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Love Japan: Recipes from our Japanese American Kitchen [A Cookbook]
Discover comforting homestyle Japanese American cuisine with 100 unique, simple, and tasty recipes from the owners of the innovative Brooklyn restaurant Shalom Japan
Steaming sukiyaki. Pillowy, soft shokupan. Springy ramen noodles. These famed Japanese dishes, as well as modern interpretations and evolutions, are all part of Love Japan , a collection of beloved family recipes from the married owners of Brooklyn’s Shalom Japan.
Like many of us, chefs Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel lead busy lives and often find themselves short on time in the kitchen. Their secret to getting nourishing, delicious food on the table for their family? The Japanese-inspired dishes that Sawako grew up eating. While not rigid in tradition, these recipes are all rooted in the Japanese flavors and techniques taught to Sawako by her mother, with influences from Aaron’s Jewish heritage as well as the menu at Shalom Japan.
Through years of practice in their own home and in their Brooklyn restaurant, Sawako and Aaron have distilled these recipes for maximum flavor and minimum fuss, including Japanese staples and inventive, delicious fusions like:
Through Love Japan's user-friendly recipes and gorgeous photography, Sawako and Aaron demonstrate that Japanese cooking can be everyday cooking -- even (or especially) if you’re short on time, space, or energy. These satisfying dishes will open up a world of possibilities in your cooking routine.
Steaming sukiyaki. Pillowy, soft shokupan. Springy ramen noodles. These famed Japanese dishes, as well as modern interpretations and evolutions, are all part of Love Japan , a collection of beloved family recipes from the married owners of Brooklyn’s Shalom Japan.
Like many of us, chefs Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel lead busy lives and often find themselves short on time in the kitchen. Their secret to getting nourishing, delicious food on the table for their family? The Japanese-inspired dishes that Sawako grew up eating. While not rigid in tradition, these recipes are all rooted in the Japanese flavors and techniques taught to Sawako by her mother, with influences from Aaron’s Jewish heritage as well as the menu at Shalom Japan.
Through years of practice in their own home and in their Brooklyn restaurant, Sawako and Aaron have distilled these recipes for maximum flavor and minimum fuss, including Japanese staples and inventive, delicious fusions like:
Through Love Japan's user-friendly recipes and gorgeous photography, Sawako and Aaron demonstrate that Japanese cooking can be everyday cooking -- even (or especially) if you’re short on time, space, or energy. These satisfying dishes will open up a world of possibilities in your cooking routine.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 16, 2023
65 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 13, 2023
Japanophiles and anyone looking to add more Japanese cuisine to their cooking repertoire should check out this exquisite cookbook. The two chefs, with the assistance of a food writer, have put together a wonderful collection of warmly, well-written recipes in a gorgeously designed book. Eye catching photos are plentiful, not all of food and not for every recipe (but for most).
The first part of the book serves as an excellent primer on Japanese produce and panty ingredients. I appreciated the wide variety of dishes and the informative headnotes. While touted as Japanese-American the majority of the recipes skew Japanese with some fusiony ones, like matzo ball ramen soup and Japanese street corn, sprinkled in.
The authors explain in their intro that these are the recipes they make for themselves at home, so they are not intended to be complicated to prepare. What will likely be the most challenging aspect for some is locating all the ingredients, especially the fresh Japanese produce, if you aren't near a large city. Resources are provided in the back of the book for ordering pantry ingredients and equipment online.
The first part of the book serves as an excellent primer on Japanese produce and panty ingredients. I appreciated the wide variety of dishes and the informative headnotes. While touted as Japanese-American the majority of the recipes skew Japanese with some fusiony ones, like matzo ball ramen soup and Japanese street corn, sprinkled in.
The authors explain in their intro that these are the recipes they make for themselves at home, so they are not intended to be complicated to prepare. What will likely be the most challenging aspect for some is locating all the ingredients, especially the fresh Japanese produce, if you aren't near a large city. Resources are provided in the back of the book for ordering pantry ingredients and equipment online.
June 28, 2023
This is the Japanese cookbook that I have long desired.
Too often, Japanese cookbooks are relegated to austere tomes of fancy kaiseki preparations or a limited to a few style of ramen/dumpling/sushi recipes. Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel’s “Love Japan” is the first time I have seen such a variety of Japanese recipes presented in an accessible way for the home cook.
Each page presents a visual feats with gorgeous pictures of the dish and a well laid out recipe which includes a note on total preparation time – a small detail that every cookbook should have but not enough do.
This book is for the home cook: easy weeknights, make-ahead lunches, leisurely brunches and more. I cannot express how appreciative I am to the chef/authors for collating a vast collection of recipes that will satiate all lovers of Japanese cuisine.
It has been a while since I felt so inspired and encouraged by a cookbook. Perhaps I am feeling this one more than most because I have been longing for a user-friendly Japanese cookbook for a while. My family and I will benefit greatly for having “Love Japan” in our kitchen.
Too often, Japanese cookbooks are relegated to austere tomes of fancy kaiseki preparations or a limited to a few style of ramen/dumpling/sushi recipes. Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel’s “Love Japan” is the first time I have seen such a variety of Japanese recipes presented in an accessible way for the home cook.
Each page presents a visual feats with gorgeous pictures of the dish and a well laid out recipe which includes a note on total preparation time – a small detail that every cookbook should have but not enough do.
This book is for the home cook: easy weeknights, make-ahead lunches, leisurely brunches and more. I cannot express how appreciative I am to the chef/authors for collating a vast collection of recipes that will satiate all lovers of Japanese cuisine.
It has been a while since I felt so inspired and encouraged by a cookbook. Perhaps I am feeling this one more than most because I have been longing for a user-friendly Japanese cookbook for a while. My family and I will benefit greatly for having “Love Japan” in our kitchen.
September 5, 2023
I read the whole thing cover to cover and I made the cheesecake so it counts towards my reading goal!!
February 20, 2024
more like 3.5
So there are some recipes in here I will make but really you have to be an avid Japanese food lover to appreciate it. I was hoping to gain more appreciation but much of this was more lackluster than I had hoped
So there are some recipes in here I will make but really you have to be an avid Japanese food lover to appreciate it. I was hoping to gain more appreciation but much of this was more lackluster than I had hoped
August 4, 2023
This is probably the best Japanese cookbook in English. It includes all the best national dishes and some side ones that my Mother in Law makes. I read through each recipe and now need to order the book because I’d end up copying the whole library book.
Read
July 22, 2023Made the miso-honey broiled chicken and nanbanzuke. Both were great—lots of good recipes here that are a little bit different and not too complicated.
July 25, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up.
September 21, 2023
it's got some pretty good japanese recipes
and some hebrew-japanese fusion food like the matzo ball ramen soup
(husband and wife thing)
and some pretty horrific kitschy stuff too
Spaghetti Napolitan - Ketchup pasta with Bacon and Onions
which basically affirms what i feel about fusion food at the high-end and at the low-end that it's a clash of flavors for the easily impressed, from retarded gourmands to real scary stuff.
From Trufflemania to Twinkie Torment, people just do seriously wrong things with food., and even 5-10% of gordon ramsey can really do a shitty spaghetti or a crappy burger
i guess some crazy is good, and that can mean ethnic fads to excress, or ethnic foods gone wrong, and the soy sauce on ice cream crowd....
okay...
here we go
Spaghetti Napolitan
Ketchup pasta with Bacon and Onions (page 128)
1.5 cups diced bacon (6-8 strips)
salt
1 thinly sliced yellow onion
1 thinly sliced red pepper
1/3 cup sake
3/4 cup ketchup
1.5 table worcestershire sauce
1 table soy sauce
water
12 ounces or ouches spaghetti
3/4 cup parmesan-reggiano
black pepper
ketchup and onions on spaghetti basically
and one big barf of sake
and one small barf of soy
why not just add ketchup to a package of Knorr/Lipton French Onion Soup Mix
and a can of beer
that would be close enough you know
No name brand ketchup and China Lily Soy Sauce might really do it!
and be sure to add extra salt to your lipton onion soup mix
..........
i once listened to a friend 20 years ago to try their fave Onion Soup Mix Chip Dip
i thought it was 1968 and i blacked out
last time i did that it was maybe those fake onion rings that seem like popcorn twists or Funyans, or some Bugles
i think a box of bugles corn snacks would make this spaghetti dish even better!
What's next, Japanese Natto flavoured Nachos?
or Natto slime beans and cottage cheese lasagna?
with a nice substitution of the garlic bread for Hong Kong style Shrimp Toast
smear on that shrimp paste, baby
i got to kill the taste of the natto
.......
wait!
Natto with avocado (page 55)
natto - soy sauce - aonori (aka green laver aka algae aka seaweed)
scallions - avocado - nori
[oooh i need a stomach pump]
---
Japanese mountain yam and squid pancake (Nagaimo-ika yaki)
nagaimo yams - dashi powder - eggs
green onion - squid - soy sauce
Japanese garden pizza
sourdough starter - flour - semolina
tomato sauce - bamboo shoots - green onion
fresh mozzarella cheese - chrysanthemum greens
Faux pho
fennel seeds - black peppercorn - coriander seed
star anise - cloves - cinnamon sticks
lemon zest - ginger - yellow onion
oxtail - chicken stock - dashi
fish sauce - Inaniwa udon noodles
bean sprouts - cilantro
green onion - beef rib-eye - lime
Home-style matzoh ball ramen
whole chicken - kombu - bay leaves
ginger - matzoh meal - eggs
dill - parsley - carrots
parsnip - celery - yellow onion
ramen noodle - scallions - nori
Japanese curry
onions - beef stew meat - curry powder
ginger - Yukon Gold potatoes - carrot
Hakurei turnips - Japanese curry sauce mix
apple - awase miso - dark chocolate
soy sauce - Worcestershire sauce - Japanese rice
[eh!]
---
funny thing is i thought that ketchup and onion soup powder with beer (sake is sour beer actually)
that my improvement of that spaghetti recipe needed an antidote like
strawberry shortcake....
well, my prayers were answered!
Strawberry shortcake (page 240)
cake flour - egg
sugar - kirsch
heavy cream - strawberries
add as much ketchup, natto and onion soup mix as desired!
..........
15% of the book is excellent
and some of the stuff is just lunatic
if it's Ten Speed Press, there is always one facet of the book that's awesome
even if flawed
the funny thing is the book feels 1977 not 2023
and some hebrew-japanese fusion food like the matzo ball ramen soup
(husband and wife thing)
and some pretty horrific kitschy stuff too
Spaghetti Napolitan - Ketchup pasta with Bacon and Onions
which basically affirms what i feel about fusion food at the high-end and at the low-end that it's a clash of flavors for the easily impressed, from retarded gourmands to real scary stuff.
From Trufflemania to Twinkie Torment, people just do seriously wrong things with food., and even 5-10% of gordon ramsey can really do a shitty spaghetti or a crappy burger
i guess some crazy is good, and that can mean ethnic fads to excress, or ethnic foods gone wrong, and the soy sauce on ice cream crowd....
okay...
here we go
Spaghetti Napolitan
Ketchup pasta with Bacon and Onions (page 128)
1.5 cups diced bacon (6-8 strips)
salt
1 thinly sliced yellow onion
1 thinly sliced red pepper
1/3 cup sake
3/4 cup ketchup
1.5 table worcestershire sauce
1 table soy sauce
water
12 ounces or ouches spaghetti
3/4 cup parmesan-reggiano
black pepper
ketchup and onions on spaghetti basically
and one big barf of sake
and one small barf of soy
why not just add ketchup to a package of Knorr/Lipton French Onion Soup Mix
and a can of beer
that would be close enough you know
No name brand ketchup and China Lily Soy Sauce might really do it!
and be sure to add extra salt to your lipton onion soup mix
..........
i once listened to a friend 20 years ago to try their fave Onion Soup Mix Chip Dip
i thought it was 1968 and i blacked out
last time i did that it was maybe those fake onion rings that seem like popcorn twists or Funyans, or some Bugles
i think a box of bugles corn snacks would make this spaghetti dish even better!
What's next, Japanese Natto flavoured Nachos?
or Natto slime beans and cottage cheese lasagna?
with a nice substitution of the garlic bread for Hong Kong style Shrimp Toast
smear on that shrimp paste, baby
i got to kill the taste of the natto
.......
wait!
Natto with avocado (page 55)
natto - soy sauce - aonori (aka green laver aka algae aka seaweed)
scallions - avocado - nori
[oooh i need a stomach pump]
---
Japanese mountain yam and squid pancake (Nagaimo-ika yaki)
nagaimo yams - dashi powder - eggs
green onion - squid - soy sauce
Japanese garden pizza
sourdough starter - flour - semolina
tomato sauce - bamboo shoots - green onion
fresh mozzarella cheese - chrysanthemum greens
Faux pho
fennel seeds - black peppercorn - coriander seed
star anise - cloves - cinnamon sticks
lemon zest - ginger - yellow onion
oxtail - chicken stock - dashi
fish sauce - Inaniwa udon noodles
bean sprouts - cilantro
green onion - beef rib-eye - lime
Home-style matzoh ball ramen
whole chicken - kombu - bay leaves
ginger - matzoh meal - eggs
dill - parsley - carrots
parsnip - celery - yellow onion
ramen noodle - scallions - nori
Japanese curry
onions - beef stew meat - curry powder
ginger - Yukon Gold potatoes - carrot
Hakurei turnips - Japanese curry sauce mix
apple - awase miso - dark chocolate
soy sauce - Worcestershire sauce - Japanese rice
[eh!]
---
funny thing is i thought that ketchup and onion soup powder with beer (sake is sour beer actually)
that my improvement of that spaghetti recipe needed an antidote like
strawberry shortcake....
well, my prayers were answered!
Strawberry shortcake (page 240)
cake flour - egg
sugar - kirsch
heavy cream - strawberries
add as much ketchup, natto and onion soup mix as desired!
..........
15% of the book is excellent
and some of the stuff is just lunatic
if it's Ten Speed Press, there is always one facet of the book that's awesome
even if flawed
the funny thing is the book feels 1977 not 2023
December 22, 2024
Delicious simple food parents can make!
The authors are parents of two children and they get it, as parents sometimes we’re too tired or too busy to devote so much time to cooking. They have recipes from which you can make in the rice cooker! Quick, simple meals really sold it for me. My only irk with the book is how to make shokupan. The book makes it seem simple but it isn’t- you really do need to purchase a 16x4 Pullman loaf pan for the amount they tell you to make. I ended up with a 1 pound Pullman loaf pan and I looked up on different resources on how to make bread- it turned out perfectly. What I’ve learned from my baking mistake was you need to trust your own judgement on timing! Don’t trust the books or other sources, your eyes will tell you when your bake is done. RIP past burnt cookies and bread.
The authors are parents of two children and they get it, as parents sometimes we’re too tired or too busy to devote so much time to cooking. They have recipes from which you can make in the rice cooker! Quick, simple meals really sold it for me. My only irk with the book is how to make shokupan. The book makes it seem simple but it isn’t- you really do need to purchase a 16x4 Pullman loaf pan for the amount they tell you to make. I ended up with a 1 pound Pullman loaf pan and I looked up on different resources on how to make bread- it turned out perfectly. What I’ve learned from my baking mistake was you need to trust your own judgement on timing! Don’t trust the books or other sources, your eyes will tell you when your bake is done. RIP past burnt cookies and bread.
March 18, 2024
I was drawn to this book by its beautiful vibrant cover. The photographs, the recipes, and the text did not disappoint. It’s well laid out by category. That makes it easy to find things.
One of the rice recipes did scare me, though. It called for way too much salt and sugar. I thought that Japanese cooking was supposed to be healthy!?!
Here it is: Sumeshi ingredients. It makes 6 cups of rice to be used in other recipes.
“¾ cup sugar ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1-inch square of dried kombu 2 ⅔ cups rice vinegar 2 ¼ cups (3 rice-cooker cups) Japanese white rice, washed and drained (see Washing Rice, this page) 1 ¾ cups water”
One of the rice recipes did scare me, though. It called for way too much salt and sugar. I thought that Japanese cooking was supposed to be healthy!?!
Here it is: Sumeshi ingredients. It makes 6 cups of rice to be used in other recipes.
“¾ cup sugar ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1-inch square of dried kombu 2 ⅔ cups rice vinegar 2 ¼ cups (3 rice-cooker cups) Japanese white rice, washed and drained (see Washing Rice, this page) 1 ¾ cups water”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2025
I appreciate this Japanese cookbook for its beautiful pictures and seemingly simplistic recipes. It makes me want to visit the author’s Japanese restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. The only criticism I would have would be the use of a gas stove in some of the recipes, but the authors recognized it and offered suggestions using the oven.
March 30, 2024
Very traditional recipes - could be really good
August 25, 2024
Lots of good recipes! Most are somewhat complex but the author provides shortcuts
March 7, 2025
Disappointing and misleading from a Jewish perspective.
July 2, 2025
Really wonderful intro and really appreciated the family experience.
November 18, 2025
Beautiful book that is well written and easy to follow. Unfortunately this is one where I would only make a few of the recipes so all the others are lost to me.
September 24, 2023
This book was absolutely fantastic! It not only captivated me from start to finish, but it also provided an abundance of incredible recipes that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was so impressed by the content that I can't wait to add this gem to my personal collection in the near future.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews