The Gaijin Cookbook by Ivan Orkin

The Gaijin Cookbook Reviews

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  Casey Davidson

  Ugh I will be cooking everything in here for dinner for the foreseeable future Have already made 3 things and they were delicious as expected This is a pretty accessible Japanese food cookbook He tells you what the ingredients are and how to get them but also has suggestions for substitutions that maybe easier to find The intro made me tear up though I've already gushed about his perspective in the review of his other cookbook and it hasn't changed in this one
• 
  Vladimir Semenov

  Nicely written cookbook for home Give it a read if you wanna have an insight into how Japanese eat and maybe change your routine a bit
• 
  Katja

  I bought it when it first came out and it's amazing A lot of these dishes I've had at Japanese restaurants and I never imagined I could make it at home like Pork Katsudon It's been one of my favorite dishes for ten years And stir fry I don't think I'll ever buy stir fry from a restaurant ever again because now I make it better The homemade Teriyaki Sauce is DIVINE However I use less oyster sauce because it's too salty and as a preference I add grated gingerOne MINOR complaint The book is so beautiful it draws you in with the bright pictures and makes me want to go to Japan It has a happy elegant familyfriendship vibe but it diminishes because the author at some parts is trying too hard to be coolWhen reading about his time in Japan or about a recipe he'll drop a random F bomb I'm not judging his personal use of language because I'm no saint myself but what I am judging is the PRESENTATION of the book and the WRITING itself It's jarring because you're in a peaceful at least I am mindset and you're reading about all these wonderful things until suddenly his writing shifts in a different direction It's not consistent and doesn't match with the overall theme of his book When he swears it just feels random and not natural which is why I'm accusing him of trying too hard to be cool Second example page 202 Seasoned Omelet TamagoyakiNow roll the omelet up in the new layer of egg like you're a mob enforcer wrapping a snitch in a rugCome on dude this ain't the Thug Life Cookbook If Ivan talks this way IRL fine but it didn't translate well to the written wordOther than that buy this book if you LOVE good food
• 
  Ira

  I have too many discombobulated feelings about authenticity and appropriation in cookbook writing and how different people approach them which I don’t think I can fit in this review I felt uneasy even checking out this book from the library and am still not sure what I think about it To Orkin’s credit he does try to tackle some of these issues face on in his writing highlights native Japanese writers’ work and emphasizes that this cookbook is about what his Japanese American family eats than a compendium of all of Japanese food I’ve already returned the book to the library but there were some passages where I thought he addressed this better than others The recipes looked good though I haven’t had time to try any and I think for what it is it did a relatively good job That said I’m not sure that it deserves the critical reception that it has received
• 
  ion

  “Don’t brutalize the meat—ten to twelve moderately firm whacks ought to do it”I’m 12
• 
  Mia

  I bought this book for one recipe in particular but I am interested in trying most of themwhich is rare for a cookbook for me I like the perspective of recipes from a foreigner who has immersed himself in Japanese culture though it does mean that authentic versions of some of these recipes that I already have I'll continue to fall back on
• 
  Kelly

  The title kind of turned me off at first but this great collection of Japanese home cooking and bistro basics and riffs thereupon is not to be missed Pretty much all the recipes and perspectives put down here leave me longing for the everyday simple foods and culinary delights I enjoyed heartily while living in Japan Now that I'm back in the states for the foreseeable future I really appreciate the many ingredient substitute suggestions and other hacks Orkin includes with almost every recipe making dishes that I had thought unaccessible or too fussy to source seem stupid easily doable So far I've attempted a few side dishes and made some instant favorites a few times already like roasted peppers w shiotare One major revelation I never thought I'd ever say I look forward to challenging myself to make osechi at home for New Year's but I look forward to challenging myself to make osechi at home for New Year's I've only ever pre ordered osechi and thought the task too daunting to be done otherwise like Thanksgiving from scratch level difficulty but reading his chapter gave me the a ha confidence and gumption to give it a go That said I don't know if I'll ever make Japanese curry from scratch but I absolutely respect its inclusion The photos are fab too; as a proud once and future Tokyo area bar fly seeing the photo of Orkin and his wife soaking up Denki Bran at legendary Kamiya bar warmed my heart
• 
  Maria Cloos

  I really enjoyed this book It was definitely written for people not living in Japan that want to eat Japanese food It was also the sweariest cookbook I’ve ever read which was surprisingly refreshing I’m looking forward to making the Okonomiyaki with the cabbage I just picked up in my CSA
• 
  Ekeim

  A fun open romp of a book with hints of curmudgeon with a lot of seemingly easy recipes that I'm pretty sure I'll try at least a handful of this is related to owning too many cookbooks rather than the uality of this particular tome
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  Stephanie

  Most of the recipes are simple enough and if you live in an urban area the ingredients shouldn’t be a problem However I don’t see many cooks utilizing this cookbook for everyday cooking Outside of a few recipes I’ll pass on making most of them