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Product Description

A new culinary horizon that includes a wonderful array of noodle dishes.

Like pasta, noodles are simple, cheap and endlessly adaptable. Yet noodles provide something more -- an exciting range of tastes and textures thatcombine the best of Eastern and Western cooking styles.

These 100 outstanding noodle recipes bring together the best of fusion cooking. These recipes are very easy to make, and most can be prepared in just 30 minutes using ingredients found in a local supermarket.

Here's just a small sampling of these noodle delights:

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Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book/Great Cause
I actually bought this book while in Cambodia, staying at the hotel where Joannes Riviere is the executive chef.Both my husband and I became hooked on Khmer Fish Stew (amok) the national dish, and the recipe inthe book has allowed me to make this dish at home. I am fortunate in that in Seattle we have great Asian markets so all of the incredients needed for the recipes (such as lime leaves) are readily available. Cambodian food is simple, flavorful, and easy to make.Buy this book and you will not only be able to make great Cambodian dishes...you will also be able to help out a worthy cause. This book was created entirely by volunteers and all royalties are paid to the Sala Bai Cooking School which helps impoverished Cambodian young people to be trained in professions connected to the hotel trade (Chef, receptionist, waiter, and housekeeper).As someone who has visited Cambodia and directly seen the lasting effects of the Khmer Rouge genocide and met the wonderful, welcoming people of Cambodia, I strongly recommend this book for both its recipes and the cause it supports. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Easy, tasty food
I've owned this cookbook for more than ten years, and am still discovering wonderful new dishes in it.Several of its recipies have entered my "permanent repetoire."Highly recommended - time for a reprint!

The best of its kind I've ever seen. Nothing similar exists
I have lived and traveled in Asia for over ten years.Foods here are fantastic but not always healthy (too much oil, MSG, salt, etc.) but they are delicious and unique.Another problem is finding the proper ingredients to demystify the making or recreating at home the unusual culinary experience you reminisce about and can't quite explain to your friends or family so far away when you visit or return back home who have never tasted it first hand. Another problem is that all the books you can find on the subject (Asian Cooking) are too gourmet oriented to be able to prepare the featured dishes easily (I'm a man and not a chef so cooking is not my forte).Whether you have lived or travelled here in the Orient, this book can help you create the experience easily *from scratch* (no exotic searches for odd ingredients) and the book is oriented (no pun intended) toward health with low cholesterol, low sodium, low fat, low calorie considerations.It is a from the ground up, everyday living, you name it's in there, type of book.The author lived in Thailand and Asia from a seemingly "Lonely Planet Guidebook" type perspective rather than the usual rich businessman's wife, expat in Asia with a fat paycheck and imported food shipped in from the "home country."She has lived IN the culture and not just observed it from the outside or surface level.I cannot recommend this book highly enough.She also adds the romanized words of the original language names of the dishes along with the Western names or meaning of the dishes' names in English.The book is broken down with indexes by country and indexes by food category (such as soups, vegetables/salads, rice/breads/noodles, etc.).From scratch curry powders and pastes, and from scratch tandoori sauces!Countries covered: Japan, Korea, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India and Pakistan.Don't miss this book! ... Read more

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Get ready to embark on a culinary odyssey of vegan recipes and learn about the fascinating history of Asian cuisine. Asian chef and cooking instructor Chat Mingkwan is an expert at modifying traditional recipes for use in western kitchens. Here he presents meatless versions of signature dishes from all corners of the Asian continent: Japan, India, Laos, Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.His instructions and enthusiasm encourages readers to experiment with both familiar and exotic herbs, spices and seasonings, and skillfully combine them with legumes, vegetables, and rice, noodles or wrappers. Curry lovers can sample a variety of curries from neighboring countries and enjoy both subtle and radical differences. And use of plant-based ingredients to replace fish allows those who are allergic to seafood and shellfish to enjoy this cuisine. These recipes capture the centuries old natural fusion of local ingredients that had been influenced by China, India, and Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Asian Fusion
I am a big fan of Asian cuisine.The flavors are so unique, as are many of the vegetables and pastas that are included in the dishes.Traditional Asian meals do not normally contain a lot of dairy so that ingredient is not particularly missed in these vegan recipes.Meat, too, can be take it or leave it in many Asian dishes and I did not miss it's presence in this cookbook.If you are trying to include more vegan dishes in your diet, eating Asian foods is one way to do that without even noticing it!

If you have never cooked Asian foods at home, this book will be a very handy reference guide.The first 20 pages is nothing but the ingredients and their definitions!This is a very helpful section when you are trying to shop for ingredients...should you look for Chana dal with the vegetables or the spices?(it is a pea, usually sold dried by the way!)

The recipes are divided by region, which makes it a little hard to flip throughto find a recipe but the index in the back simplifies it since you can look up 'eggplant' and find all appropriate dishes. Each recipe is given an English name as well as it's traditional name and there are a few sentences about each one describing its' history, taste, technique, etc.I was a little intimidated by the number of ingredients in some of the recipes but this is not unusual for Asian cuisine.So many flavors, spices, vegetables, etc are added to some dishes to achieve just the right flavor. The recipes aren't necessarily complicated or time consuming but these are not 5 ingredient dishes.The author does a wonderful job of describing the preparation steps of each recipe so even if you are a novice in the kitchen, you will not have too much trouble with the preparation of these dishes.I think this book includes a wonderful selection of recipes from a number of different regions of Asia.

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received one copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.I received no monetary compensation.All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

A handful of color photographs illustrate this welcome addition to vegan cookbook collections
Asian Fusion: A Culinary Odyssey of Vegan Recipes lives up to its title by offering a wealth of delicious vegan recipes from a diversity of Asian cultures. Individual dishes hail from Japan, Korea, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and more exotic locales. From "Braised Pears in Sweet Wine", "Spicy Fruit Salad", and "Marinated Lemongrass Tofu" to "Celebratory Golden Rice" and "Mushrooms in Tamarind Sauce", Asian Fusion is a delectable tour de force of healthful tastes from the East. A handful of color photographs illustrate this welcome addition to vegan cookbook collections.
... Read more

Product Description
Do you want to prepare an Asian meal as delectable as those in restaurant?Are you too intimidated by the exotic ingredients to try? And what's inside those mysterious bottles, bags and boxes in your local Asian grocery store anyway?This handy Take it With You guide provides the answers.Author Linda Bladholm, who has lived, worked, cooked, and dined in locales as diverse as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Laos, and Vietnam, takes you on a tour of a typical Asian grocery store and expertly describes what you'll find.Make Your Next Shopping Trip a Successful and Fascinating JourneyPeppered with over 400 illustrations, plus stories about the ingredients used in every major Asian cuisine, this guidebook identifies and tells you how to use the vast array of meats, fruits, vegetables, noodles, tofu, rice and delicacies.A bonus section of the author's favorite recipes will help you create savory, authentic dishes that will impress everyone--and it will open a window onto the remarkable civilizations of the Orient. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Makes me hungry
No matter where you live in North America, at some time you will encounter some kind of Asian cuisine.Sometimes it's in a can, or of dubious authenticity; sometimes it appeals to you even if you're not of Asian heritage, sometimes not.You shouldn't limit yourself to the offerings at restaurants, though.Get yourself to an ethnic grocery and start discovering what the rest of the world eats.This guide helps explain what those bumpy squash-looking things are in the produce section, what the various kinds of soy sauce are, and why the type of rice you buy and cook makes a difference.The book concludes with some recipes, including quite a few for Chinese-style herbal soups.

demystified groceries
very helpful book when looking for asian ingredients at asian food stores. very good descriptions of all listed ingredients

Helpful, but not perfect.
This book is an interesting read in terms of "demystifying" some Asian ingredients when shopping in the local Asian market. Unfortunately, not all are as well organized as Ms. Bladholm's local store! I enjoyed reading it, but would not consider it a guide when actually going to the store. My main problem with the book is the line drawings, which are not very helpful. My own favorite book of this type, and most useful for getting a visual image, is Martin Yan's booklet "A Simple Guide to Chinese Ingredients and Other Asian Specialties" which has nice clear color photos of all types of Asian foods, from vegetables to canned/packaged foods.

No book is going to be perfect, as in my experience it all depends on the owner/type of market as far as what is carried. For example, the market I usually go to is run by a Korean family, so there is not much in the way of Japanese foods. Sometimes I've found the best way to shop is online, or surfing online stores to get a sense of what you need.

In short, the book is good in content, but there are other sources out there for more visual people (like me).

I keep it in my bookbag....
...for those times when I hit Chinatown on my way home. It is a very useful guide.

Excellent!!!
Before picking up this book, note that it was published in 1999... it doesn't seem THAT long ago, but in terms of your average American's familiarity with Asian ingredients, it's practically eons.While Chinese (or Chinese-American, more accurately) food has been around for a couple of decades (a little longer in big cities), Japanese and Thai food have really only been scooching their way into smaller cities and middle America for the last ten years or so.

Therefore, when this book was published, a lot of the ingredients were wholly unfamiliar to many people.Nowadays, lots of them will seem familiar: wasabi, pickled ginger, sesame oil, chili oil, lemongrass and so on.However, as much as you might be able to recognize the green paste on the corner of your sushi plate, do you really know what a whole wasabi root looks like?Or where you might find it in your asian grocery?

This book helps to break down the linguistic and cultural barrier, offering suggestions as to Asian names for common items, where you might find it, and what you can do with it.Asian grocery stores, by the way, are not just good sources for ingredients for Asian cuisines, I buy all of my fresh herbs at our local store because they are at least 50% cheaper than at the supermarket.You just have to know what you're looking for, and this book will most certainly help you find it! ... Read more

Product Description
75 traditional Korean recipes including desserts, bean curd dishes, basic side dishes and a variety of kimchis, a spicy fermented pickle have been chosen from the best of Korean cooking. These popular Korean snacks are very appealing for family meals as well as for entertaining guests. Over 340 color photos will teach and inspire the cook to follow each individual recipe.

See also Practical Korean Cooking ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unusual Format, good culinary content, great pics
The three glossy, Golden Book styled Korean cookbooks by Noh Chin-hwa and Copyreader Shirley A. Dorow form a rather oddly titled collection of pretty good recipes covering the width and breadth of Korean cuisine. One really wishes these three volumes had been published as a single volume, especially as there is no index spanning the three volumes. These books are entitled `Healthful Korean Cooking, Meats & Poultry', `Low-Fat Korean Cooking Fish, shellfish & Vegetables', and `Traditional Korean Cooking, Snacks and Basic Side Dishes'.

Aside from the very non-European way of organizing these topics, the most difficult thing may be the mislabelling of various Korean techniques. Classic Korean barbecue is really a high heat fast cooking method, much more like grilling than smoke-based slow cooking barbecue. It's most distinguishing feature is that it is done on the tabletop on a grill very similar to the Japanese Hibachi. In other places, the name `broiling' is given to what is essentially another instance of grilling.

While I have eaten several meals at a Korean restaurant, I have never reviewed other books on Korean cuisine, so I can only judge this as if I were judging a book on French or Italian or Southern American cuisine.

One very dramatic feature of all three volumes is the fact that each and every recipe is accompanied with a series of very good color pictures illustrating the main steps in the procedure. This is in addition to a larger picture of the completed dish. Another very good aspect of the photographs in these books is that all the dishes are plated on similarly colored and shaped plates, so the essential difference from photo to photo is in the food and not in the crockery.

The photographer really gets a chance to do his stuff with the double page pics of typical table settings.

While it does me little good, I liked the fact that each dish is clearly named with an English name, a Korean name in English script, and the Korean name in Korean pictographs. For Korean speaking readers, I suspect this is a good thing.

The one thing I found most annoying about the way the recipes were written is in the fact that the list of ingredients is not in tabular form. That is, the amount and name of the first ingredient begins at the beginning of the first line, followed immediately by the amount and name of the second ingredient without a line break, if there is room remaining on the first line.

Ultimately, the most annoying thing about this collection is that the division of dishes between the volumes makes little sense to a Western cook, there is no combined index, and so much material in the introductions, glossaries, and table setting pics is duplicated in all three books.

And yet, until I review any more Korean cookbooks, these volumes' strengths outweigh its weaknesses if you are an amateur cook and really want to reproduce dishes from your local Korean eatery. I would prefer seeing a more general approach similar to the many excellent books on European cuisines such as Diane Kochilas' book on Greek food and Penelope Casas' early book on Spanish food.
... Read more

Product Description
Indian Cooking-Ten-Delhi Cuisine

Students’ Academy

Maharashtra is said to be the heart of India, the land of dreams, where people from other states often arrive in search of their dreams and very often many of them achieve success. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. The state offers an alluring assemblage of simple vegetarian and exotic sea food for the connoisseurs.......

Chicken Nawabi 5
Tandoori Chicken 7
Seekh Kebab 9
Gosht Biryani 11
Keema Kofta 15
Chicken Kandhari Kofta 18
Chicken Shorba 20
Murgh Yakhnee Pulao 22
Aloo Jeera 25
Apple Kheer 27
Badaam Kheer 29
Badaam Pasanda 31
Chicken Curry 33
Chicken Kofta 35
Chocolate Burfi 38
Gujia 40
Shahi Paneer 42
Methi Matar Malai 44
Gobi Manchurian 46
Potato Gravy 49
Rajma 52
Romaali Roti 54
Palak Paneer 56
Muglai Parantha 58
LIST OF INDIAN SPICES 60
ORDER BY HINDI 60
INFORMATION 81


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Print ISBN: 978-0-557-65372-0 ... Read more

Product Description

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef and owner of 18 restaurants around the world, pioneered Asian-fusion cuisine and cooks this food better than anyone on the planet. In Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges, he presents dozens of recipes for reproducing the dishes that have made his restaurants--Vong, Spice Market, and 66--the hottest dining destinations in New York City.

Jean-Georges began his love affair with Asian food when he became the chef de cuisine at the renowned Oriental Hotel in Bangkok at the age of twenty-three. His trips to the markets of Bangkok sparked a lifelong obsession with ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, curry pastes and powders, and all kinds of exotic fruits and vegetables. In 1992, when he came to New York to cook at Lafayette in the Drake Hotel, he was the first to combine the flavors of Thailand with French technique. The restaurant was a sensation, immediately earning four stars from the New York Times, and launching his dazzling career in the United States.

In 1997, he opened an outpost of Vong in Hong Kong and discovered the world of authentic and refined Chinese cooking and ingredients. As he says, “Every meal in Hong Kong contain[s] a thousand flavors.” He opened 66 in New York to showcase his newfound passion for the Chinese kitchen.

And then in 2003 he opened Spice Market, his homage to Asian street food, after five years of research and extensive travels through Southeast Asia (documented in the photos in this book). Once again, he translated Asian cuisine through a French sensibility for American diners. Spice Market instantly became his most popular restaurant and remains one of New York’s most sought-after reservations.

Now Jean-Georges has brought together the best of his pan-Asian recipes in one exciting cookbook. The recipes reflect Jean-Georges’s extraordinary talent for creating intensely flavorful dishes inspired by simple home cooking and street food. The secret is his subtle and surprising combinations, which, as in his restaurants, introduce Asian flavors to traditional Western-style dishes and cooking techniques. His special approach comes deliciously to life in such main courses as Grilled Chicken with Kumquat Lemongrass Dressing, Black Pepper Shrimp with “Sun-Dried” Pineapple, Cod with Malaysian Chili Sauce, and Lamb Shank Braised with Green Curry and Vegetables. Unusual side dishes include Steamed Spicy Eggplantand Coconut Sticky Rice. For dessert, there are treats like Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart or a Seasonal Fruit Plate with Lime-Spiced Salt. Each recipe is laid out in a clear, easy-to-follow style, and throughout the book invaluable tips are offered for streamlining preparation and cooking.

From taste-tempting appetizers, soups, and salads, to irresistible fish, meat, poultry, and vegetable dishes, to special sauces and one-of-a-kind sweets, the recipes in Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges promise to make dining at home as exciting as an evening out at one of Jean-Georges's fabulous restaurants.

Customer Reviews (16)

How he gets those great flavors....
Very interesting the type of ingredients he uses to produce the amazing flavors of his far reaching restaurants.Some recipes are a bit of work and I can see how making them in mass for a restaurant would make sense, for home, some are a bit too much, but many can be done at home esp. if you have access to an asian market.
I have wowed my friends!

Fabulous cookbook
Although the recipes do require a variety of unusual asian ingredients, if you happen to live near an asian supermarket or even small asian grocery, you should be able to find most of them (and pretty cheap!).The recipes I've tried so far have been very straightforward (it's not hard to pan-fry fish), but the results have been INCREDIBLE.The man knows something about how to put ordinary ingredient into extraordinary combinations.

Blown Away
I am just blown away by this book.I haven't even bought it yet, just borrowed it from the library, and sad to say, the pages are getting a little splattered. For such esoteric ingredients and rather advanced techniques, this cookbook is amazingly user friendly.Each recipe has that "wow" factor that makes you want to try it right away.As I thumb through, I keep envisioning dinner party after dinner party--there are a lot of special occasion recipes here.But there are also every day treasures.Check out the steamed cod with caramelized onion, ginger and scallions ([...]).So easy, so good.Just finished frying up a batch of eggrolls with shrimp and chicken--I had planned on freezing them, except I keep eating them!

Like having a restaurant chef in my home
I just love this book. I am working my way through it and am enjoying the smells, flavors, and textures of these imaginative dishes on the way. It has become my favorite "go to" cookbook.This is the closest I have come to finding a cookbook that allows the amateur chef to produce a restaurant level meal in the home with reasonable time and effort.The list of resources at the back of the book has been helpful in tracking down ingredients.

The real JGV
I worked in one of Jean-Georges' restaurants for a year and have made several of the recipes in this book dozens of times. Certainly most of them have been simplified for home cooks, but I can assure you that the spirit of the recipes is the same.

What is remarkable about JGV, as a French chef, he is very limited in his use of cream and butter. He uses a lot of soy- and vegetable-based sauces. Some purists will say these aren't true Asian dishes, and they'd be right. This is "fusion," much as I hate that word. But JGV's food is straightforward and delicious. He doesn't try to go over the top, to make things complicated just because he can. He doesn't try to be whimsical or to blow your mind. He just wants to create great food that you will remember.

Certainly some of the recipes here are ambitious and include a lot of obscure ingredients, but if there's an Asian market near you, there isn't anything you can't find there.

The book itself is beautiful, the photography is fantastic. And a bargain, for what it is. ... Read more

Product Description
Punjab, the land of five rivers, is the most flourished State of India. Mention Punjab and the first image that comes to mind is that of lush green fields. Mention Punjabi food and the first thing that comes to mind is Punjabi food, highly rich in proteins and vitamins. Punjabi cuisine is like the Punjabis themselves. It is simple, sizeable and hearty - with no unnecessary frills or exotic accompaniments...


Introduction
CHICKEN MAKHANI
CHICKEN METHI
CHICKEN KOFTA IN WALNUT GRAVY
SHAHI GOBI
PUNJABI ALOO AMRITSARI
JEERA RICE
DAL MAHARANI
PUNJABI MASALA CHOP
MOOLI PARATHA
ACHARI MUTTON
ALOO KE MASALEDAR LACCHE
BHINDI ANARDANA
PALAKWALI DAL
PANEER TAASH KABAB
MURG KALI MIRCH
PUNJABI KADHI
VEGETABLE PULAO
CHICKEN CURRY WITH TOMATOES
MUTTER PANEER
PUNJABI CHAAMP MASALA
CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
PUNJABI MASALA CHOP
PALAKWALI DAL
VEGETABLE PULAO
LIST OF INDIAN SPICES
ORDER BY HINDI
INFORMATION

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PrintISBN: 978-0-557-60563-7
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Average Dictionary, but useful as a quick reference.
This book suffers from the fact that it deals with the same subject as a true culinary classic, 'Asian Ingredients' by Bruce Cost which has recently come out in an updated paperback version (see my Review of this book).

The few areas where this book is a useful supplement to Cost's book are based on the fact that it covers more than Cost's venue of Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand and it is slightly better as a reference, being a true dictionary. Yet, in comparison to a book on Japanese ingredients, 'The Japanese Kitchen' by Kimike Barber, I found Passmore's book wanting. It's strength is in broad coverage, but you will invariably need Cost's book to really understand this subject.

Get Cost's book first, then see if there is anything you are missing and consider this book as a supplement to cover the Phillipines, Indonesia, India, and other remote Asian venues.

My strongest recommendation for this book is that it does include the Latin scientific names for all biological entries. It would have been worthless without these.

I must say, however, that since I originally reviewed this book, I have reviewed several other books on Oriental ingredients and I have found this book a very decent quick reference to check on the accuracy of other books' facts. So, my opinion about this book has come up a bit in the last two weeks. Since Amazon is not letting me change my original three stars to four, I hope you, dear reader, will spot this comment and consider it well.
... Read more

Product Description
This book will enable anyone to start cooking Korean cuisine, even beginners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

I was well satisfied with the service I received from the seller of this product, jrkr1964.I want to retract the rating I prev
I was satisfied with the service that I received from the seller: jrkr 1964.Please retract previous rating.
Thank you.
M. Flanigan

Korean cooking
If you just start learning to cook Korean food, this is the book. If you think you are allergic to MSG, learn to cook something else, for example: hamburger and fries without salt.

Japanese point of view
In the list of ingredients there are Japanese names that are not used by Korean people. Besides, explanations of ingredients include too many references to Japanese influence. There should be some words for Chinese influence as well as the appropiate conditions of Korean climate to cultivate some of the products and the adaptation of these products to Korean style.
The author says that "most of the recipes contained in this book have been adapted to Western style". It is true.
Excellent pictures but finally unuseful if you want real Korean recipes.

not made for US market?
Great pictures, wonderful instructions, great recipes.
The book is in English, but seems to be made for use in the Japanese market, citing Japanese measurements, and often listing Japanese brands or products to use in the preparation.Does not seem to be geared toward the ingredients or brands available in North America.

Great for beginners!
I am married to a Korean man and wanted to try to make some of his favorites. This cookbook really does show you step by step how to do things to make it right. Very easy to follow the instructions. The only thing I would like better is if they were to give pictures of what the foreign ingredients look like. Overall a great book. ... Read more

Product Description
From the other side of the world to your own backyard, Ros brings the succulent vegetables of Asia into American gardens to help you grow bok choy, bamboo shoots, and many other Asian delicacies. From there, learn delicious, modern, easy recipes to make from the fruits of your Asian gardens. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Seasonal recipes with a few surprises
I really wanted to get "Cooking with Mummyji" by the same author but it was out of stock (or print, apparently) when I tried placing the order.So I ordered this book instead.Overall I was quite pleased with the recipes and enjoyed seeing many old favorites done more home-style.Nearly everything I've cooked from this book turned out great.

The only criticism I have of the book is that the text is rather difficult to read on certain pages due to a very heavy background color (for instance, black text on a very dark purple background).Otherwise I'm quite happy with the book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Asian pleassures
Terrific cookbook.Descriptions are clear and informative.Photographs are esthetically pleasurable and informative.Recipes are diverse in range, easy to follow and good tasting.Great addition to my cookbook collection.

Cannot believe
Great tips about every item on asian cook and amazing photos & print quality, cover, etc. Couldn't believe that a book like this costed so little. Very impressed.

WHEN A SPOON IS NOT A SPOON
ASIAN COOK
BY
Terry Tan
Photography by: Michael Paul
This beautiful book is not so much an Asian cookbook,
it is rather:
"A book on Asian cooking tools," acknowledges the author."

The graphics are exciting!

With recipes by:
Ming Tsai
Roy Yamaguchi
Nina Simonds
Sri Owens
David Thompson
This is a food book worthy of a prominent position on any coffee table, not hidden in a kitchen. Its beautiful double-parchment cover, rich pages, exquisite photography of brilliant foods and beautifully displayed kitchen implements is a delight to page through. Some centerfolds also grace the format.
The book is also a careful delineation of the foods and implements used throughout Asia. The author goes into great detail about how to use each toolcorrectly. He groups the implements into these divisions and gives an historical overview:
China
Japan and Korea
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Indonesia, including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Kampuchea

Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia
A myriad of Asian kitchen tools are made from materials ranging from aluminum to wood:
Clevers and woks, cooking pots and bamboo steamers
Reed pastry brushes
Tableware
Chopsticks
Rice cookers, pots and pans
Serving dishes and lacquerware
Tea and sake sets
Spice, herbs and coconut processors
Bread-making implements
Molds and presses
Tiffins and serving items
Grinding implements
Cutters and molds
Scalers and shredders

Coconut wooden tools
Natural basketware
Street hawker tools
Edible basket tools
Tools for cakes and snacks
Besides a comprehensive index, the book has a page containing tool retailers, importers, markets and wholesalers.

THE REAL MYSTERIES BEHIND AUTHENTIC ASIAN CUISINE
It's not usual to devour a cookbook from cover to cover in one sitting, but so thoroughly engaging - and lovely to look at --is Terry Tan's `Asian Cook' that I read all 144 pages at once before dashing into my kitchen to check what I needed to make nonya-style pork curry. Nonya cooking, so Tan has taught me, is distinctly Southeast Asian, an exotic blend of ethnic Chinese and Singaporean, Indonesia and Malaysian practices and ingredients.Now I know too that there are seven principal types of cooking styles in Japan (from `yakimono' which means grilled to `itememono' meaning sautéed or pan-fried). And that religion has impacted more on the various cuisines of the Indian Sub-Continent than geography.

Indeed, to refer to `Asian Cook' as a cookbook is to do Tan a grave injustice. This is a lavish but functional compendium of the `tools and techniques' beloved of cooks of Asian cuisine, be they food writers for the San Francisco Chronicle or top Indian chefs in London.I suspect that if Tan had his way, the kitchenware department would be situated right next to jewellery.

Tan's authority stems from his experience and expertise as a cookery teacher and food historian. He gives us wonderful descriptions of what makes an Asian cook - the historical background and geographical origins that in turn determine the utensils, implements, ingredients (whether fish, fowl or offal) and spices used.Artfully photographed pots, woks, tandoors, cooking tools, accessories and tableware are accompanied by simple but illuminating points and pointers. For example, did you know that for some Asians, knives are considered `too barbaric to be used at the table' and that they are in any case superfluous, given that `all ingredients are cut into bite-size pieces during preparation'?

Asian Cook offers a wide-range of easy to follow, relatively inexpensive recipes for the discerning palate, with dishes from yang zhou fried rice to roast chicken madurai masala to bamboo leaf dumplings.But they are here to provide a colourful backdrop - and final flourish -- to the tools and techniques that made them.Tan tells us that Asian chefs have `always been at the cutting edge when it comes to presentation skills'. I was particularly intrigued by how one produces an `edible basket' with the right molds (which, surprisingly, are two perforated ladles shaped to fit one inside the other).A prawns in yam basket should go down very nicely at my next supper party.This book is a treasure, if not a secret weapon. ... Read more

Product Description
Shanghai has long been considered a gateway to the world, and so it's no surprise that its cuisine, with a distinctive blend of Asian and European influences, is beloved among foodies far and wide. In this impressive collection of more than 50 sophisticated yet easy-to-prepare dishes, Shanghai native and culinary expert Richard Wong shares his family recipes that have been updated for the modern table. This amazing cookbook satisfies savory, sweet, or spicy cravings with inspiring recipes like Shanghai Slow-Cooked Chicken, Sweet Soy–Sauced Broccolini, and Spicy Shrimp Chow Mein. Included is a section on stocking a Shanghai pantry with all the essentials for preparing quick, flavorful meals. And with a chapter dedicated to making robust sauces tailored to complement any dish, Modern Asian Flavors is the ultimate passport for a delicious adventure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

More "Modern Americanized Asian" than "Shanghai"
Maybe Richard Wong is from a different part of Shanghai than my family, but I've grown up eating Shanghainese food and saw nothing I recognized as specifically Shanghainese in this book. Some recipes weren't even really Chinese. I was looking for an English cookbook with some basic Shanghainese recipes and was hoping this book would do the trick. Unfortunately, this was your typical Americanized Chinese cookbook. Shanghai is used as a marketing hook, but the recipes don't live up to the title.

"Modern" seems to be code for "Americanized" and "taste of Shanghai" means "my family is from Shanghai and I wrote this book, so by the transitive property, this book is a taste of Shanghai". I have nothing against non-Shanghainese food. This may be a great cookbook, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

I found another book called "Chinese Cuisine Shanghai Style" which does seem to have authentic Shanghainese recipes based on the table of contents. It also appears to have Chinese writing which may make it a little too authentic for me, but I plan on purchasing it in the near future.

Don't waste your money.
I purchased this book on a whim thinking that it would have some authentic Shanghainese recipes. It was a waste of money.Rather, the book is a random collection of not so impressive recipes that the author knows how to make, with no connection to Shanghainese cuisine at all.

Love the food, love the author
You can say I am biased being a fan of chinaBlue having known Richard since 1999.However, although I have tried a few dishes in the past, I never had the chance to prepare one of his recipes until recently.This weekend (July 2008), I had the pleasure of joining Richard in the kitchen as part of a fundraising event and preparing some of the recipes in the cookbook.That was so much fun! He took the guests and his three sous chefs through an amazing and flavorful food journey that evening.He prepared eight dishes 2 appetizers, 5 entrees and a dessert (baked wontons filled with ice cream and topped with peaches); 6 of which are highlighted in the book.The meals were colorful, flavorful, healthy and so delicious.Needless to say, I immediately looked through my book the next morning to make sure that I could share some of these wonderful dishes with a good friend flying in from Los Angeles in August.The recipes are simple enough for anyone who loves cooking to follow.Cheers and Bon Appetit!

Mouth-watering
"Modern Asian Flavors: A Taste of Shanghai" is a delightful journey through author's, Richard Wong, heritage and upbringing.The recipes are simple and sophisticated, and like the back cover of the book declares, "bursting with flavor".

Wong's recipes are easy-to-follow and show a more modern approach to Asian cuisine.The photographs are gorgeous making each dish look mouth-watering.

Chapters included in this book are: Shanghainese Sauces; Cocktails & Appetizers; Soups & Salads; Poultry & Meat; Fish & Shellfish; Vegetables, Rice and Noodles; and Desserts.Some of the tasty recipes you can find in here are: Ginger-tini, Hot and Sour Soup, Skewered Sesame Chicken, and Peach Wonton Crisps.

This is a wonderful book!
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Customer Reviews (4)

A rare glimpse into E-hill houses
The backdrop for this book is actually an area called Emerald Hill in Singapore. It is an old street of pre-war "shophouses" which are common place in Asia. Chinese merchants use to live upstairs and anve their shops downstairs.

Singapore has done a terrific job in preserving a number of these houses and Emerald Hill is one of the prime districts in central Singapore (off Orchard Road), where a stroll here has a different feel from the bustle of Orchard Road. A must see for tourists interested in this sort of architencture.

Many proud home owners have done up these homes in a variety of way, preserving the old and upgrading it to be livable today. In the old days, these buildings commonly had only one bathroom way at the end of the house. These homes are also characterised by an "airwell" where natural light and air is allowed to flow into the houses. The houses were built with a small front door (I heard that taxes used to be based off how big your front entrance is - a leagacy from the Dutch?) and stretched out long towards the back. One of the homes has a long swimming pool built in!

In Lisa's book, she has taken this unique neighbourhood and the tastes of and lifestyles of the residents on Emerald Hill, combined with her flair for entertaining "made easy", has made this a wonderful book to get ideas.

Entertaining Asian Style
This book is one of my all-time favorites; both as a source of reference and "can't go wrong" gift to friends visiting Malaysia & Singapore. What do I like about the book? Firstly, I find the bright, rich colors of the tropics very stimulating and enticing. Secondly, the book covers the multi-cultural/ethnic communities at an adequate level of detail. Thirdly, the recipes are easy to follow and I can validate that these recipes truly reflect the special qualities of each of the cultures presented.

An excellent coffee table book, great gift and a great source of inspiration for those who are curious about Southest Asia.

Delightfully creative
The words are descriptively written to bring alive the beautiful photographs that abound within the pages of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about entertaining and creating an Asian flair to partiesbringing so many great ideas into my home. All my friends have commentedabout all the ideas I re-created from the book. I found everything verydoable and easily re-created. One of the best entertaining books I haveread.

This gorgeous book is a must buy!
This book is absolutely gorgeous -- it is already displayed on my coffee table.I can't wait to try the recipes and entertaining tips!I will buy it for everyone on my Christmas list this year!! ... Read more

Product Description
Quick and easy recipes to master Chinese, Indian, Thai, Malaysian and Singapore cooking, Can you smell the lemon grass & taste the coconut milk? These easy techniques will win you over. ... Read more

Product Description
Complete Book of Asian Cooking brings together dishes from Vietnam, from Thailand and Korea, from the four major regions of China and from Japan. The result is an irresistible collection of ideas for cooking with rice and noodles, using fresh meat and fish, and blending herbs and spice to create the subtle flavours that dominate the Orient. With over 400 recipes this book offers a comprehensive overview of the cuisines featured, with recipes for special occasions, as well as on-pot wonders for one or two people. The emphasis in every case is on providing recipes for authentic, easily prepared dishes for al occasions. ... Read more