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Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking Plus Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce Recipe

food-and-drink-button-185x185With comprehensive wine encyclopedias and clear, easy-to-follow cookbooks – the selection in the DK Canada Food & Drink Boutique of DK’s illustrated epicurean titles will be sure to please your favourite foodie! All the books in the boutique are specially priced for a limited time at 30% off!

I was sent a selection of cookbooks from the Food & Drink Boutique which will be taking me on a short tour of the world.  The first book I shared with you was The Provencal Cookbook by Guy Gedda & Marie-Pierre Moine along with a recipe for Veal Chops with Pine Nuts.  Now I would like to share with you Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking by Masaharu Morimoto. (Incidentally my most favourite Iron Chef…  have I ever said how addicted I am to the Food Network?)

9780756631239HThe cooking of Chef Masaharu Morimoto, the Japanese Iron Chef from the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America, has distinctive Japanese roots, yet it is actually, as Morimoto himself calls it “ global cooking for the 21st century”. Morimoto has created a unique cuisine that is characterized by beautiful Japanese colour and aromas while the preparation infuses multicultural influences such as Chinese spices and Italian ingredients, presented in a refined French style.

Published this month by DK, Morimoto’s first-ever book, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking brings all these elements together for the home cook. Featuring 125 incredible and accessible recipes, including Tuna Pizza and mouth-watering Bouillabaisse to sinfully rich Chocolate Tart with White Chocolate Sorbet, this magnificently photographed cookbook includes amazing step by step photography as well as special features explaining Chef Morimoto’ cooking techniques and plating philosophies. “ Going to a restaurant is like going to the theatre, “ says Chef Morimoto, and no other restaurant experience exemplifies this sentiment like Morimoto’s restaurants. Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking is the first truly accessible cookbook from one of the master performers of the culinary world.

Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking is such a beautiful book, I literally spent several hours just looking through it when it first arrived.  Aesthetically, this cookbook is fabulous with lots of full-page, colour pictures.  There are even detailed photo-spreads demonstrating various techniques.  By the time I had finished taking in all the gorgeous photos I was ready to get cooking.   Then I realized that almost every recipe contains hard-to-find ingredients such as morin, white miso sauce, dashi etc..  Perhaps not impossible to find but would require a trip to an asian market to get.  This isn’t a problem as I live in an urban area where there are several I can drive to, but this may pose a problem and further planning for those without easy access to Asian ingredients.  The Glossary also explains the more obscure ingredients and details where they can be found to make life a little easier for the home cook.

That said, as soon as my pregnancy is over I can’t wait to get cooking more from this book!  This book is great for anyone wanting to experience first hand Morimoto’s unique flavours.  

Morimoto is separated into 8 chapters of recipes, along with an introduction, Glossary and Index.  Chapter include Sashimi and Sushi; Rice, Noodles, Breads and Soups; Fish and Shellfish; Duck, Chicken, Pork, Beef and Lamb; Vegetables, Tofu and Eggs; Recipes to Contemplate; Desserts; Stocks, Oils, Spices and Sauces.

I personally prepared his recipe for Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce as I knew all the ingredients were easily sourced and I loved the Japanese-Italian fusion that was taking place.  The instructions were simple and clear, especially paired with the photo demonstrations.  The end result was quite good, much better than I had expected and I would make it again for a dinner party.  The only issue was that it was a little over-salted but I assume that is because I salted my water to taste like sea water as I do with real pasta.  My bad.  Next time I will use a little less salt.  

 

Daikon Fettuccine with Tomato-Basil Sauce

from Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking

Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce Recipe

By now, you’ve probably figured out I am very fond of visual puns. Here ribbons of daikon, the mild oversized white Japanese radish, pose as pasta. They are tossed with a quick tomato sauce spiked with a generous amount of fresh basil. The dish is light and Is best served as a first course.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (450 g) diakon
  • 1 can (14½ ounces/400 g) plum tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ to 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. With a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of the daikon; discard the skin. Continue to peel down the length of the vegetable, removing the daikon in long, narrow ribbons, which look like noodles. Soak the “fettuccine” in a bowl of cold salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, make the Tomato-Basil Sauce: Drain the tomatoes, reserving half of the juice. Squeeze the tomatoes through your fingers to mash them and combine with juice; there will be about 2 cups.
  3. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their reserved juice, the sugar, and the salt. Boil vigorously, stirring often, until the sauce is thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Drain the “noodles” and dry them on a kitchen towel. Add to the sauce and toss gently over medium heat, taking care not to break the Daikon Fettuccine. Cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Divide among individual plates, teasing the fettuccine into mounds. Serve immediately.

Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce Recipe

Daikon Fettuccine with Tomato-Basil Sauce
Yield: 3

Daikon Fettuccine with Tomato-Basil Sauce

By now, you’ve probably figured out I am very fond of visual puns. Here ribbons of daikon, the mild oversized white Japanese radish, pose as pasta. They are tossed with a quick tomato sauce spiked with a generous amount of fresh basil. The dish is light and Is best served as a first course.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound diakon, 450 g
  • 1 can plum tomatoes, 14½ ounces/400 g
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ to 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. With a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of the daikon; discard the skin. Continue to peel down the length of the vegetable, removing the daikon in long, narrow ribbons, which look like noodles. Soak the “fettuccine” in a bowl of cold salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, make the Tomato-Basil Sauce: Drain the tomatoes, reserving half of the juice. Squeeze the tomatoes through your fingers to mash them and combine with juice; there will be about 2 cups.
  3. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their reserved juice, the sugar, and the salt. Boil vigorously, stirring often, until the sauce is thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Drain the “noodles” and dry them on a kitchen towel. Add to the sauce and toss gently over medium heat, taking care not to break the Daikon Fettuccine. Cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Divide among individual plates, teasing the fettuccine into mounds. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1 grams

Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce Recipe

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review.   All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

MPaula

Sunday 27th of July 2014

For 2 days in a row, I pinned a recipe with daikon. I must get a big one and try both.

Terri S

Monday 2nd of June 2014

This looks good. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

kathy downey

Saturday 19th of April 2014

This recipe sounds interesting i think i will try give it a try

Darlene Schuller

Sunday 12th of January 2014

Oh this looks absolutely fabulous... thank you so much for sharing your awesomeness with us!

Susan T.

Wednesday 18th of December 2013

I'm gluten free so using daikon instead of noodles is perfect! I'll have to try it!

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