Fine Art of Japanese Food Arrangement or Tortilla Lovers Cookbook

Fine Art of Japanese Food Arrangement

Author: Yoshio Tsuchiya

Japanese cooking, it is often said, is to be eaten with the eyes. So compelling are the food arrangements that the diner experiencing a traditional meal for the first time often finds that his or her impressions of the presentation overshadow the actually taste of the food.

In Japanese haute cuisine, all the senses are involved. Taste, smell, sight, touch, and even hearing contribute to a total, subtle harmony of beauty and flavor.

It is this expert merging of food and vessel-minimalism achieved with great skill-that captivates. Each vessel is chosen for its color, shape, and compatibility, and each should be a work of art. When foods are arranged in such plates, dishes, and bowls, they come alive; the savoriness of the food is visually augmented by splashes of colorful glazes and the fluid curves of the hand-crafted tableware.
The Fine Art of Japanese Food Arrangement introduces this traditional approach for the first time in English. It explores the intimacy between the eye and the palate and opens up a way to greatly increase one's pleasure in the simple, creative, and universal act of eating.

Ceramics Monthly

beautifully illustrated

Florence Fabricant

Americans are used to heaping plates, but Japanese food is presented in a minimalist style and was a profound influence on nouvelle cuisine starting in the 1970's. "The Fine Art of Japanese Food Arrangement" by Yoshio Tsuchiya explains the rules, which depend not only on the kind of food and type of vessel used, but also on the seasons. Food, the book explains, is usually arranged to honor "the beauty of empty space" in patterns called flat, bowl, piled up, jumbled, nestled, scattered, even cedar tree, a kind of pyramid, all diagrammed in the book. To prevent dull symmetry, pieces of food look best in odd numbers; sashimi is always arranged with three, five or seven slices. The book includes many photos of utensils and containers, as well as their history. -- New York Times

See also: Knife Fork and Spoon or Shake off the Sugar Cookbook

Tortilla Lovers Cookbook

Author: Bruce Fischer

What could be better than a fresh, hot, homemade tortilla? Featuring traditional southwestern favorites and exciting, innovative tortilla dishes, this cookbook spotlights the versatility of the tortilla in Southwestern dishes including appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, and desserts. Over 100 tantalizing tortilla recipes.