A writer, author and longtime authority on Japanese cuisine, Elizabeth Andoh has been even busier than usual since the publication of her latest work, "Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions." Beside the extra demands of promotional commitments, for the past several years she has also split her time between Tokyo and Osaka, where she now lives. She travels regularly between the two cities while continuing to teach and run other culinary programs through her A Taste of Culture organization.

Last week, The Japan Times caught up with Andoh to chat over lunch at Itosho, a restaurant specializing in shojin ryori (temple cuisine) in Tokyo's Azabu-Juban district. This was absolutely appropriate, given that the precepts of Buddhism underscore the ancient tradition of vegetarian cooking in Japan — and that the concept of kansha, the sense of appreciation for life, is the central driving concept of Andoh's new book.

Even after more than four decades living in Japan, cooking, eating out and writing about washoku (Japanese food culture), Andoh remains a student of the culinary arts. As Itosho's chef, Hiroharu Ito, lays the first dishes on the low tables, she takes out a notebook to sketch each course, its composition and balance of ingredients. She also has a keen eye for the tableware on which the food is presented.