“I’ve always wanted to publish a recipe book” Cooking while drinking “I’ve always wanted to publish a recipe book. When we do cooking on our YouTube channel, part of the idea was, ‘If this goes well, maybe we can make a recipe book’ and it worked perfectly (laughs).” Publishing a recipe book is no easy feat unless you’re a professional culinary expert. Yet, Hakkou (32) of the comedy duo Nagon has released Nagon Kō’s Tonight’s Surprisingly Delicious Recipes (Tatsumi Publishing). Known for his sharp-tongued comedy, love of alcohol in private, and smoky, rough-around-the-edges persona, Kō surprises many with his ability to quickly whip up snacks that go perfectly with drinks. The book is packed with simple yet foolproof recipes, alongside stories about his family and fellow comedians. The food photography for the book was conducted at Kō’s own home. Without assistance from a food coordinator, he prepared all the dishes himself in his familiar kitchen. “We spent two days shooting the food photos. Of course, the staff helped with plating. On the first day, I was drinking a dozen or so drinks (I don’t remember exactly!) from morning until evening while cooking. By the end, I was pretty drunk. The slightly sexy look of me in the photos is because I was intoxicated, my eyes were half-lidded. I look like a married woman (laughs). True to the concept of this book, the later recipes are designed to be made while drinking. When sober, I’m more cautious, but when I’m drinking, I feel like I can just whip things up quickly,” Kō said.