Acquired any new cookbooks lately?

More of a sushi reference guide. The book lists pictures, description and taste of neta variety, organized by ideal season to consume. One of the few English translated resources.

Sushi by Kazuo Nagayama

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Looks good. Would this be a good guide for the semi-novice to learn more about sushi, even if I’m not going to prepare it?

@TheCookie Yes, it would be a great book. It’s really a sushi neta (fish) encyclopedia rather than a cookbook.

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It’s on the way from Amazon!

@TheCookie Hope you like it

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I got it! So excited.

I know it takes years to become an expert on something. But I’m looking forward to expanding my horizons :mount_fuji:. Thanks!

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@TheCookie you’ll be debating the nuances of shirako sourced from North Sea vs. Sea of Japan w @beefnoguy & @J_L by the middle of next week! :grin:

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That exact book was a souvenir I picked up from my trip to Japan earlier this year!

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You’re giving me too much credit @Sgee. But I hope to live up to the challenge :blush:. Thanks!

Amen. Looks like a frigging lovely book.

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From the last 3 years or so there have been a few very interesting nigiri picture books available at Kinokuniya bookstores when I dropped by SF and Southern California locations.

Jiro Gastronomy is a small pocket sized book that is co-authored by Jiro Ono and Yoshikazu, and of course Masuhiro Yamamoto (all three are featured in the Jiro Dreams Of Sushi movie). While it seems nowhere near as interesting as the sushi book linked above, there are some descriptions and text about fish that are interesting, e.g. why some sushi restaurants start a nigiri meal with maguro (or toro) as the first piece. Can find it on Amazon.

This one is pretty good too, though it’s a hardcover

https://www.amazon.com/Edomae-Sushi-Art-Tradition-Simplicity/dp/4770031459/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51MA6DY%2BuLL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR123%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=QTVW1QWYMZTZC8QBXPYG

This is an English translation of one of Jiro Ono’s books

https://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Chef-Sukiyabashi-Shinzo-Satomi/dp/1942993277/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41qnCJGxDJL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR108%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=G9WZWZWZ5M23H464S3C0

And this one just showed up in the last year or so in the bookstore as well

https://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Handbook-English-Japan-Jiro/dp/4816354190/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41-IcObH3YL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR102%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=G9WZWZWZ5M23H464S3C0

This book has been around for a few years, not sushi related, also has some receipes, and is very well written with good photographs, about izakaya

https://www.amazon.com/Izakaya-Japanese-Cookbook-Mark-Robinson/dp/1568364326/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468513033&sr=1-1&keywords=izakaya

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I’ve had it saved in my Netflix queue for a while. I’ll watch it this weekend. I’ve been watching the doc The Birth of Sake. You guys probably know what it takes to make an excellent sake. But it’s new and interesting to me. Netflix is doing some pretty interesting food programming.

Thanks @President_Mochi!

Watch it on a Saturday during daytime, so that you’ll have a chance to satisfy the inevitable sushi craving later on Saturday night.

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Perfect!

One thing. I’ve read you don’t think Sunday is good for sushi. But I’m meeting my cousin for lunch in DTLA. She’s half Japanese, but her sushi knowledge is not much better than mine. She too wants to get better and would be thrilled with a knowledgable rec. Sushi Gen is closed Sunday. Any suggestions? Feel free to say skip sushi and go somewhere else :relaxed:.

Apologies for going off topic folks.

Well, though not the greatest day for sushi in L.A., the miracle of modern refrigeration has made Sundays pretty safe for weekend sushi-philes. (But personally I’d still rather do sushi Tuesdays through Fridays.)

Stick to the reputable places, like Kiriko (Olympic & Sawtelle), and sit at the bar for best results. Enjoy your Sunday dinner!

Oh well. Another time. We’re shopping in fabric district for a family event, so want to eat local. But thanks for the tips! Happy eating!

@Sgee - I’m reading my book. I’m starting to understand what separates a place like Katsuya from Mori. It’s not that the fish at Katsuya isn’t fresh. But it’s about sourcing, farmed or wild, optimal season, size, even gender, etc. This is even before it gets to the knife. Oh boy.

@TheCookie Just imagine what the top tier sushi joints have access to in Japan where they pay top $…

Oh yeah! I started on the different seasons, and was thinking “There’s no way even the top-tier U.S. places have access to all this.”