Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone: a Cookbook

Learn the building blocks of authentic Japanese home cooking with 85 satisfying, soulful, everyday recipes from the beloved BuzzFeed Tasty food personality

“Rie’s marvelous recipes taught me new things about familiar ingredients, and reconnected me with the wonderful Japanese home cooking that I have always loved.”—Nobu Matsuhisa, chef and owner, Nobu Restaurant Group

A BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR: Los Angeles Times, NPR, Good Housekeeping

Make It Japanese reflects Rie McClenny journey from her birthplace of Japan to the United States and how she learned to cook heartfelt recipes from scratch, often using only ingredients from her local supermarket. Throughout her culinary career, from home cook to star of BuzzFeed Tasty’s “Make It Fancy” video series, she has drawn inspiration from the nourishing food her mother cooked throughout her childhood and her extensive knowledge of Japanese cuisine and ingredients that she brought to life in an American kitchen.

In her debut cookbook, Rie shares just how approachable Japanese home cooking can be, no matter where you are. She presents a collection of comforting, homestyle recipes that use just a handful of easy-to-find Japanese ingredients, such as soy sauce, mirin, and sake, and simple, essential cooking techniques, like making rice bowls (donburi), frying the perfect home-style tempura, and gently simmering vegetables and proteins to delicious effect.

Each accompanied by bright, beautiful photography, these delectable recipes include:

• Traditional dishes with a twist: Loaded Vegetable Miso Soup with kale and sweet potatoes, Roasted Cauliflower Goma-ae coated in toasted sesame dressing, umami-packed Easy Soy Sauce Ramen, and Mini Okonomiyaki pancakes
• Can’t-miss classics: delectable pork Tonkatsu, ginger-spiked Chicken-Tofu Tsukune, and Oyako Don, rice bowls topped with tender chicken thighs and egg
• Interactive, hands-on recipes for festive gatherings: Chicken Hot Pot with Ponzu perfect for a winter’s night, can’t stop Gyoza with Crispy Wings, and make-your-own hand rolls for a Temaki Party
• And of course, dessert: the iconic Simple Strawberry Shortcake, irresistible Matcha Snacking Cake, and delightful Citrus Mochi Doughnuts

Whether making dinner on a busy weeknight or hosting a multi-course banquet, Make It Japanese is the ideal resource and perfect introduction to the world of Japanese cuisine, ingredients, and cooking techniques.

Rie McClenny is a food video producer for BuzzFeed Tasty and a popular culinary content creator. Rie moved to the United States from Hiroshima Japan nearly sixteen years ago to pursue a culinary degree from the International Culinary Center. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.

Sanaë Lemoine is the author of The Margot Affair. Born in Paris to a Japanese mother and French father, she was raised in France and Australia. She is a former cookbook editor at Phaidon and Martha Stewart. She lives in Brooklyn.