The Carmel Kawachinagano Cookbook

Description

The best way to understand a culture is through your stomach, not your eyes. In The Carmel Kawachinagano Cookbook, McAndrews eats his way through the iconic dishes shaping two small-town sister cities: Carmel, Indiana and Kawachinagano, Japan. With nearly thirty recipes and countless hand-drawn illustrations, this book isn’t just about food—it’s also about the people who share it. Navigating everything from tea ceremonies to 600-pound farm pigs, McAndrews presents a firsthand look at the people, stories, and traditions behind some of the most intriguing aspects of Japanese and American life. The Carmel Kawachinagano Cookbook is not a 48-hour, neon-soaked highlight reel of mega-cities like Tokyo or New York––Carmel and Kawachinagano are cities rarely mentioned by the media. McAndrews leans into this small-town focus to capture an intimate, often-overlooked portrait of life in Japan and the United States through its foods.

With hand-drawn illustrations and easy-to-follow recipes, this powerful, interactive work allows readers to visualize life in another culture…and taste it, too. From Carmel’s pork tenderloin sandwich to Kawachinagano’s octopus-filled takoyaki, The Carmel Kawachinagano Cookbook is full of tasty travel stories, appetizing illustrations, and mouth-watering recipes. It’s a read your taste buds will enjoy just as much as your eyes! 

About the Author

Ethan McAndrews has lived in Carmel, Indiana since 2011. He holds degrees from Indiana University and Peking University. His research and writing explore global exchange, citizen diplomacy, and food culture. He has worked across public service and academia, and speaks Mandarin and French.

The Illustrator

Tsunamoto Takeo was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1976. He holds degrees from Tama Art University and The Graduate School of Policy Studies at Kwansei Gakuin University. His publications include The Living Factory (2011), Osaka Famous Places Illustrated (2014), and Picture Book of Korean Envoys (2022). He lives in Kawachinagano, Osaka with his family.