Sam Okamoto, one of Vancouver's premier chefs and restaurateurs, has developed a unique approach to food-one that combines his vast knowledge of the health-giving aspects of food with traditional Japanese cooking techniques, Western-style cuisine, and a vegan vegetarian menu. In Sam Okamoto's Incredible Vegetables, readers get an encyclopedia of nature's gifts for the body and how they should best be prepared for their full curative and health value.

Originally trained as a French chef, Sam returned to his Asian roots several years ago, searching for an alternative to the typical North American diet: high in saturated fat, refined, and with an excessive amount of animal protein. His research into fats and oils, additives, preservatives, and sugar irrevocably altered his direction in cooking.

"The more I studied, the more I understood the completeness of Asian food," he says. "The foods that I was accustomed to eating while I was growing up had a long history and wisdom to go with them. They were very simple, pleasant, tasty, and nutritious."

Okamoto begins with basic ingredients; he lists all of those that can provide the necessary balance of vitamins and minerals for healthy living. Cooking techniques and how they affere the foods we eat are also on his agenda. He covers the pros and cons of steaming, boiling, frying, etc. Finally, there are more than 225 practical applications of this wellness program in the form of savory dishes that ward off any fears that healthy eating is dull and lacks flavor.

About the Author
Osamu (Sam) Okamoto has earned a reputation as an innovator in food styles and nutrition. Beginning his training at Hakata Imperial hotel in Hakata City, Japan, he later studied under master chef Marcel Kretz at La Sapini?re in Quebec. In 1972 he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he began as a restaurant owner and consultant, revamping menus to incorporate new recipes and cooking styles.

SAM OKAMOTO'S INCREDIBLE VEGETABLES
By Osamu Okamoto
336 pp. 8 x 9?
29 Illustrations  Charts  Notes  Bibliography  Index
ISBN: 9781565540255 hc