An exquisite but refreshingly down to earth guide to everyday Japanese and Yoshoku (think East meets West) cooking, with recipes that inspire and invite.
Nigella LawsonThis book is Emiko's triumphant homecoming, an evocative journey that illustrates the power of food to keep our heritage alive. This is a moving tribute not only to her own family history, but is also a celebration of the indelible everyday meals made by the mothers and grandmothers of Japan.
Hetty Lui McKinnonEmiko's images are like looking through the eyes of a dear friend, and her food overflows with soul.
Adam LiawA lovely book, sincere, personal and full of grace and beauty. It also makes Japanese cooking accessible.
Diana HenrySimple, warm, home-cooked Japanese food -- the book I have been waiting for from Emiko.
Tessa Kiros
Winner Best Cookery Book of the Year, Fortnum & Masons Food & Drink Awards, 2025!
Simple, everyday Japanese cooking from best-selling author Emiko Davies.
Practically any home-cooked Japanese meal revolves around rice. It sits beside miso soup, pickles, tofu and a piece of grilled fish at breakfast. It soaks up the sauce in a comforting donburi bowl, or is wrapped in nori for the ultimate portable lunch – onigiri. And it’s there for dinner, perhaps served with a pickled plum, some mild Japanese curry, braised fish or even a Japanese-style Hamburg steak.
The everyday meals, cooked in the homes of Japanese mothers and grandmothers, is the food that Emiko grew up with. They’re the dishes she makes for her own children: simple, satisfying food like tamagonogohan (stir fried egg and rice), soba noodle soup, Japanese curry, yakisoba, and miso soup, prepared with whatever seasonal vegetables happen to be around.
Unlike what many people think, Japanese home cooking is not fiddly, nor time consuming. It’s quick and remarkably simple, thanks to the Japanese philosophy that fresh, seasonal food doesn’t need much to enhance its natural flavour.
Read more about the story behind this cookbook here.
Published by Smith Street Books (September 2023 in the US and UK, 1 November in Australia). Available in Italian from September 2025 by Slow Food Editore. Translated into French and German.
Designed by Evi O. Photographs by Emiko Davies, Hana Davies and Yuki Sugiura.
Awards:
Selected Press:
