Master Cooking in Japan with The Ishikawa JET Kitchen

NOTE: As of October 2013, the Ishikawa JET Kitchen Cookbook is temporarily unavailable.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

 

Are all the new foods you’re finding at the supermarket a bit overwhelming? Have you been wracking your brain trying to convert your favorite chocolate chip recipe to your metric measuring cups? Are you sick of not knowing which flour you need for what kind of cooking?

Cooking in Japan can be a challenge, but now it just got a little bit easier with The Ishikawa JET Kitchen, an interactive digital cookbook from Ishikawa AJET. This cookbook is the brainchild of former Anamizu CIR Leah Zoller. With the help of a dedicated group of recipe contributors and testers, the penultimate cookbook that every JET should own. Whether you’re new to cooking, or a culinary whiz you will benefit from the wide range of traditional Japanese and homegrown recipes from Ishikawa JETs around the world.

Recipes for people with dietary restrictions have been tagged for easy searching – so whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, or keep gluten-free you can find what recipe will work for you in no time.

For only ¥1000 you can get over your fear of the supermarket and use your kitchen like a pro. All proceeds from The Ishikawa JET Kitchen will go to Second Harvest charity. If you like the cookbook, make sure to tell your friends, family and coworkers!

To get the Cookbook, please transfer your payment of ¥1000 to the Ishikawa AJET account:
Bank name 北國銀行（ほっこくぎんこう）
Branch name 宇野気支店（うのけしてん）
Acct number 381962
Acct name エージェットイシカワシブ
Please send an email with the subject line “Cookbook Payment” to ishikawaajet[at]gmail.com with your name as it appears on your bank book. We’ll email your copy of the cookbook once payment is confirmed.

Please not that a direct “buy now” option is no longer available.

Spring Submissions for the Ishikawa AJET Cookbook Project

First of all, thank you to all the new participants to the cookbook project! We’ve received a lot of wonderful recipes in the past month, and we’ve been busy testing them!

However, in order to properly test all the seasonal recipes we’ve been receiving at the IJET Cookbook Project Headquarters, we’ve decided to expand the project and create a new system of deadlines. The project will aim for completion in late spring 2011.

The deadlines will be extended in relation to the seasons.

We will be accepting recipes suitable for spring fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. through April 15, 2010.

Of course, recipes suitable for ingredients available year-round are always welcome, and we are are currently accepting recipes with out-of-season ingredients.

We also always need vegetarian, meat-optional, vegan and gluten-free recipes to help support the members of our community.

Want to submit a recipe? See the recipe guidelines here and email Leah at leah (dot) zoller (at) gmail (dot) com for more information. (If you need help with including the Japanese names of ingredients, let us know and we’ll help you.)

Better yet, join our team and become a recipe tester! Recipe testers receive one recipe to test every two weeks, although you’re certainly welcome to test and comment on more!

If you’re “graduating” from JET in summer 2010, that’s okay! We can still use your testing help during the time you’re here–and if you remain in Japan, you can stay on as a tester. Otherwise, you can still submit recipes you used in Japan after you go home or find new work. Also, if you’re a JET stationed outside Ishikawa or a non-JET living in Ishikawa, you can join, too!

Why is the Ishikawa JET Cookbook Project special? Unlike other English-language or side-by-side bilingual cookbooks, this cookbook will feature bilingual ingredient lists IN the text of the recipe; helpful hints for locating those ingredients at the store; and recipes suited for your Japanese kitchen in terms of size and equipment.

What does this mean for you? No more wondering whether “green onions” means wakegi or aonegi! No more cookie recipes with yields of 40 meant for full-size American ovens! No more wondering why the curry powder isn’t with the other spices! No more selecting recipes only to find out that the ingredients are out -of-season in Japan! No more converting to metrics or wondering why someone decided to measure flour in milliliters!

Our aim is to create a cookbook full of recipes you don’t have to research, because we’ve done all the footwork for you. (Plus, you can expand your Japanese vocabulary with our side-by-side bilingual ingredient lists!)

Happy spring, and happy spring cooking! We hope you’ll join us!

Leah Zoller is a first-year CIR in Anamizu and often wonders if it is better to be feared than loved.