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RICE, NOODLE, FISH

Name: RICE, NOODLE, FISH
Author: Matt Goulding
ISBN: 978-0-06-239403-3

DEEP TRAVELS THROUGH JAPAN'S FOOD CULTURE

by Matt Goulding edited by Nathan Thornburgh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 27, 2015

A food connoisseur expertly unravels the intricate dance surrounding food in Japan.

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A gourmand's tour through Japan.

Roads & Kingdoms editor and co-founder Goulding, who co-authored the bestselling Eat This, Not That! series, takes readers to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, and Noto, chronicling his wanderings through the streets, bars, teahouses, and restaurants of each locale. Throughout the book, the author brings to light the food found in these cities. In Japan, eating, cooking, preparing, and even selecting the food products to cook are near-sacred tasks. The Japanese transform what many might consider mundane chores into sublime acts of devotion, where time slows down and reverence is as much a key ingredient as the freshness of the food. Through Goulding's eyes, ears, and especially his mouth, readers can sense the perfection that each shokunin ("an artisan deeply and singularly dedicated to his or her craft") strives for as he or she dedicates his or her life to cooking just one item—e.g., grilled beef intestines or buckwheat noodles—constantly tweaking ingredients, heat, and timing to reach a transcendent state of food ecstasy. Thanks to Goulding's obvious love of the exotic and his ability to write mouthwatering descriptions of food, readers will appreciate the smells and tastes of gizzard shad, cod sperm, dried sea cucumber ovaries, and numerous other animal and seafood parts many would never consider eating. The author munches and crunches his way through bite-sized portions of sushi, soups, dumplings, and noodles, washed down by rounds of sake, to bring readers an epicurean bonanza in addition to insights into the men and women who have devoted their lives to the perfection of certain dishes. Though it does not contain recipes, the book will whet readers' appetites for fresh, flavorful foods and inspire them to travel to Japan to taste the country’s main delicacies.

A food connoisseur expertly unravels the intricate dance surrounding food in Japan.

Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-06-239403-3

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Harper Wave

Review Posted Online: June 22, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
GRAPE, OLIVE, PIG
by Matt Goulding edited by Nathan Thornburgh

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.