Description:
Trevor Hooper of Raku Restaurant in Vancouver, B.C., shows how to add Japanese izakaya to the Spanish tapas, Mediterranean mezze, and Chinese dim sum already in your repertoire of small dishes from around the world. In Japan, izakaya are served at pub-type drinking halls. Hooper creates his own wildly eclectic versions, using a fusion of European and Asian techniques and ingredients, along with spot prawns, salmon jerky, and other uniquely local items from the Pacific Northwest. Recipes are grouped by the four seasons and presented in sections titled "Looking East" and "Looking West." Orange-Spice Lamb Shanks, Asparagus with Mustard Butter, and herbed new potatoes steamed in butter and garlic found in the "Looking West" sections require ingredients stocked at most local supermarkets, but Asian ingredients are needed for many of the Eastern-style dishes, from fresh Chinese vegetables to tamarind paste, mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine), and other staples. The sushi section focuses on maki, rolled sushi. Many use cooked ingredients in the filling, as in the Chicken Satay Sushi Roll. Reach for this book when you want to give your taste buds a treat and apply your kitchen skills in new ways. --Dana Jacobi
| 
