May 19, 2014
In their second collaboration, Sone and Doumani (Terra: Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley) deftly tackle the art of making sushi at home. The authors cover a lot of ground, from the history of sushi and sashimi and the proper manner in which to choose fish and shellfish, to a detailed outline of etiquette on how to eat sushi and what to drink with it. Each ingredient, utensil, and technique is accompanied by pictures assist home cooks. The authors break down the process with step-by-step instructions, whether the focus is on the classic nigiri with tuna and California roll or the more exciting gunkan-maki with broiled sake-marinated black cod (Gindara), and sushi rice-stuffed Monterey squid (Ika) with sea urchin (Uni). Unfortunately, the pictures of each dish aren’t on the same page as the text that explains how to prepare it, thus calling for a lot of flipping back and forth. Despite this inconvenience, the visuals running throughout the book are exciting, and the concise instructions help make this book ideal for anyone with an interest in making sushi.