5 comments about Philippine Cookbook (Perigee).

1. I am grateful that this book is not very heavy, as I found myself carrying it around in my backpack all day yesterday. Other than that, I'm not exactly thrilled with this book. The recipes are indeed oversimplified and generally vague, and leave my wife (who grew up in a Filipino household) and I muttering, "Wait, that can't be right...."



2. I don't pretend to be an expert cook, but I do have a lot of fun in the kitchen, especially with my teenage daughters. I do believe that they find me a source of entertainment with my recipes right from this cookbook. We turned out some great dishes, e.g., Lumpia Shanghai, Philippine Fred Rice, Rellenong Manok, Paksiw Na Bangus, Maruya, Pianono, etc. My son likes to kick back and watch the interaction, but then he is the first in line to grab the finished product. I liked this cookbook and found it to be helpful, easy to use, and covering a large range of Filipino food. Well done!



3. This book seems to be like the holy grail of Philippine menu items.



4. Great book! I am Filipino and I must say the most of these dishes are almost the exact same as my mom's!!! Of course no one makes the same dish twice...everyone's got their own take on broc/chs casserole and I bet a million different spagetti sauces too but if you want something authentic that comes from the Phillipines then this book is for you. Easy to follow recipes and a glossary for the ingredients you never heard of. :):)
   I LOVE it!!! Any my co-workers now know what REAL sweet and sour pork is and not that pink crap from the Chinese restaurant! :):)



5. I love this book it is full of authentic recipes just how my Mama used to make!

2 comments about The Healthy Low Fat Indian Cookbook: The Ultimate Collection of Authentic Indian Dishes Adapted for Low-Fat Diets. 160 Easy-to-Follow Recipes with Step-by-Step Techniques and 850 Fabulous Photographs.

1. We've been looking for this type of book for a long time. Eating healthy Indian is one of our favorite genre's...



2. This is the best book on Indian food that I have come across.It has low fat,healthy recipes and in no way does that compromise the taste of the dishes.I have almost a dozen books on Indian cooking but this is the one I refer to all the time.All the dishes I've made so far are absolutely authentic.I'm an Indian who lives in USA and love to eat authentic Indian food.This book helps me eat the way I did in India.I've had the older edition for many years and am glad to see there's a new edition now.If you have to buy one book on Indian Cooking ,get this and skip the others.You won't regret it!

5 comments about The Best of Vietnamese & Thai Cooking: Favorite Recipes from Lemon Grass Restaurant and Cafes.

1. I've been using this cookbook for years and I have yet to make something that I am not pleased with from it.
   
   Some of my favorites include "Warm Beef on Cool Noodles", a classic Vietnamese dish. The Cornish hen stew, (made with a chicken instead) was insanely good (use Japanese style yellow curry, i think they say it in the book).
   
   The curry recipes are quite good, although I prefer to defer to Simply Thai Cooking for their technique with curry recipes (involves lots of boiling of curry and coconut milk). But these recipes are definitely great.
   
   There is also a great recipe for Shrimp with a homemade paste made with peppercorns, cilantro, and chiles that is excellent, even when I completely riffed on it.
   
   The format is easy to read, and the book has held up to my extremely messy cooking style. I also enjoy the author's anecdotes about Thailand and Vietnam.



2. I'm Vietnamese-American & grew up eating lots of Vietnamese food but never actually knew how to make anything myself so it is nice to have a cookbook that includes many of the traditional Vietnamese recipes, like carmelized ginger chicken, congee (chicken & rice soup), pho, etc. Also, the book includes Thai recipes which seem interesting though I haven't tried them yet. I've followed a couple of the former recipes and they provide good guidelines for the dish, however, I don't like how the author has "Americanized" the recipes and seems to make the highest priority presentation because I'm really just interested in eating simple, good food that's easy to make. Also, her narrative often includes "plugs" for her own or her husband's businesses which is a turn-off and detracts from the focus and authenticity of the book (which is supposed to be about cooking, not personal advertising). Still, the recipes seem ok and serve the purpose for Vietnamese-style cooking.



3. When I first bought this book I thought it was great but since then I have purchased Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors which is much more detailed and authentic. This "lemongrass" book is good for an introduction to both THAI and Vietnamese cuisine but I find it leans more towards "Americanizing" its flavors and for someone like myself who is trying to learn Vietnamese cuisine for her husbands sake..isn't the best. I being Hispanic, like the recipes but my Asian husband said they lacked TRUE flavor..hence my second purchase, which is a big hit. I like the Thai recipes in this book but tend to turn to the before mentioned book for Vietnamese recipes.



4. i could not even use any of her recipes, because its like a mixture of recipes that she has revised for people who aren't asian to cook and eat. i am asian and i know that these are not the real recipes, any wannabe could write a book like this. and she tries to hard to be all fancy and high class with her food. she even makes up these strange names for her recipes, what a waste of money. the worst recipes ever!!!!!!!!! her thai recipes are horrible. i don't think she realize that she is vietnamese. please get back to roots lady!



5. I'm asian and have always been a huge fan of both Vietnamese and Thai food but felt intimidated by the thought of making it at home. My husband, the foodie, had this book in his collection for years but never really used it. About 6 months ago I picked it up and made a simple curry dish and was completely hooked. The book is fantastic. While there are quite a few ingredients that you don't find in the average American kitchen, it's well worth a trip to your local asian market. There is nothing like using fresh basil, lemongrass, and thai bird chilis in your food. The flavors are simply amazing. I've made about a dozen dishes and everyone turns out incredibly well. Side note: the author is a restaurant owner.

5 comments about American Masala: 125 New Classics from My Home Kitchen.

1. It's true that not all the recipes in this book are Indian-inspired, but in a way, that's the beauty of it: it's a great blend of "American" cooking techniques and familiar dishes with pops of Indian flavor. I made the lentil orzo soup and was blown away. I'm no master chef, but the soup tasted like I am! With so few ingredients, it tasted really rich. The cabbage salad was likewise outstanding, even though it contained no fats. I was less successful with the veggie burgers, but I won't hold it against the book. The fact that I could make three recipes for the first time and serve the meal to pleased houseguests--vegan ones at that!--makes me appreciate this book.



2. American Masala has enriched the masala of my family in wonderful ways. My sister, Gail, who is a good cook but never takes the time, was given American Masala by my niece. Gail was so inspired by by the photos in the cookbook, that she came early to my house on Easter to prepare the corn bread and the red potatoes. The three of us had a memorable time preparing those dishes - it was the first I had ever seen my niece cook! I was their sous chef and loved every minute of it.
   Then, and perhaps best of all, the fussy eaters in the family would not stay out of the potatoes until dinner! Even my mother, who hates richly flavored foods, loved both dishes. My heart sang, as the reason I ever took up a wooden spoon was total boredom with my mother's WASPy efforts in the kitchen.
   All this totally reinforces a point I always talk about on my cooking show - that food and the kitchen are where many special family memories are cooked up. Memories that last a lifetime and beyond.
   I haved thoroughly enjoyed using American Masala, too!
   The recipes are well written and easy to follow. The meatloaf recipe alone is worth the purchase price. It's moist and delicious enough for company. And I've never been one to get excited about meatloaf!
   Also loved the Shrimp Poha Paella - it's different, easy and absolutely scrumptious. Even the fussy teenagers in my family loved it.
   I've been a caterer for 20 years, but this cookbook is teaching me new things about how to enhance the flavor of food with spices. I have tried eight different recipes so far, and loved them all.
   You can't go wrong with this book.



3. I collect cookbooks. I live in NYC and have eaten at Devi and wanted to eat that amazing lamb dish again and again (Hemant's lamb chops), which is worth buying this book for. But since then i have made some of these dishes, for which i have had "wow" comments. i love reading cookbooks - these are not "interesting" recipes- just have some yum factor. the pepper spread got raves, the telouet omelet, fig flan, brussel sprouts were all "my favorites" the so so were the shrimp curry, the lamb burgers, the lentil Immjadara were good (not great cuz i'm not crazy about lentils it turns out). The quesedillas are to die for and I make them whenever I have a quesedilla craving. Who would have thought a indian cookbook would give me a killer quesedilla recipe? For one cookbook to have so many favorites, i would say this is a great book to have. The recipes seem to be "boring" but wait til you try them. I can't wait to work through all the recipes. I own most of James Beard award winners and this one is the one i keep coming back to over and over again..
   
   try the tamarind and tomato chutneys (ADDICTIVE - my 3 year old dips anything in them) and the potato dumplings..its a grand adventure making these dishes with all the funky spices but its so good!



4. Awesome! In the one month since I received American Masala, I have already made the potato and pea poha every weekend.
   I enjoyed reading Chef Suvir's stories that go with each recipe.



5. I borrowed the book from the library to check it out. One of the few books that I felt I would go back to periodically. I have decided to purchase the book. Recipes are simple, the ingredients are basically what an Indian would stock at home, seemed to me that the food would taste fresh and simple. I also like the author's writing - the little snippets that he provides with the recipes.

5 comments about Real Vegetarian Thai.

1. To date, all of the reviews here grant four or five stars to this book - and I am no exception. This little red book contains the most delicious selection of vegetarian Thai recipes that I have encountered in my 15 years of cooking vegetarian meals. Not only are the recipes quite easy in preparation, but they also are based on easily available ingredients and are very quick to make. The outcome is almost always exceptional - both in taste and presentation. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book as a valuable addition to anyone's collection of cookbooks. As you can see from the other reviews, I am not alone. So, what are you waiting for? It's rare to find such a unanimously positive opinion about anything.



2. I have used many different recipes in this book and every one turns out consistently great. I definitely would recommend this cookbook.



3. This is a nice cookbook. All the recipes that I have tried have turned out exactly as I expected (not common for all cookbooks offered for sale). It is very handy that the author gives recipes for 4 different types of curry paste. I also appreciate the glossary of Thai terms.
   
   The Fried Cashews with Chilies and Green Onions is a particularly good recipe.
   
   If you like Thai food this is a nice cookbook to have in your library. Also, if you like spicy food or Chinese food, I suggest that you give this book a try.



4. I have tried about seventy percent of the recipes in this book - sometimes even substituting ingredients - and yet had success each and every single time. Friends and family think I took classes in Thai cooking - thanks to the authoress, for a truly wonderful book! Also I did not realise how much better the food tastes - I suspect most restaurants do use a 'tad-bit' of fish-sauce or oyster-sauce - because without these, I find my dishes turn out with richer flavours and taste.
   
   I do wish there were pictures in colour though, because after all, isn't half the fun in cookbooks about lusting at the beautifully laden dishes, having your mouth water and then rushing in a frenzy to cook 'em up and dig your hungry paws (um, I mean chopsticks) in 'em :)?



5. Like the review "Worth it for the Pad Thai recipe" - which is true - to me it could also be worth it for the Satay Peanut Sauce recipe. I have become obsessed with this sauce and add it to tofu and a large assortment of vegetables several times a week. It is absolutely delicious and satisfies me more than anything else; it is sweet, rich, spicy, salty, and tangy all at once! I have been eating it as part of the Schwarzbein Principle Program (low carb, high veg) and have been losing weight even using regular full-fat coconut milk. This satisfies my need for sweetness. The Paht Thai recipe is also superb. A really fun and delicious cookbook!

5 comments about My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking.

1. A wonderful cookbook that I've read cover to cover. My husband is Indian, I own a dozen Indian cookbooks and this is easily my favorite (and he and I love the results). In addition to My Bombay Kitchen's delicious recipes, fascinating history of Parsis, and friendly, accessible tone, I love that this cookbook dispenses with glossy photos and obsessively detailed instructions and instead teaches the reader to cook by using the seven senses (smell, sight, hearing, touch, taste, sixth, and common). The author is not just teaching me how to cook Parsi food, but how to use seasonal, fresh produce and techniques that will improve the taste and presentation of any dish.



2. This book is perfect for Indians who live abroad and really miss home cooked food. I grew up in Zoroastrian household and the few recipes I've tried from here came very close to the food I ate growing up.
   The introduction to the book also makes it a great gift to non-Zoroastrians who are interested in the culture and the cuisine ! I bought a copy for myself and a few more to give away as gifts.



3. This book is SUCH a delight! It brought back SO many memories along with all the subtle nuances of own mother's cooking! The 'Mamas Italian Eggs' recipe is a MUST try for any egg lover!( It's now a staple in my house!)
   I love the author's attention to detail. Things like the correct order and time to add ingredients, even the amount of salt to add!
   This book is scattered with personal stories which are quite fun to read, along with the evolution and adaptation of recipes.
   Some of you might think there's more story telling than recipes, but trust me, each recipe is amazing. This book is great for any beginner or novice cook too, simply because it has such simple step by step instructions.
   In short-my new favorite cookbook!



4. This book is easy to follow and a great reference. If you want to cook authentic Indian food as if you were in India this is the book for you. My husband lived in India as a child and the food brings back fond memories. Even those with little experience of Indian cuisine can follow the well laid out recipes or for those a little more adventurous the book allows room for you to adapt to your own style and taste. Not just for the coffee table but one to pick up and use over and over.



5. 
   Hi
   I was looking for a cook book that had Parsee food recepies.This book has a fair number of Parsee dishes that i use enjoy many many years ago. The recepies are easy to follow and the ingrediants are easily available. It is an excellent book
   Meher Jeejeebhoy

5 comments about Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from My Home.

1. My boyfriend is South Korean, and I bought this book for him for Christmas. Part of the gift was my promise to learn to cook his favorite comfort food. I made the bibim bop (rice and veggies), the oxtail soup and the green onion pancake. The first two turned out great, the smile on his face when he said it tasted just right was priceless. However, the green onion pancakes were horrible (it tasted just like paste). I thought it was funny that the only ingredients were flour, water, green onions and vegetable oil (I mean, isn't that exactly how you make paste??) so I looked up some recipes. All the recipes I've seen on the internet call for an egg. So, you see, this book was just providing the foundation. My advice is to use your intuition with this book. The recipes are simple, and I knew there should be an egg in those pancakes. If you trust that your instincts are right, I think it helps to get better results from this book.



2. This book has a lot of recipes that come to mind when one thinks of Korean food. Some of the recipes are good, however, some are just bad. It's a hit-or-miss kind of a book. For example, the recipe for pinenut porridge, that was a disaster. My mom, who was born and raised in Korea who is a lauded cook, tasted the food I made and she was like, what is this? Also, the fried chicken recipe was not good at all. However, the bulgogi recipe is good. So as I stated, some are good (however, not excellent), while others are just plain BAD. I would just go ahead and buy a book that has more consistently.



3. .... and the stories and tidbits don't hurt either. This is the first Korean cookbook that I've come across that actually made korean cooking do-able for me. it is straight forward and descriptive w/o being wordy.
   the ingredients are ordinary but the results are all fabulous.
   
   I started out easy with the bibimbop and tofu dishes and the chicken/pork/beef bbq marinades. then I ventured out into the hearty soups and side dishes. all recipes have been reliable.
   
   This book isn't perfect but no book is and I'm actually thankful this one exists because it allowed me to gain confidence in korean cooking. who knew I would be making kim-chi at home??



4. This was a gift I received from a family member. I am not the greatest cook in the world and I can become very overwhelmed by recipe books. This one, I not only enjoyed looking at the recipes and feeling capable of making them, I enjoyed reading her narratives. I still have not attempted to make anything since I have not been cooking anything but my tried & trues for the past year - due to planning a marriage, getting married & now planning the move to be with my husband.
   
   I am taking this cookbook with me to Korea and plan to add my own discoveries as I learn how to cook from my mother-in-law.



5. I've been looking for that "perfect" Korean cookbook for as long as I can remember, and this comes as close as it gets to being that cookbook. While not every recipe is a perfect match to the tastes I grew up with, most are. The steps are clear and concise, stories are engaging, and the recipes are just hands-down delicious. One of the best, authentic Korean cookbooks on the market. Other notable examples are Maangchi's Korean Cookbook and Discovering Korean Cuisine (which has the definitive soon-dubu recipe that perfectly matches what I find at my favorite Korean restaurant).

5 comments about Healthy Thai Cooking.

1. This book has delicous recipes which are easy to follow (with color pictures of most dishes). The dishes taste like delicous restaurant-grade food and are healthy and easy to prepare.



2. I am Balinese, have a restaurant and love food. I especially love Thai food.

   The recipes in this book are excellent and have obviously all been tested by the author. Follow them and you will not be disappointed.

   The presentation is clear at all times and the photographs are superb.

   Partcularly helpful are a couple of pages on which wines best accompany Thai food - and they are not those that you would immediately think of. The explanations are interesting and illuminating.

   I would recommend this book to restaurant owners, as well as people cooking at home for a few friends.




3. very tasty. quite healthy. many recipes are quick and easy, too. some ingredients are a little tough to get, but easily substituted. gorgeous pictures.



4. This book is all that I hoped for: not only delicious recipes, but a discussion of what Thai cooking is all about and what ingredients are used (defined and described), AND with health-conscious modifications made to traditional recipes. Highly recommended!



5. Great cookbook, healthy recipes with easy to use instructions. Beautiful inspiring illustrations and good eats.

5 comments about Filipino Cuisine: Recipes from the Islands.

1. I know how to cook some Filipino food already (from my dad's recipe). But my cooking is still different if you eat on a filipino restaurant. So I bought a cookbook. I cooked Adobo today and I felt like I wasted it. I followed the CHICKEN ADOBO on this book and it does not taste or look like adobo at all. I added some coconut milk for variation (page7) but certainly, it does not taste like ADOBO at all! Too sour. Typical adobo is brownish in color but this recipe is yellowish white (maybe because of coconut milk)but still even before I mixed the coco milk its not brown. Im so disappointed!



2. I really enjoy this recipe book. There's so much recipe that I never find in other books. It is also very informative for non-Filipino cook like my husband.



3. This cookbook turned out to be the most helpful cookbook I own. My father is Filipino and my mother is German. Now that they both live with us, I was at a loss as to what I can cook for him that he would remember from his youth. This book had all the recipes I needed and my father was very happy sampling the finished dishes. My mother even tried a few. After leafing through the cookbook, we had to go to the Asian market and buy bihon pancit, squid and sweet rice. This book has a nice selection of recipes and a good book to give an overview of Filipino foods. I recomend it to everyone.



4. I left home and joined the navy when I was 19. My first duty station was in Italy. After a few months, I got really homesick, and so I set off to the store in hopes to make some food that reminded me of home. Big mistake! First off, I didn't even know how to cook rice in a rice cooker! I didn't know what a spatula was, and I didn't know how to pick quality meat or produce from the grocery store. I had no knife skills.. nothing. I was completely lost in the kitchen. I asked my mom for help, but her instructions were so unclear. Just put patis, and soy sauce until it taste good. Cook the chicken until it's done. What?
   So I went on amazon and I bought this book! I am so glad I did! Now, the recipes aren't the best. You will have to make some adjustments depending on your taste (and the recipe). For example, the pancit bihon does not call for soy sauce, but my family always cooks it with soy sauce. Yes, I know it's a hassle, but at least it gives you the base recipes and directions to filipino food. This is the best filipino cookbook out there right now, and if you are filipino or have some experience with the food, then this book is better than nothing.
   Now, I saw complaints for the adobe, and yes, you may have to add more vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, brown sugar, or may have to cook it a little longer to make the flavors concentrate. Pinoys cook differently depending on which region they are from, so this may be the reason to why it doesn't taste the same as other adobes you have tasted, but if you have an idea to what the outcome is suppose to taste like, then this book is for you. However, if you have no idea to what you are suppose to be tasting, then steer clear of this cookbook. You will not like filipino food.
   I give this book five stars because it helped my three years overseas bearable. I even cooked at a lot of parties using this book. Of course, I had to tweak a few recipes, some doesn't need tweaking. All the food I cooked were a hit! This cook book taught me how to cook, and in my opinion is worth every penny!



5. 
   This is the best cookbook on Philippine cuisine and the ONLY ONE that you will need. I was born in the Philippines and was raised by masters of Philippine cooking (from Pampanga) and I KNOW GOOD FILIPINO FOOD. Save your money, BUY THIS.

4 comments about Williams-Sonoma Collection: Asian.

1. This is the book that got me interested in cooking. The chicken satay was great. I've improvised on some of the recipies that I thought were too involved, or when I couldn't find the ingredients. For the life of me I can't find tamarind concentrate anywhere!



2. I had been very impressed with many Williams Sonoma cookbooks in the past, but this one is definitely one of the best. I have tried about half of the recipes and all have been delicious. Great collection of recipes at a tremendous price!



3. I stumbled upon this book for the unbeatable price of $6.98, so I decided to give it a try. I hadn't had much success with Asian cooking... but Williams Sonoma changed that! The recipes are easy enough to follow with explicit directions and ingredient lists. Everything I've tried has been delcious. I definately recommend this cookbook for anyone who enjoys Asian flavors and loves to cook!



4. great intro book,
   
   not too complicated, most ingredients easily found at Asian Grocer. Wow, your Hubby. My husband Dallas, L O V E S , the pan friend noodles and dumplings. The recipes are true-er to tradition than most cookbooks. This is a great starter book or add-on to a home chefs library.