Lovers of organic and local food products will rejoice in Japanese Farm Food, a fresh look at Japanese-style cooking from Nancy Singleton Hachisu. Kenji Miura's beautiful color photographs lend a luscious backdrop to Hachisu's personal stories and recipes, which revolve around the food she and her family grow--"bold, clear, and direct... uncomplicated and intuitive." Udon noodles, cauliflower with miso and sesame, ginger-stuffed steamed snapper, white peach ice cream and sesame brittle are just some of the refreshing dishes. Hachisu emphasizes the use of ratios and logical proportions instead of definitive amounts, thus allowing flexibility in using the best and freshest items available on the farm or at the market. "It is this element of serendipity," she writes, "that makes cooking from the farm so creatively stimulating." Cooks will find their creative and digestive juices stirred after making some of Hachisu's dishes. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and reviewer