Cookbooks don’t just provide instructions for recipes; they connect food with storytelling, both visual and narrative, and are your kitchen guides to help create delicious memories with family and friends. Join LAist and the James Beard Foundation for these nights of culinary connection and exploration.
Discover the heart of Japanese donabe cooking with simple yet delicious one-pot dishes from a renowned culinary expert and owner of TOIRO in West Hollywood, Naoko Takei Moore.Donabe are the Japanese earthenware pots that have been used in Japan for centuries, and continue to be loved for their efficiency and beauty. In her new cookbook, Simply Donabe, Moore showcases how you can create Japanese one-pot dishes at home and guide you towards incorporating donabe into your daily life – donabe is not just cookware, but it’s a way of life that brings joy and nourishment to everyday cooking.
On October 8, Moore will demonstrate a donabe recipe live onstage and chat with LAist food & culture writer Gab Chabrán. You can pre-order the cookbook with your ticket purchase or purchase onsite from our bookseller partner Now Serving. Guests will enjoy a savory pre-show snack from Mama Masubi and a sweet post-show treat from the legendary Little Tokyo mochi shop Fugetsu-do.
This series is presented in partnership with The James Beard Foundation
About Naoko Takei Moore
NAOKO TAKEI MOORE is an acclaimed expert in donabe (Japanese clay pot) and Japanese home cooking, who is based in Los Angeles, California. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, she is the author of the popular cookbook Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2015) and the children’s book A Very Asian Guide to Japanese Food (Gloo Books, November 2024). Her work has been featured in major outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and many more. Naoko is the owner of TOIRO, an online and brick-and-mortar shop in West Hollywood.
About Gab Chabrán
I write about all things food and drink, from the latest pop-ups to restaurant trends, and explore how food tells the region's story and connects us to the complex social fabric of Southern California. A lifelong resident of Southern California, my work has been featured on programs like Splendid Table and Good Food, and I've contributed to publications including L.A. Taco, Eater LA, Thrillist, Los Angeleno, KCET Artbound and The New York Times. In 2024, I was recognized as a James Beard semifinalist for audio reporting. I aim to provide a current and up-to-date portrait of what’s happening in the Southern California food ecosystem by speaking with chefs, cooks, business owners — and you.
Everyone in attendance will get a full-size sample from our friends at Graza Olive Oil.
Thank you to our partner bookstore.
