Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2011

The Boston Globe food writer Debra Samuels compiles 125 of her best Japanese recipes in the shiny, heavy and possessable My Japanese Table (Tuttle 2011, pp.176). Arriving in Japan in the early ’70s with her husband, Samuels went on a voyage of gourmet discovery, learning from the smells and tastes around her—and making hundreds of bento for her family. Recipes are presented with stunning photography and a clear design, plus some little insets (such as a pictorial guide to making rice balls). Try your hand at old classics like tonkatsu and matcha ice cream, and make use of her comprehensive bento guide (five colors, anyone?). ¥2,700, from all major bookstores.