Iron Chef Morimoto Plays Ball

Even if you don't try a single recipe, the book is a worthy primer on Japanese cooking (and Japanese foodstuffs and drinks, from nori to sake) of today and tomorrow.

After his presentation at the South Beach festival, we spoke one-on-one with Morimoto to find out more about the book, his life as an Iron Chef and even his past as a professional baseball player. Here's some of what he had to say:

On how he tried to bring his cooking down to the level of home chefs: "I wanted to bring more edge (to the book), but my publisher said, 'Calm down, calm down.'" So he tried to focus on simpler preparations and more commonly available ingredients.

And what about trying to make those paper-thin slices of vegetables? "I do my carving with a knife, but you can use a vegetable peeler. I make it a bit easier for you," he says.

On what he learned as a baseball player: "Baseball training came easy," Morimoto says, noting that it's a game that doesn't necessarily require speed or endurance. But it does require discipline, which carried over into Morimoto's work in the kitchen. "My power and passion, I [got it] from that," he says.

On why he got involved with creating a signature line of beers: Several chefs have partnered with winemakers, Morimoto notes. "But beer, not many people have."

On the diverse palate of Japan today: Dining in Tokyo is not all about sushi bars, Morimoto explains: "They have a lot of different restaurants ... European, South American, every food." He adds that such diversity is one of the key reasons he began combining culinary traditions.