For anyone who has ever watched a Studio Ghibli film, and any genre of Anime, you will know that passion for food is one of the essentials of this art. For many of us, the response to the beautifully drawn dishes and the sense of awe and euphoria that over takes the characters is: HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS AMAZING FOOD?!?!?!? Well, thanks to Nadine Estero that question has finally been answered. The Anime Chef Cookbook is filled with delicious recipes that are easy to follow and created delicious dishes. In addition to the details of how to create these dishes, each recipe gives detailed information regarding which show or movie and episode that the recipe was inspired by. I highly recommend the After Practice Nikuman with its savory filling wrapped in the thin steamed dough, and the Ohagai rice balls with the chewy outer layer of glutinous rice and the rich creamy filling of bean paste.
The Anime Chef Cookbook by Nadine Estero, (List Price: $24.99, Rock Point, 9781631068669, September 2022)
Reviewed by Gretchen Shuler, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina