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A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.
Donabe (doh-nah-bei) is Japanese for clay pot. It is traditional Japanese earthen cookware and its popularity has waxed and waned with the centuries. Today donabe cooking is a family (and friends) activity, bringing people closer together with communal dining. The book features traditional as well as modern donabe recipes created by the authors and takes readers through the history, manufacture and culture of the donabe.
The authors Takei-Moore and Connaughton create an intimate communal experience with the narrative and sharing of stories. Each recipe begins with a bit of an anecdote, such as “I’ve been making this dish for years, and it’s also one of the most popular rice dishes in my cooking class.” Then the instructions follow with tips and reminders, and include serving suggestions. We can almost hear Ms. Takei-Moore gently instructing her students, “Using a paring knife, score the skin of the duck breast … Be careful not to penetrate the meat.”
Aspiring donabe chefs need not think they have to acquire many different donabe (although that might be fun!). The authors encourage experimentation and provide instructions for using a classic donabe or even a dutch oven if you do not have the type of donabe specified. The book itself is a delightfully sumptuous eyeful with beautiful photographs of different donabe, ingredients and finished dishes. Sturdily constructed with heavy glossy pages that are sewn in, the book falls open flat just like you’d want a cook book to.
Donabe is delightful reading and the recipes are authentic, delicious and most are not complicated or difficult for the beginner to make. I loved reading and leafing through the book, trying out the recipes and extending my knowledge of “hot pot” cooking with a Japanese flavor. Interestingly enough, until I read the book, I had not heard of shime – a recipe that uses the remaining broth of the donabe recipe if it is a soup or stew to create an end-of-the-meal dish. Don’t just drink up the broth, create yet another course! – Carolyn Koh
THE US SICS ITS ROBOT DRONE ARMY ON CANADA’S WATER SUPPLY IN WE STAND ON GUARD
We Stand on Guard by Brian K. Vaughan (author), Steve Skroce (artist) and Matt Hollingsworth (artist) Image Comics 2016, 160 pages, 7.3 x 11.1 x 0.6 inches (hardcover)
You know those cheeky jokes about the United States invading Canada? No one is laughing in Brian K. Vaughn’s We Stand on Guard, an extremely tense, often brutal, military sci-fi thriller with an obvious political point to make.
Some 100 years in the future, an allegedly Canadian drone strike on the White House destroys it, killing the president. The US responds with everything it’s got while Canada screams false flag attack, an excuse for the US to come after Canada’s precious water resources (which, surprise, the US is plumb out of). The US deploys its immense drone arsenals, including giant, stompy mecha robots, and “hoser ships,” aerial tankers that fly over Canada sucking up all of her water. The story in the book revolves around a group of Canadian guerilla fighters trying to repel the US occupation.
While the subject matter is intense and the pacing of the book rarely lets you catch your breath, there is levity, too. There are plenty of insider Canadian jokes, a character from Quebec whose French dialog is never translated, and an ongoing bit about Superman having Canadian roots (he was co-created by Canadian artist Joseph Shuster). And while there is plenty of action, with everything from skirmish combat to giant, all-out battlefield hellfire, this is a very dialog-driven book and a book that is chalk full of interesting speculative tech and a believable near-future world.
A country being occupied by a vastly superior high-tech military, with questionable evidence to justify its actions, and irresistable natural resources that just happen to be sorely needed by the invaders… Hmmm, where have we heard this story before? Having the enemy be Canada, not Iraq, definitely changes the way that you relate to the guerillas and your shifting allegences to who the “good guys” actually are. This hardcover edition, collecting the first six issues of the series, is beautifully produced. Besides the series, there is a sketchbook in the back showing dozens of artist Steve Skroche’s sketches and pre-colored panels. – Gareth Branwyn
BTW: I found that this book had a lot of thematic and stylistic similarities, as well as a similar level of white-knuckled ferocity, to Letter 44. If you enjoyed that series, you’ll probably want to check out We Stand on Guard.
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