🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4 out of 5 stars)
Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest reveiw.
Simply Hot Pots, the new offering from Amy Kimoto-Kahn, author of Simply Ramen, is a cookbook for anyone who wants to implement an easy, delicious set of staple meals into their family diet.
Kimoto-Kahn presents her relationship with the food she makes as something that naturally flows from her upbringing and her family background. In her introduction, she explains how her association with her mother's tight-knit group of Japanese-American women, The Dames, gave her an introduction to dinner parties and the deep social roots of eating food together. She lays out recipes in the book that are connected to her society and her heritage--family recipes, recipes from friends, and recipes inspired by those she loves (she mentions that her Beef Brisket disk is inspired by her Jewish mother-in-law.)
The author walks us through each step of hot pot cooking, or nabemono, a traditional Asian style of cooking which she describes as not only a complete meal in a single dish, but it is also delicious, affordable, and simple to make comfort food. She begins with helping you choose a donabe (clay pot) and telling you tips on how to cure it, or choosing an alternative to an earthenware pot altogether. She then has a helpful list of all the equipment she uses, and that you may need, for a successful hot pot dinner.
Recipes you will find in this book are often accompanied by beautiful photos which, at least in my case, were enough to make me want to start making hot pot meals tonight. There are many different types of broths and sauces you can make, most which include some animal products, but some which are vegetarian or vegan. I imagine that some of the others could be tweaked to make them vegetarian-friendly as well. There are sections for each type of protein you could want, whether pork, beef, poultry, or seafood, and--once again--a spattering of vegetarian options. Despite the name of the book, there's a little more than "simply" hot pots here, too--there are several side dishes and a few desserts (the photos for which made my mouth water!)
I am very much looking forward to nabemono in my own home after reading Simply Hot Pots!
