Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking [A One-Pot Cookbook]

by Naoko Takei Moore, Kyle Connaughton

A beautiful and lavishly photographed cookbook focused on authentic Japanese clay-pot cooking, showcasing beloved recipes and updates on classics, with background on the origins and history of donabe. Japanese clay pot (donabe) cooking has been refined over centuries into a versatile and simple method for preparing both dramatic and comforting one-pot meals. In Donabe, Tokyo native and cooking school instructor Naoko Takei Moore and chef Kyle Connaughton offer inspiring Japanese home-style recipes such as Sizzling Tofu and Mushrooms in Miso Sauce and Dashi-Rich Shabu-Shabu, as well as California-inspired dishes including Steam-Fried Black Cod with Crisp Potatoes, Leeks, and Walnut-Nori Pesto or Smoked Duck Breast with Creamy Wasabi–Green Onion Dipping Sauce. All are rich in flavor, simple to prepare, and perfect for a communal dining experience with family and friends. Donabe also features recipes from luminary chefs such as David Kinch, Namae Shinobu, and Cortney Burns and Nick Balla, all of whom use donabe in their own kitchens. Collectible, beautiful, and functional, donabe can easily be an essential part of your cooking repetory.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Japan, Reference, Nonfiction, Gastronomy

541 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2015

Reviews

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Netgalley for Review

Traditional Japanese cooking is one of my great loves, there is something very welcoming and comforting about eating out of a communal clay pot...perhaps this is where my great love of clay teapots originated. I can't help myself, anytime a food utensil is listed as needing seasoning, my attention is grabbed and I usually want a whole collection of them.

The recipes in this book are clear, divided by different types of donabe, ranging from the traditional ones most people are used to, to the smokers and rice cookers. All of it had my mouth watering, though I really wish there were more pictures.

As niche cookbooks go, this one is quite enjoyable. At times a little frustrating because these fancy donabe are really expensive and hard to get, so I know the chances of me cooking with one are pretty much nil. One can dream though!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an in-depth, beautifully depicted exploration of donabe, or Japanese claypot cooking. The good: I am motivated to use my new Kyoto-style donabe. The bad: The cookbook is organized by the various styles of donabe, which are used for different cooking techniques. Unfortunately, donabe aren't cheap and I have a tiny kitchen, so most of the recipes will require adaptations so I can use my existing cookware.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thumbed through this book and it definitely makes me want to try cooking in a donabe. The range of cooking techniques these pots can be used for is impressive, and the recipes look straightforward.

[Nora St Laurent · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Donabe is a Japanese traditional earthen cookware. It’s designed to be used over a gas or open flame. Over its long history donabe has become an important part of Japanese cuisine and it’s these vessels.”

There is a section on how to season and care for Donabe. Cooking safety. How to use the book. In the recipes the traditional Japanese rice measurement are used with conversion charts…other non-rice measurements, this book uses US measurements with metric equivalent given in parenthesis…Many of the ingredients in book maybe new to you. There is an extensive glossary at the back that describes these ingredients and offers guidance on where you can buy them.

The author says this about the food cooked in a Donabe pot; “It’s rich in flavor, simple to prepare and perfect for a communal dining experience with family and friends.” When I ordered this book I didn’t realize that every recipe is designed to be cooked in this pot. I looked up the cost of the Donabe pots on Amazon they range from $60.00 and some can go over $100.00 (those are the ones listed on the authors store site which are hand crafted and are made in Iga.)

Donabe cooking has always been important to author Naoko, close to her heart as she originally used it to make hot-pot dishes. She says, “On one of my trips back home many years ago, I toasted rice made in a double-lid donabe. It was one of the most striking food discoveries I’ve ever experienced. That simple, plain rice toasted so good I almost cried.”

In 2008 the author started distributing pots to people in the US so others could have the same experience cooking with this amazing pot as she did. The Nagatami family makes the pots she distributes. She states, “I discovered that Donabe ware has the mysterious quality of bringing out the natural flavors of ingredients, helping them realize their higher potential.” …”There is a scientific explanation for this phenomenon: it’s because of the natural characteristics of donabe, their porous bodies that promote natural far-infrared radiant heating. The effect is just like cooking on a grill using glowing charcoals, a process that cooks food gradually and traps flavors inside, started donabe cooking classes. She wanted to share her passion. She found is interesting that mostly non-Asian people brought the pots and came to her classes. “the author’s mission to spread the word about the Japanese healthy lifestyle and authentic washoku home cooking, “Many typical donabe dishes are typically one-pot dishes, meant to be served at the table right out of the pot. As a result, preparation and clean up tend to be easier compared with using other cookware. Donabe cooking is convenient for busy people who want to eat tasty nourishing meals at home.”

“This cookbook features cooking in 6 styles of donabe pots, Classic, Rice cooker, soup and stew, steamer, tangine style and smoker.” Recipes in the book include popular ones from her cooking classes. There is a section for Dashi, sauces and condiments. This is an amazing hard back book filled with beautiful color pictures that make this book one you’ll want to read as well as make the recipes.

Kyle Connaughton is the co author. He says, “I’ve been fortunate to cook all over the world with chef’s I respect and with other professionals who care deeply about food and hospitality…Love for Japanese cuisine and passion for hospitality.”…”Donabe is an amazing and beautiful technology that has stood the test of time because of its functional properties…naoko-san has been my teacher and guide into the greater world of donabe, and we decided as a team to share this amazing world with you.”

Kyle stated; “Donabe can be used in all types of cuisines, as our guest chefs and I will show through our recipes…I use donabe for soups and braises to simmer vegetables, and to smoke meat….“Because donabe builds heat slowly, it allows the flavors of a dish to build gradually…When a dish is higher in natural umami flavor, less seasoning and less fat are needed to complete the flavors. We like to say that donabe is a friendly cookware for health-conscious people.”…”Donabe ware is known for its remarkable heat retention. It cools down slowly, so it stays warm on the table for a long time…Donabe is an energy-efficent and eco-friendly cooking vessel because, once heated, it requires little energy to function.”


There is a section on IGA Home of authentic donabe with amazing pictures on how these pots are created…”Iga offers a number of premium local artisan specialties such as rice, sake, beef, port, and rope making in addition to its famous Iga-yaki pottery…History of Iga-Yaki pottery dates back almost thirteen hundred years. Iga-Yaki developed because the clay in this region has exceptional heat-resistant qualities when fired and because of the abundant red pine forests, which yield ideal firewood for their kilns called “Breathing clay.”

The recipes look amazing and the talk about this remarkable pot has made me put this item on my wish list. I can’t wait to use this cookware and taste this dishes that are so good for you too! I love the fact that these are also set up for family style cooking!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Blogging for Books program.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com

[Robert Durough, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could live in a donabe (Japanese for “clay pot”), the vessel from which I’ve had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. When I discovered Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking was soon to be released, it took me back to my favorite noodle joint: Menkui Tei (NYC). Sure, virtually anything cooked in a donabe can be just as easily done so in another vessel, but there’s something special about these clay pots that brings flavor and comfort together in a way nothing else can—and they’re just so beautiful, even in their simplest form!

In this book, chefs Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton bring together years of love and passion for traditional Japanese cuisine using varied styles of donabe with the inclusion of modern touches (apparent even in the front cover, where dishes surround a donabe sitting on top of a single, butane burner). Naoko begins by introducing the reader to the traditional clay pot and a specific family of artisans in Iga, Japan, from whom she imports pots and sells them globally. Photographer Eric Wolfinger provides an appetizing aesthetic for both Japanese culture and cuisine, documenting the making of a donabe and the finished product of every recipe in the book, among many other stills.

For those interested in Japanese clay pot cooking, Donabe provides styles, methods, and recipes for classics, rice, soups and stews, steaming, tangine-style (similar to a ceramic Moroccan pot), smoking, and all the necessary extras (dashi, sauces, and condiments). For those not so interested, the introduction to the history and culture thereof may pique that interest. And, of course, there are loads of recipes that can be used and adapted for one’s own kitchen, as well as a full glossary for those unfamiliar with terms used in Japanese cooking.

Until I live in a place with a gas stove, investing in a couple artisanal pots will have to remain a daydream. But until then, I’ll continue to work with what I have…and maybe get a portable butane burner…and maybe one donabe…and maybe some more earthenware… Oh, who am I kidding? I just need to move to Japan!


*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

[Jillyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So real talk, this the best cookbook that I've read in a long time. I got this book because I love Japanese food, but I've never cooked it myself. This book made me want to, immediately.

The recipes are divided by technique/type of pot. There's an intro, a section of how to use the pots, how it's made, there's a section for planning menus, one for sauces and stocks. And at the end, there's a glossary and resources.

The photography is absolutely stunning. It's like an art book. Everything looks professional and delicious and like I want it. And I think that's what the photos of a cookbook should do.

It seems to be middle of the road, difficulty-wise. It's not super easy, 101 level stuff, but there's nothing here that looks like only an Iron Chef can prepare it. It seems both approachable and elegant at once.

The recipes are well written, with plenty of tips on cooking and technique catered to each dish. Each recipe includes how many people it'll serve, the courses, and what equipment you'll need to make it. There's also personal stories that make this seem like a book from the heart, as well as history about the dishes.

I like that they tell you "if you don't like it, change it". It encourages personal twists and substitutions, which sets a relaxed tone that follows throughout the book. A lot of the recipes, because of this, are vegetarian friendly or easily adaptable.

The things that jumped off the page by being super delicious sounding include Smoked Duck Breast with Creamy Wasabi-Green Onion Dipping Sauce, Fried Scales-On Tilefish with Winter Melon Tagliatelle, and Green Tea Rice Balls.

I highly recommend this if you love to cook, love Japanese food, or even if you just like to flip through cookbooks for the pictures. It's worth it.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.

[KJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely worth reading this one all the way through-- the information on the history and the work that goes into making a donabe is straight-up fascinating. They go into the care of a donabe (which is great for people like me who haven't cooked with a lot of clay/earthenware and are also prone to ruining things), what is normal in terms of wear, what to look for in terms of possible damage and ways to avoid it. Not to mention all of the information on the different types of donabe (There are several, some with specialized purposes, AND ONE OF THEM IS A SMOKER WHICH I AM ALL-CAPS EXCITED ABOUT.) and which recipes work best with each.

I haven't scraped together the funds for my own setup yet, but I did try a few of the recipes for the traditional donabe in our cast iron dutch oven at home, which this book helpfully pointed out mimics the heat distribution of clay and can be used on my electric burner. Every recipe I tried was delicious. It is insane how good this food is. I think of the duck and tofu hotpot with similar frequency and intensity of a teenager with a crush, and I am very excited to get my own donabe and a copy of this book for future dinner adventures.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most non-Japanese people, I do not own a donabe. After reading the introduction which waxes lyrically about how good the food is, describing its place in a household, the process of actually making the pot (almost step by step, firing temperatures are given!), I certainly would like to have one. This is lush and beautiful with excellent photography. A cynical side of me says that this is one long advertisement for Moore's donabe import business but the way Moore and Connaughton write showcases their love for the tradition and culture. The reason for the 3 stars is that this is a cookbook that most people can't cook at all from! (with the exception of some things like grilled salmon, meant to be a topping)
I did try out a recipe using my Balkan-made earthenware vessel (fired at lower temperatures than a donabe) but it was difficult to really evaluate whether it was particularly special since all of the more traditional recipes call for very very specialist ingredients. This is clearly a book for either armchair cooks or dedicated cooks living next to a Japanese market.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've tried many recipes out of this book in my Donabe and I must say, the general seasoning of the dishes are pretty bland if I follow the recipes to a T. Perhaps this style of cooking is trying to highlight the simplicity behind things, but if I were the author, I would've made some adjustments to the seasonings or at least noted to season to taste. I always end up adding soy sauce or ponzu and sesame oil afterwards while consuming.

I also find it a wee bit frustrating that most of the recipes are not for a classic donabe but for other kinds. I know that there are ways to adjust and I have for quite a few recipes, but in this way, the cookbook ends up feeling a bit bare.

Yes, it's a beautiful book with a beautiful premise but I do wish the recipe were almost turned up a notch in a lot of ways. However, maybe I've simply spoiled my taste buds from cooking my own punchy Asian dishes many other days of the week.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donabe are made from highly porous clays known for their heat retention properties. The clays for making donabe are --not surpassingly—also highly regarded for making teapots and tea containers. These clays include Shigaraki, Iga, Banko, and Mashiko. As a student of tea ceremony, I grew to love all of these types of pottery—but none more than Iga. Highly porous Iga clay has phenomenal heat retention powers. The clay is said to “breath.” It does feel as if it is alive. Iga-ware is known for its fine webs of crackle and subtle color shifts from white-yellows to gray-browns. Iga-ware pots display something of the rustic humbleness of the finest “wabi” teabowls. In the crackle that occurs spontaneously in the firing, one feels the happenstance and great simplicity of nature. My tea teacher used to encourage us to look for landscapes in the surface of the teabowls.

In LA, we might not have long snowy winters, but we do have endless choices for eating hotpot. Not only do we have endless restaurants to choose from, even better, all the things we need to make hotpot dinners at home can be found right here in town. One of my favorites is a Japanese kitchen supply shop in West Hollywood called Toiro. Marie Kondo features one of their Iga claypots on her website. But I recommend visiting Toiro online. The choices for gorgeous pots and tableware will delight you. The owner, Naoko Takei Moore also sells high quality pantry items and has a cookbook to boot. All this dedicated to “your happy donabe life!” Now, who could argue with that?

The book is fun because there are classic and modern dishes. So far, I have been sticking with the traditional ideas--like the sizzling mushrooms and tofu in miso sauce, the ginger chicken and chicken in Ginger Amazake Hotpot, tonjiru, salmon hotpot, lotus root in lack vinegar.... and this year, I will be trying out her Oshogatsu menu--which looks amazing.

Her book is gorgeous and full of history--and if you use it with her online recipes, you will be in business. Also her the items she sells at her shop are beyond beautiful--not just the donabe--which I love and have three. But the lacquer--and that is really what I have fallen most in love with.
Pictures on my blog here. https://www.borges-library.com/2020/1...

[Jessica Feng · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really looked forward to this cookbook but it left me a bit disappointed. The writing and recipes feel pretty disjointed because of the multiple authors, and I’m not sure the organization of the book made much sense. It felt like a hodge podge of recipes without a cohesive narrative, kind of like what the instant pot cookbooks are like in my head? It starts out purporting to be for home cooking but some of the recipes are decidedly not home cook friendly. I’ll probably still make some recipes out of curiosity of Japanese cooking in general, but the book didn’t make me feel any differently about my donabe itself.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an in depth dive into Japanese clay pot cuisine. The authors are very knowledgeable about the subject and give an great orientation into this type of specialized cooking, a subject i had near no knowledge of. Covering a wide swath of applications, good variety of vegetarian recipes (along with meat and seafood) I learned a lot. Well presented and well worth reading.

[Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful in the sense of the photography and the art behind Japanese cuisine. This book is a great one to inspire and garner an appreciation for a truly special cooking method. In practice, the flavors are a bit light even by Japanese standards and I don't really like any of the rice dish recipes in here. The nabes are solid though.

[Ria F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a donabe pot for Christmas, but despite being half Japanese, I had no idea how to use it. I have to adapt some recipes due to Curt's allergies, but now I want 2 other kinds of donabe pots!

Well written, easy to follow directions.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just fell in love with donabe life style when i visited naoko’s shop in LA, now i’ve finished the book and I just liked it as much!! It’s so delicate and makes u want to try all this new ingredients + recipes, now I want all styles of donabes in my kitchen lol

[Cherrie Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

The recipes are different than what’s just available on her website (toirikitchen) which I really appreciated. Also, the history and introduction is very interesting to learn. Overall, a wonderful cookbook!

The kindle version - wish the photos were bigger!

[Cherie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. I got a clay pot as a wedding gift and was hoping this book would give me some ideas on how to use and freestyle. But most recipes are meat, meat, meat.

[Susan]

Lovely recipes and cultural heritage is a great bonus.

[Aurélie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for inspiration. I love stews and having Japanese stew would be a nice change!

[Lesley Cheung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to know one of the authors worked for Blumenthal - didn't know the donabe was that incredible, it's true - rice does taste better from a clay pot!

[Karine Lelièvre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and great explanations

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a few recipes of interest

[Jung Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating

[Carrisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still need to try the recipes and will update this review as I try them, but right off, the recipes sound delicious, I'm bummed that I don't have a like 500 dollars to buy every type of donabe available (the rice cooker donabe, the steamer donabe, the soup & stew donabe, the list goes on), and I love how all (minus a few) of the recipes have pictures! That to me is very important, especially if I haven't made the dish before, I like to know what it should look like before attempting it.

Tried Recipes:
Chicken Nabe (Tori-nabe) pg 68, & Kombu Dashi pg 277, & Chicken Dashi pg 278
The verdict - By far the best hot pot I've made, even the vegetables were unbelievably flavourful. Served the meal with rice, and the dipping sauces were: soy sauce, and Sriracha. Didn't add: mizuna, or tofu. Leftovers were delicious even the next day.


Gyoza Hot Pot (Gyoza Nabi) pg 86 & Miso-Vinegar Dipping Sauce pg 283
The Verdict - The gyoza: Scrumptious pockets of meat.
The Veggies: no nira (or garlic chives as they are sometimes called, but don't be fooled, they had as much flavour as grass, no wait, grass has more flavour), more veggies!
Broth base: Ended up adding 2 TBS soy sauce, and 1 1/2 TBS mirin and it helped the flavour of the broth immensely, but it was still not rich enough for my taste. Next time, nix the kombu dashi (pg 277) and stick with chicken dashi (pg 278).
Miso-Vinegar Dipping Sauce: This is my F-O-R-E-V-E-R go to gyoza dipping sauce. for now on.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book as I had never heard of Donabe cooking before. Unfortunately I do not currently have the clay style pot needed for these recipes. However the book provided me with good insight on how to find a quality pot for these recipes. The book also taught me how to care for the pot and to keep it in good condition. The photos were breath taking and appetizing. I enjoyed learning about this style of cooking and I look forward to enjoying the taste of it as well.

Check out my full review at: http://hubpages.com/food/Donabe-Class...

I was sent this book for free for only a honest and unbiased review.

[Nada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton is a niche cookbook dealing with one item of a specific food culture. However, clay pot cooking can be found in cultures around the world, making the techniques in the book more universal. This book is a beautiful chance to learn about the Japanese contribution to this tradition, with history, photographs, and recipes.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016...

Reviewed for the Blogging for Books program

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite cookbook of all time, and my shelves are absolutely filled with cookbooks. Naoko celebrates artisanry and craftsmanship, staying authentic to Japanese recipes while being sensible (little hacks or explanations why she goes an extra step, etc). Donabe cooking is associated with warmth and comfort and the recipes in this book provides it in spades. They're not hard, tasty, and healthy. The writing in here is also kind and shows the same warmth, and doesn't have any of that austerity and sense of unapproachability that Elizabeth Andoh does in her cookbooks.