Reiko Hashimoto is a chef who came to our attention during our recent trip to Japan. Born and raised in Kyoto, one of our favourite places from our travels, she now espouses the benefits of adopting a Japanese-inspired diet.

Her book ‘Cook Japan’ is packed full of beautiful recipes for dishes that are as pleasing on the eye as they are good for the waistline. Reiko’s philosophy when it comes to food is all about eating in a sustainable manner, using food as a tool for healthy living, but with tasty outcomes at the same time!

Her book is divided by the main ingredients found in each dish, with a section at the beginning describing what tools and utensils you’ll find come in handy for Japanese cooking. We don’t have many of the tools in the book, but this won’t hold you back from trying the recipes within it.

Many of the recipes teach you how to make traditional Japanese dishes, such as yellowtail sashimi with yuzu and truffle dressing, a decadent dish that looks impressive but doesn’t take much effort at all, apart from some careful preparation skills. Some, however, are a little more of a fusion with other cuisines you may be familiar with. Take, for instance, the white miso spaghetti carbonara – it sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it does!

At the end of the book there’s a section on sushi, an enlightening chapter that introduces you to such delights as eel and avocado roll, and soft shell crab roll, and then a section on pudding. The matcha souffle hasn’t yet made its way onto our dinner table, but we’re determined to give it a go before the year is out!

‘Cook Japan’ can be ordered online or found in good bookshops for around £25.