REVIEW – The Complete Guide to Sushi and Sashimi

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The Complete Guide to Sushi and Sashimi: Includes 625 step-by-step photographs

• Author: Jeffrey Elliot & Robby Cook
• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: Robert Rose; Spi edition (October 9, 2015)
• ISBN-10: 0778805204
• ISBN-13: 978-0778805205
• Cover price $29.95

Sushi isn’t tricky to make so long as you have the right utensils and some patience to get acquainted with the techniques. All it takes is practice and, in no time at all, you’ll be making sumptuous sushi that will wow your family and friends.

This incredible book will provide you with all the information you need to get started — from ingredients and equipment to fish butchery, making perfect rice, plating techniques and so much more. You’ll learn how vitally important knife selection is and the differences between Japanese and Western equivalents.

With full color throughout, 500 photographs, a user-friendly concealed Wire-O binding and hundreds of tips and techniques, this sushi book is sure to become the go-to guide for sushi and sashimi lovers, whether novice or experienced.

Ingredients certainly take center stage and here Robby Cook shares his extensive experience with fluke (hirame), octopus (tako), red snapper (tai) and many other types of fish and seafood.

Sushi, maki, sashimi, nigiri, oshizushi — it’s all here, from the California and dragon rolls we’re all familiar with to tantalizing clam and sea urchin recipes.

Jeffrey Elliot is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He was Director of Culinary Relations for Zwilling J.A. Henckels, Demeyere and Staub, as well as the Executive Chef of Zwilling J.A. Henckels USA . Jeffrey lives Philadelphia, PA.

Robby Cook is the executive sushi chef at one of New York City’s most respected and influential sushi restaurants. Robby resides in NYC.

I know next to nothing about sushi, other than the fact that it looks good. My son’s girlfriend absolutely loves it. I was curious what was entailed in making sushi, and this book certainly did help me have a better understanding.

Chapters included are:

• Part 1: The Basics
• Part 2: Sashimi
  * Sliced Raw Fish and Seafood
• Part 3: Sushi
  * Sushi Ricce
  * Hand-Shaped Sushi (Nigiri)
  * Battleship Sushi (Gunkanmaki)
  * Scattered Suchi (Chirashi)
  * Pressed Sushi (Oshizushi)
  * Rolled Sushi (Makizushi)
  *Stuffed Sushi (Inarizushi)
  *Presentation

If you have questions on making sushi, there’s an excellent chance that this cookbook can answer them. Over 500 color step-by-step photos help you make your way through the recipes. The recipes and tutorials are very clearly written and easy to understand. So, whether you learn better by reading or seeing, the book has a way for you to learn. The recipes are based on a traditional style of preparation, and create a good foundation for those interested in mastering the art of making sushi. The basics chapter is more than just a chapter, it’s a whole section of the book. This section takes you through all of the steps to making sushi that come before the recipe, including what ingredients you need, why knife selection is important, how to make the rice and much more. The recipes are all very detailed, while remaining easy to understand. Tips and variations are included frequently. The book has a wire binding that allows it to lay flat while in use, a feature I love to see in a cookbook. This cookbook is a must have for anyone that enjoys sushi or is interested in making it.

Here are six facts about making sushi, courtesy of the book’s authors Jeffrey Elliot and Robby Cook.