Harumi Kurihara

Credit: Courtesy Octopus Publishing Group

The cookbook author and television host Harumi Kurihara is as well known in Japan as Martha Stewart is here. But she's a stranger to most Americans. That's too bad, because her cookbooks—three have been translated into English—are fantastic. My favorite is Everyday Harumi (Conran Octopus, 2009). Many of the recipes call for only five or six ingredients, and she suggests substitutions for items you might not have on hand. Now dishes like mackerel in miso, quick-pickled cucumbers, and green beans with sesame sauce are in regular rotation at my house. Thank you, Harumi. —Christopher Michel, Brooklyn, New York