Korean Homestyle Cooking is jam packed with recipes and appetizing looking food. From galbi and japchae to quick kimchi and even a few desserts, this cookbook boasts a wide range of food.

I won’t deny that I was a little perplexed by the author being Japanese, so I decided that the best thing to do was to try something. Last week, I made the Korean Style Garlic Fried Chicken (certainly not the most complicated dish, but hey, who can say no to fried chicken). The instructions were easy to follow and the ingredients list for this and other dishes is relatively simple. Admittedly, I already have a stocked pantry for Korean / Asian cooking, so this dish was made all the simpler by the fact that I only needed to buy the chicken. But even if your kitchen isn’t like mine, the ingredients in here are relatively easy to find (er, she says as she inserts a picture of a recipe requiring shiso leaves…oh well, don’t make those if you don’t live near an H Mart.)

One thing which I will mention that it’s visually jam packed with pictures, little tips, and other recommendations. I find this personally a little overwhelming on the eyes, but they certainly are being very economic with their white space, and those who are less familiar with Korean food will likely appreciate the tips and tricks. The letters next to the ingredients lists (see above Grilled Beef Short Ribs) also helpfully indicate all the things that go in at various stages, helpful for your mise en place.

While Korean Homestyle Cooking won’t rank as my favorite Korean cookbook, it’s very friendly to beginners and the pictures will definitely make your mouth water.