I always put something special in my food-my heart, or kokoro as we say in Japanese-and, you, of course, must put your own heart into your own cooking." --Nobu Matsuhisa * Nobu is one of the most loved and best-known celebrity chefs in North America, respected as a culinary innovator of easily prepared, culturally fused Japanese cuisine. Nobu draws upon his extensive training in Tokyo and his life abroad in Peru, Argentina, and Alaska, as well as his own Michelin-rated, award-winning restaurants worldwide, to create unusual and ingenious East-meets-West dishes like Chilled Pea Shoot Soup with Caviar, Oysters with Pancetta, Iberian Pork Shabu Shabu, and the Japanese Mojito, which herald his ability to explore a confluence of cultures and tastes. Nobu style is synonymous with flexibility, freshness, quality, and above all, simplicity. "Nobu West" is for cooks of all experience levels, providing advice; descriptions of unfamiliar flavorings, ingredients, and techniques; and helpful step-by-step illustrations along with tantalizing, full-color photographs.