Nobu: The Cookbook

by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, Martha Stewart (Foreword)

With his multinational and ever expanding empire of thirteen restaurants, Nobu Matsuhisa has become one of the most talked-about international restaurateurs and arguably the world's greatest sushi chef. In his first, long awaited book, Nobu: The Cookbook , Matsuhisa reveals the secrets of his
exciting, cutting-edge Japanese cuisine.

Nobu's culinary creations are based on the practice of simplicity the art of using simple techniques to bring out the flavors in the best ingredients the world's oceans have to offer and on his unique combinations of Japanese cuisine and imaginative Western, particularly South American, cooking.

While simplicity may be the rule in his cooking, exotic ingredients are the key to his signature style: in Matsuhisa Shrimp he combines shiitake mushrooms, shiso leaves, and caviar; Octopus Tiradito is made with yuzu juice and rocoto chili paste; he even gives away the secrets to making his
world-famous Seafood Ceviche, Nobu Style.

In all, fifty original recipes for fish and seafood are included with step-by-step instructions and lavish color photographs. It features all Nobu's signature dishes along with salads, vegetable dishes, and dessert recipes, while a special chapter about pairing drinks with the meals rounds out the
selections. A chapter dedicated to sushi instructs readers how to make Nobu's own original Soft Shell Crab Roll, Salmon Skin Roll and House Special Roll.

Throughout the book the author shares stories of his rich and varied life: his childhood memories of rural Japan; the beginning of his career; his meteoric rise to the top, as one of the most renowned chefs of his generation.

Featuring a preface by Robert De Niro, a foreword by Martha Stewart and an afterward by Japanese actor Ken Takakura, Nobu: The Cookbook is sure to be the season's hottest cookbook and a sure-fire classic for Japanese cooks and foodies alike.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Japanese Literature, Food, Reference

196 pages, Hardcover

First published September 7, 2001

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good if you're into super expensive delicate difficult to make dishes. There's an entire bloody chapter on Awabi. Who the fuck can afford that much awabi??

It's not my type of cooking, but if it's yours, it's sure to be a good book. The recipes are clear (though the nomenclature he uses in English for Japanese ingredients is a bit dodgy, like "fairy squid" for hotaruika? Get out.)

[Riley M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely an advanced cookbook. I have been to Nobu once in London and the food was divine. This book is just too complicated for me, and I'm a foodie who is not afraid to track down some rare ingredients. I am lucky to live in a big city where these things can potentially be found. However unless I was making Japanese all the time it would be way too costly to stock up on lots of obscure Japanese ingredients for much of this. Also the portions for some of the dishes are a bit mad for home cooking and the prep times are just too much for some. I think he is a master chef but is perhaps not so good at remembering how non-chefs at home approach food and what kind of supplies they tend to have available.

[Mitchel Van der Meij · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I had hoped. Sure, most of these dishes are bound to be great - Which isn't a difficult thing to achieve, given the quantities of caviar and/or truffle involved.

Personaly I was mostly interested in the small collection of recipes for sauces/dressings at the end of the book, but otherwise I'm not going to be taking much from it.

All in all, not a bad collection of recipes and it was fun to look through. However, I am very glad that I could borrow this book and didn't have to buy it myself.

[Avi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of the recipes look tasty and not very complex. Very dependent on having access to good quality fish. Some of these recipes are unrealistic (e.g. where will most people outside Japan be able to source fugu milt?)

[Darice Chang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excruciatingly detailed recipes for masterpieces from a great chef. If you're not a fan of fuss give it a pass - otherwise buckle in for a gustatory adventure!

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only had 3 cookbooks this would need to be one of them.

[Dray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent sauces. Very little for vegetarians.

[Hani Iskadarwati]

Nobu is so famous in USA, his fusion Japanese Food can attract so many people to love it.... I never go to Nobu either in NYC or LA...but I want to try his fusion taste sometimes in the future (since I am a diehard traditional Japanese Foods lover)

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the ingredients, will be hard to come by for a normal person at a grocery store. Some recipes are doable, and the list of sauces at the end is definitely useful. Visiting Nobu in NYC is now on my bucket list.

[alexander chin]

really just a coffee table piece. its just wayy too hard to stock your pantry like that to even do a wannabe dish. but no im not advising going rachel ray route either.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

this man is a god

[Kbg503 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring book. Not really because of the recipes, but from learning about his business background and being aware of his creativity in the kitchen to please his customers.