The Vegetarian Table: Japan

By Victoria Wise

The Vegetarian Table: Japan
"Like the best haiku poetry, these recipes are startling in their simplicity and offer complex rewards."—Loma Sass, author of The New Soy Cookbook and Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen.

The gifted team who created the widely acclaimed The Vegetarian Table: Mexico has joined forces again with an exceptional rendition of Japanese vegetarian cooking in The Vegetarian Table: Japan.

The Land of the Rising Sun has a long-standing tradition of vegetarian eating. Acclaimed author Victoria Wise explores this heritage and translates it for the Western cook, offering classical recipes as well as innovations crafted in keeping with the spirit of the cuisine. From everyday favorites such as Red or White Miso Soup, Vegetable Tempura, or Sweet Simmered Kabocha Squash to special-occasion treats like New Year's Rice with Chestnuts and Mizuna or delicious Moon-Viewing Noodles with Soft-Cooked Quail Eggs, these exquisite dishes will add sparkle to any vegetarian repertoire.

The dishes presented in The Vegetarian Table: Japan sing with flavorful ginger, green onion, sesame, wasabi mustard, rice vinegar, roasted nori, and other savory ingredients, and are naturally healthful and light. In the Japanese culinary tradition, thoughtful attention is given to each element of a meal and to each ingredient that graces the table. The characteristically simple preparation and elegant serving arrangements highlight the natural grace of wholesome foods such as shiitake mushrooms, soybeans, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, and sea greens, allowing their unique flavors to shine.

Written in a clear and simple style and illustrated with elegant photography like all the Vegetarian Table books, The Vegetarian Table: Japan makes this venerable and delicious cuisine an exciting possibility for any kitchen. Beautifully designed, The Vegetarian Table: Japan is filled with inspirational and delicious recipes in keeping with a healthful lifestyle.

Victoria Wise spent her childhood in Japan and has been fascinated by the culture and food ever since. The first chef of the acclaimed Chez Panisse, she has written many cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Table: Mexico and American Charcuterie. Deborah Jones is the winner of an International Association of Culinary Professionals award for her photography.

Buy the Book!

The Vegetarian Table: Japan
By Victoria Wise
Chronicle Books, July 1998
Paperback, $16.95
132 pages, color photographs throughout
ISBN: 0-8118-1565-X
Information provided by the publisher.