Everyday Harumi: Simple Japanese food for family and friends

I've really like the recipes I've made so far in this book and I like that they seem to be recipes used by Japanese people at home, so they are really different from other Japanese cookbooks out there. However, I do thing the instructions and the list of the ingredients are confusing and poorly written and could use a bit more information, especially if you are newer to cooking. Maybe this all comes down to poor translation, but there are a lot of inconsistencies in the types of measurements used and the instructions. One recipe may call for 3 cups green beans and then another calls for 9oz green beans. Or a lot of the units of measurements are unhelpful and I found myself having to use google to convert things. Like a rice recipe called for 11oz of rice, which is a strange measurement to use.Also, the instructions for the actually cooking are limited. One pork with green bean recipe I made said to lightly cook the green beans in boiling water and that was it. Did it want me to blanch them or cook it longer? I don't know. Just having recommended cooking times would be super helpful especially if you are using an ingredient you're unfamiliar with. Or a grilled fish recipe just said to grill the fish until done. I don't really grill fish that often so I had to look up a rough guide on the timing online. One recipe I glanced at said to add the ingredients to the the pan in a specific order cooking until ready to add the next, without rough outlines of how long to cook each item.So it's been a bit frustrating having to spend so much time with each recipe trying to figure out exactly how it wants me to do stuff and how much of each ingredient to use.

I bought this e-book for health reasons. Japanese cooking is one the healthiest food worldwide. I recommend to use this book, starting by the introduction, then buying the basic ingredients, prepare some of the basics recipes (dashi stock, japanese rice, some sauces), then go to the groceries for the ingredients for the main meals. I read many of the comments, some of them related to the caster sugar, which is valid, yes, large number of the recipes have caster sugar because soy sauce reductions, with mirim and sake, need some caramel texture. If you have sugar concerns, try to reduce by half the amount of sugar. In general, the recipes are easy to follow, few steps. I also suggest to prepare the "mise en place" in advance, means, measure and cutting everything that you need, be ready with dashi stock and sauces, and then cook. I already prepared 10 recipes from the book (from miso sesame tofu soup to Tonkatsu), which are consistent, ingredients quantities are fine, and the measurement issue (grs instead of oz or cups), it is easy to manage with two devices, a scale and pyrex measuring cups.

Going to try this book soon. Most recipes look super easy, but they do all include of mainly sake, mirin, and rice vinegar. I read a few reviews saying that it is bland, but I feel like most Japanese food aside from the typical hibachi and rolls are bland in flavor in general making it feel healthier in taste.Also, there are measurements in oz. versus cups and spoons. This can all be solve if you can invest in a kitchen scare that weighs both in lbs/oz and grams with a TARE setting. They aren’t that expensive, & you’ll never have to worry about wasting time googling and converting anything dealing with those measurements again. If you’re going to be cooking a lot, it should be on your must have list.Update 7/4/19: sirloin with miso marinade was absolutely disgusting, but that can be user error. I replaced sake with rice vinegar, but forgot to dilute it 1/3 part water. Also the soy sauce I use was Maggi, but she did suggested using a authentic Japanese soy sauce. I might try this again, but using Ohsawa soy sauce and diluting the rice vinegar with water or just suck it through with sake. That being said- her book doesn’t include a prep time, cook time, & marinade time. You have to read it to get the times/ idea on how long all will take.Update: 7/5/2019 Okay, the Yakitori was excellent!!! This time I used Japanese soy sauce (by Ohsawa) & Mirin (by Eden). There was no sake involve, so I didn’t have to worry about that. Officially the best yakitori in town here. I completely skipped/forgot the salt and pepper, but it really didn’t need it at all. However, you can’t find chicken thighs with skin and no bones here. So, I bought chicken thighs and took the bones out to the best that I can, and resumed with the recipe. The recipe told us to pan fried it, but said you can either barbecued them (which she did in photos) or broiled them. I opted to broiled them, because it’s too darn hot outside. That being said, she doesn’t tell you the time to cook them in either method or that you will need to flip them halfway.. So, I watched it browned/a little burnt especially the leek, & then flipped them for the same outcome.

One of my favourite Japanese cookbooks - this isn't fancy food but full of good family-friendly recipes. We make the tofu with minced meat sauce (or mabo dofu as it's known in other cuisines) all the time. Everything I've made has worked wonderfully, and the few ingredients you can't get at a big supermarket or oriental store, you can order from the Japan Centre in London.I've heard Harumi called the Delia of Japan, and can understand why.

I had a few other Japanese cookbooks before but what annoyed me was the fact that they mainly consisted of a collection of little side dishes. So you'd need to spend hours preparing all of the components to have a proper meal. Now apart from a few Japanese housewives, the normal working population doesn't even bother cooking this way anymore. This cookbook is therefore good for busy people who still want an authentic taste of Japan. The only key ingredients needed are: mirin, soy sauce, dashi, katsuoboshi and sake. No weird unobtainable vegetables or obscure components. They are all easily available from online or Asian shops. Once you have the basics the recipes are all quick and make proper meals without the need to have tons of side dishes.

A good introduction to the delights of Japanese cuisine. Healthy and varied recipes with explanations of traditional ingredients that go to make the distinctive flavours of Japanese cooking but which may be unfamiliar to Western tastes. Vegetables are a significant feature and are rarely overcooked, giving a fresh flavour to most dishes. Hari hachi bu is easy to achieve with this way of eating as the meals are very satisfying.

The book is well laid out with good looking recipes. However, they are mostly meat-based. Not for me. That's the only reason I gave my rating only 4 stars.

Got this for my son, who studied Japanese and does a lot of Japanese cooking. He says its a great, easy to follow recipe book and the ingredients required are quite easy to get locally, so thumbs up!