Iron Chef: The Official Book - Hardcover

Fuji Television

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0425180883 ISBN 13: 9780425180884

Publisher: Berkley Hardcover, 2001

Synopsis

A behind-the-scenes look at the popular Food Network program offers an episode guide, interviews with the Iron Chefs, and menus and recipes created for the show.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Iron Chef Meet the Iron Chefs Yutaka Ishinabe
Born in 1948, in Yokohama City, Kanagawa-ken. Entered the culinary world at the age of 16 and apprenticed all over Japan. Returned to Tokyo at 18 years old and joined "Frére Jacques" as a chef. Increased business at this restaurant, and spread his name as an intelligent, able chef. Shortly afterward, left for France and studied there, furthering his abilities as a chef. Returned to Japan 5 years later, at the age of 27. Opened his own restaurant, Queen Alice, in 1984, at the age of 34.
The Queen Alice Guesthouse, near the Queen Alice, is designed according to Ishinabes taste. He personally helped in the interior design and chose all the dishware. The result is a restaurant with a charming ambience. There is a wide variety of dishes to choose from, and the flexibility is pleasing. Not confining himself to cooking just French, Ishinabe has now ventured into Chinese and ethnic cuisines.

Rokusaburo Michiba
Born in 1931, in Ishikawa prefecture, to a family that dealt in tea ceremony objects. Interested in cooking since childhood; especially particular about the type of dishware used to serve his dishes. Apprenticed in famous restaurants in Kobe, Kanazawa, and Tokyo. After working at Akasaka’s Akasaka Jobanya, opened, at age 40, the Ginza Rokusan-Tei in Ginza, where culinary connoisseurs flock.
The ambience of the Ginza Rokusan-Tei is calming. There are several tables, as well as counter seats. It is on the eighth and ninth floors of a building in Ginza. There is a clear view of the kitchen from the seats on the eighth floor. Here you will have the opportunity to view Michiba, known as "the god of Japanese cuisine" and "the rebel of the culinary world," in action. He also owns the Poisson Rokusaburo, which is more relaxed, with an open kitchen.

Chen Kenichi
Born in 1956, in Tokyo. His father, Chen Kenmin, introduced Szechwan cooking to Japan and created the much-loved "shrimp in chili sauce." Popular Chinese dishes today, like the hoho chicken and mabo tofu, are based on Szechwan cooking. Inherited his father’s Japanese-style Szechwan cooking.
After graduating from Tamagawa University, apprenticed in Shisen Hanten (Szechwan Fandian).
At the Akasaka Shinsen Hanten, Szechwan cooking, called the world’s most progressed cooking, and Chen’s philosophy of "Cooking is love" can be experienced. Real Szechwan cooking, being too spicy for most other palates, has been refined. Chen is responsible for running the Shisen Hanten group, now found in Akasaka, Ikebukuro, Kisarazu, Hiroshima, and Ogura.

Hiroyuki Sakai
Born in 1942 in Kagoshima Prefecture. Interested in cooking since childhood. Always determined to be a financially successful chef. Joined the Shin Osaka Hotel in Osaka as an apprentice at the age of 17. At 19, flew to Australia to apprentice at the Hotel Oriental for a year and a half. Upon returning to Japan, apprenticed for 3 years at the restaurant Shiki in the Ginza district, under the late Fujio Shiwata. After working as a chef at Aoyama’s Coco Palms and Roppongi’s John Kanaya, opened his own restaurant La Rochelle in Aoyama at the age of 38. The shop later moved to Shibuya.
The view from the restaurant, situated on the 32nd floor, is spectacular. While guarding the tradition of French cuisine, Sakai is flexible enough to try new types of dishes. The result is a hearty, romantic cooking, unlike anything anywhere else. Sakai has plans to open a restaurant in New York City in the near future.

Koumei Nakamura
Born in 1947 in Shimabara City, Nagasaki Prefecture. Entered the culinary world at the age of 18; apprenticed in restaurants such as the Oriental Hotel in Osaka. At 33 years of age, joined the restaurant Nadaman in the Hotel New Otani. After working as the head chef of Nadaman Singapore in the Shangri La Hotel, returned to Japan at the age of 45. Became the manager of Nadaman in the Hotel New Otani.
Nakamura’s original style of cooking, reflecting his time in Singapore, is an eclectic mix of Chinese and French qualities. He has succeeded in creating his own world of Japanese cooking. He has now opened his own restaurant, Koumei, in Ariake. This new restaurant, with its tranquil interior, is a place where one can experience both the traditional and avant-garde flavors of Japanese food.

Katsuhiko Kobe
Entered the world of Italian cuisine upon his graduation from university. In 1994, joined the Italian restaurant known as the epitome of Italian cooking, the Enoteca Pinccioli in Florence. At his new restaurant customers will be able to taste Kobe’s classic, yet creative cooking.

Masaharu Morimoto
Entered the world of sushi as an apprentice at the age of 18. In 1984, moved to New York where he first joined the Sony Club as the head chef of Japanese food. Went on to become the head chef at Robert De Niro’s famous restaurant, Nobu.
The Father of Neo-Japanese cuisine will be opening his own restaurants in Philadelphia and New York City. Morimoto (723 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia) will be opening in Spring 2001 and the New York restaurant is scheduled to open later in the year.

--From Iron Chef: The Official Book (c) May 2001, Berkley books, used by permission.

From Booklist:

Although the Japanese build many of America's television sets, Japan has contributed little to television programming beyond Godzilla and Saturday morning cartoons. So who would have suspected that they'd take the U.S. by storm with their hit cable cooking show, Iron Chef? Speaking the international language of good eating and using over-the-top showmanship, the culturally revealing show has attracted an ardent following. Fans of the Food Network's series will revel in Iron Chef: The Official Book , jam-packed with chronologies and other tidbits about this hour-long video extravaganza that mixes cooking shows, sports, game shows, and plenty of showbiz pyrotechnics. The book documents the show's genesis from an idea of Takeshi Kaga, the spectacularly coifed chairman of the Gourmet Academy. Diehard fans who follow the art and the antics of these gifted chefs will create plenty of demand for this exhaustively detailed guide to the show. Recipes are for experts only, but those who want to eat the Iron Chefs' creations may use the book's inventory of the worldwide restaurants where iron chefs cook for the public. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0425180883
• ISBN 13: 9780425180884
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320