
a fluffy piece by any means, but it was certainly a condensed version when
compared to it's current presentation. Imagine my surprise - and delight - when
a local food journalist took notice and highlighted my web site and the
article about Japan in his weekly print-newspaper column. Not bad for a first
outing.
The book cover for Japanese Culture & Cuisine was designed using a cropped photo of silk-screen panels painted by artist Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610). We inserted the flag of Japan to pay tribute to the country, and to act as offset to the red color of the title (using the Hong Kong font, ironically). Before anyone gets excited about copyright infringement, the silk-screen panel is considered public domain. According to Japanese Copyright Law, singular copyright on the work has expired because the artist has been dead for more than fifty years. The original panel is currently on display at Tokyo National Museum. The first time I saw it on Wikipedia while researching Japanese art, I knew it would be perfect for the book cover.
Needless to say, Japanese Culture & Cuisine holds a very special place in my heart. To date, it is my favorite book in the Culinary Collection.
If anyone who reads Japanese Culture & Cuisine enjoys it as much as I loved putting it together, I've done my job and then some.
Tags: Culinary Collection;
Japan
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