The Illustrated Dictionary of Japanese Food is the kind of book I like to keep close

I like reference books that answer the question I actually have while I am cooking, not the one a catalog copywriter imagined.

The Illustrated Dictionary of Japanese Food looks useful in the best possible way. It sounds like the sort of book I would reach for when I wanted to know what an ingredient really is, how it fits into a dish, or why a translation online keeps missing the point.

That is my favorite kind of shelf companion. It does not need to be flashy. It just needs to make me smarter in the kitchen.

Get your copy: The Illustrated Dictionary of Japanese Food on Amazon