by Diana Farrell Serbe
With the world-wide renown of the Nobu restaurants, one trembles a little opening the pages of Nobu West, knowing that one will be in the presence of genius, and that the recipes will be miraculous. They are sublime indeed, and the book is produced with the care that they deserve, but there is one miracle larger than the recipes: you don't have to be a chef to cook them. Though you may be tempted to turn this into a coffee table book, Nobu West belongs in the kitchen where it can be used. You only need to want to eat glorious food.
The authors, Nobu Matsuhisa and Mark Edwards (executive chef of the Nobu restaurant in London) state their intentions clearly: "As well as drawing on more readily available ingredients, we have attempted greater simplicity in the approach to the recipes to make it easier for you, the reader, to re-create and capture these dishes in the same fresh and vibrant manner as they were created." The recipes are quintessentially Japanese in feeling, but reflect the use of ingredients found in Europe and the United States. To aim for glory, you may have to stalk Japanese ingredients, but only a few require special equipment.
The authors have divided their chapters sometimes by course, such as a hot appetizer chapter and a cold appetizer chapter, but they also break down the main course recipes by method of cooking - frying baking, steaming, sautéing and grilling. There are recipes for soups, for salads, for rice, sushi and noodles, for desserts, and even for cocktails, but we found yet another miracle in the chapter on sauces. While the sauces pertain to specific recipes in the book, we knew we would be playing with them in other ways. The creative instincts of the reader are unleashed.
The photography is lustrous and we consider it to be, not only beautiful to look at, but also a guide to food presentation. The Japanese say that the first bite is taken by the eye, and this philosophy, reflected in their ability to plate food with elegance, has influenced the entire western world.
When you can bear to remove this book from your coffee table, you'll try recipes such as King Crab with Onion-Ginger Sauce, Steamed Clams with Ginger and Garlic, Slow-Cooked Salmon, Savoy Cabbage Steak Salad, Baked Mushrooms, Fish and Chips Nobu-Style (not quite the British classic), Lamb Marinated in Miso, Roast Duck Breast with Orange Miso, or Tuna with Angel-Hair Pasta. Dessert recipes include Plum Wine Tagliatelle, Summer Fruit Sake Gelatin Dessert, Mochi Ice Cream and Ice Cream Tempura. Cocktails are included, drinks such as Tokyo Peach Cocktail, Japanese Mojito, Apple Martini or for summer a Watermelon Martini.
Nobu West provides advice and has step-by-step illustrations. In addition there is a glossary describing o unfamiliar flavorings, ingredients, and techniques.
Cook, experiment, reach for the stars and discover the glories renowned chefs are sharing.
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