First, you need a donabe.... No problem! Moore has a blog and a company that sells donabe and other items made by Japanese artisans. Although donabes made from coarse clay are best for some purposes, there is some latitude. Therefore, (heresy!) I assume that one can use other cooking vessels, although the results—and certainly the aesthetics—will be less spectacular.

The recipes in this cookbook are divided into the following chapters, most of which are divided by vessel type:
• Classic-style donabe;
• Double-lid donabe rice cooker;
• Donabe for soup and stew;
• Donabe steamer;
• Tagine-style donabe;
• Donabe smoker; and
• Dashi, sauces and Condiments.

The introduction is an excellent introduction to both the vessels and donabe cookery. In addition, this cookbook includes a glossary, a section on cooking tools, and a list of resources.

I am also compelled to mention the luscious photos by Eric Wolfinger. It was his tasteful matte photos that persuaded me to buy this book. I am increasingly annoyed by the usually-enormous photo-packed cookbooks, but this book is as much about donabe, tradition, and aesthetics as it about the recipes. Also, thank goodness, this is not an oversized book.

Even the simplest recipes in this book look to be more nuanced than the norm. (For example, see the recipe for yu-dofu / simmered tofu in hot pot.)

Recipes that catch my eye: sun-dried mushroom and tofu hot pot (this requires the cook to sun-dry the mushrooms, a process that will take 3 hours to 1 day, depending on the weather... this could be a useful technique in general! xref: sun-dried mushrooms****; sun-drying mushrooms****; how to sun-dry mushrooms****); chicken meatballs in hot sesame miso broth; salmon and hijiki rice*** (I love hijiki!; this requires homemade salt-cured salmon and includes directions for salt-curing salmon); tofu and corn rice** (also includes quinoa, oyster sauce, and wood ears; my daughter might like this, and, lacking a donabe, I have suggested that she might cook the rice and quinoa in her rice cooker... yeah, yeah, I know...); oven-braised soybeans and vegetables**** (includes shirataki, hijiki, dried shiitake, carrots.... yum!! note, too, the comments that shirataki and konnyaku absorb flavor better when blanched, so that is not solely to eliminate the odor; my daughter might like this; xref: hijiki****); simmered hijiki salad**** (I have never thought of this as a salad, and I don’t think this version is a salad... this is related to the traditional hijiki-carrot-konnyaku-aburage mixture; this variant contains hijiki, dried shiitake, aburage, lotus root, and carrot [I can totally envision shiitake in this, but I am not sure about the lotus root... which my daughter doesn’t like anyway; xref: hijiki****... why am I thinking that gingko nuts would be a nice addition?); miso keema curry** (a bit odd, but my daughter might like this); braised spicy kabocha*** (reminds me of kaiseki ryori; xref: braised spicy winter squash*** / braised spicy butternut squash***); salmon chowder with miso-soymilk broth*** (see the vegan chowder base***; xef: vegan chowder {I am speaking of the base, not the salmon!]); sizzling tofu and mushrooms in miso sauce**; crunchy lotus root in black vinegar sauce*** (different; includes Japanese black vinegar [kurozu] or rice vinegar; also oyster sauce, etc.); kombu and shiitake dashi (vegan; xref: vegan dashi); yuzu ponzu; ponzu; and umami-rich soy sauce**** (umami soy sauce****).

Note that a traditional Japanese rice measuring cup (masu) holds 1 go (3/4 cup or 180ml) of rice.

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/2016/02/donabe-classic-and-modern-japanese-clay...

Reviewed for the Blogging for Books program ( )