5 comments about Susur: A Culinary Life, Books 1-2.

1. Delusions of Grandeur-Self Proclaimed "Toronto's Local Hero"
   
   I am an intermediate level amateur cook, and pretty aware of cutting edge chefs, cooks and well written cookbooks, and Susur Lee and his book's grandiose recipes may wow small town folks and some home cooks, however he is delightfully delusional in his self importance, proclaiming himself THE "Local Hero" of Toronto, when my long time Toronto friends have not even heard of him!
   
   I highly suggest you first read his very complex, hours long recipes, before spending good money for just 50 or so difficult and few recipes.
   
   Chicago's Chef Charlie Trotter has similar recipes in terms of ingredients unobtainable to less than high end restaurant chefs, and may also have 20-40+ ingredients per dish, requiring an army of assistants to pull it off, however he does not have an entire book devoted to a sycophant praising his own wonderfulness. His combinations also "taste well" together in reading the ingredients, and he has books with "doable" ingredients and they are quite cookable by home cooks.
   
   Susur credits his departed wife Marilou with his success, but others who gave him a "leg up" don't rate even a photo in this paen to his brilliance, as Susur takes back stabbing jabs at better known chefs who helped his career.
   
   Instead of, having say instructive photographs at different stages of a complex dish's creation, he has instead chosen such childish photo selections as photos of his wonderful doodles of his own name, his hand written recipes, and doodling of a seating chart...
   
   Does "You're Su-su vain" come to mind?
   
   Hold that song in mind, as you smile and flick through the first 113 pages of his ego inflating toady's drivel, without even seeing one real recipe.
   
   Oh, the recipes are in the "second" bound book, tighly bound, like a dead Siamese twin to this "first" book. So yes, he has thus published "two" books...um, sure, Susu, we're counting with you. Clever ploy; publish "Susur's Cooking Triptych" next time, and get credit for 5 books, total! (Toronto is certainly still cleaning up from the ticker tape parades for this self proclaimed "Local Hero's" creations!)
   
   Why pay $50 (now down to $30) for only fifty some pretentious recipes, each with 25-45+ ingredients that you are more likely to laugh at, than cook... even one bloated recipe? Borrow this from Susu's large stack of "returns", or from a library, first, before buying!
   
   Forget about "The Emperor's New Clothes"...this is the "Emperor's Trendy Cook Book!"
   
   I do like the professionally styled photos of his creations. You or I could cook them if we had 2 assistant cooks,the strange collection of fresh ingredients, and gratuitous foie gras and black truffles added to many recipes.
   
   Susu's has a dreadful hodgepodge of instructions and techniques, having the reader hopping between both "books" to cobble together a dish, and there's no Table of Contents to organize this chaotic collection.
   
   He knows cooking techniques. I'd happily dine at his restaurant. Teaching techniques by a book is another story. For beginning and intermediate cooks, the cooking techniques that he glides over are far, far better explained in many cookbooks that the professional chefs already consult.
   
   Some well thumbed cookbook/testbooks include "On Cooking Techniques from Expert Chefs"-Labensky, "Essentials of Cooking"-James Peterson, Jacques Pepin's "Complete Techniques", "La Varenne Pratique"- Anne Willan"The Zuni Cafe"-Rodgers, "The New Making of a Cook"-Kamman, "Glorious French Cooking"-Peterson, "Modern Art of Chinese Cooking"-Trop, "The Key to Chinese Cooking"-Kuo, etc.
   
   Big Propblem is...home cooks, without two helpers, will be very frustrated by the hard to find ingredients and the time consuming, convoluted recipes in this cookbook.
   
   Try making Susur's "Pan-roasted scallops, with sunchoke puree, pancetta, periwinkles in truffle sauce and preserved lemon".
   
   Hmmm, if someone mixing up 1000 snippets of culinary nouns in a hat, then let a trained gerbil randomly pick out, then line up the first 10 to 15 words that came out... the resulting recipe titles may even be more appealing to you and I than Susur's convoluted "con-Fusion" titles that easily awe rookie foodwriters and rookie cooks...
   
   Make his "Elk striploin with yamaimo, arame, uni, with burnt butter soy sauce", (40+ ingredients) or try "Braised veal cheek, with parsnip puree, cocoa nibs, grapes stuffed with dry-cured olives, and parmesan (also with over 40 ingredients).
   
   Maybe the "Tuna with wasabi and parsnip mousse on cucumber jelly with crispy squid ink noodle" would whet your whistle. I'd rather go to the grocery store and make "Spiced seaweed crusted red mullet with saffron mayonnaiase and zuchini flower fritters".
   
   A memorable dish is "Roast squab and foie gras stuffed squab legs in port sauce, with lotus root and baby corn, blueberry preserve, and taro root fritters" (>30 ingredients).
   
   Step aside, Charlie Trotter, you've been "out Trottered" by Susu and his caramelized nuts...
   
   For the amusement value, the professionally styled photos of plates that would leave most folks hungry from the tiny portions, and the sad need for the dramatic Napoleonic pose and prose by the self proclaimed "Local Hero of Toronto"... I still give him 3 stars...it takes guts (braised with cocoa, blueberry and truffle oil), to be so sweet and childlike in his vanity!



2. Given the acidity of previous reviews, let me start with some background on myself: I am an American not resident in Canada; I am a non-professional chef -- I cook for myself, my family and my friends. I love food, both from the philosophy that one can learn the history of a country or region by learning about its cuisine and from the perspective that I truly believe we are what we eat ... and the miserable record of American health and longevity is directly due to the poor quality of what we consume.
   
   I first saw Susur on Food Network's "Chef du Jour", where well-regarded chefs would do a single 30 minute program on a topic of their choice. That was at least 8 years ago. I think he may have been on one or two "Ready, Set, Cook" programs, but I'm not certain. He certainly didn't push to become a "celebrity chef", at least in the TV sense. He did become a celebrity in the culinary world: becoming one of Food & Wine's "10 Best Chefs in the World" is not a self-serving proclamation -- it is an evaluation by those who can and do taste the food of all the best and near-best.
   
   I've had the good fortune to have an expense account and a business that required me to take clients to dinner, so I've had the privilege of eating at many of the finest restaurants in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. My personal opinion is that Susur belongs among the finest and if in Toronto, it would be my first choice of a dining location -- yes, even if I were paying the bill myself -- some meals are worth every penny of the cost.
   
   I've eaten at his restaurant in Toronto many times, on business trips. The food has always been spectacular, along with the service, along with the description of the philosophy behind each dish. A meal at Susur's not only satisfies the body; it's an education in itself. Again, this is not simply my opinion -- read the reviews in Toronto's newspapers, or read the reviews and look at the scores in zagat.com. Susur isn't the only "great chef" in Toronto, but he is clearly in that category.
   
   Finally, to the book itself: Yes, the binding is unusual), as is the organization (would I count it as 2 books -- no -- do I think that volume 1 as a biography and volume 2 as recipes are two very different works -- absolutely yes). Most chefs don't provide a personal biography and discuss the evolution of their philosophy of cuisine. If you want lots of recipes you can make with ingredients found anywhere, there are thousands of such cookbooks to choose from (start with Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals" and go from there). On the other hand, if you want to learn about how to layer flavors, and see how a master puts together a pantry, this is the book to read. The same advice (for flavor, you need sauces, pastes, and other preps) is given by most chefs in cooking courses and is found in lots of other cookbooks -- just to mention a few in Chinese, try Barbara Tropp's "China Moon Cookbook", Nina Simonda "Spoonful of Ginger", Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's "From the Earth" or Emily Grace's "Breath of a Wok". Susur's are more complex, and more subtle, but taste the food and you'll see how it transcends anyone else's.
   
   Is this a book I will cook from daily? No, and Susur is the first to admit that his cuisine needs a tremendous amount of manpower to achieve. Will this book teach me to be a better chef? Absolutely. Will it have a place of honor in my kitchen? Assuredly. Study it, think about it, and learn from it ... and if you have the opportunity, go to Toronto ... and taste it.



3. This book its all about creativity by a man who has been over looked for too many years as one of the worlds Top Chefs. This book is in one simple word "Awesome"



4. Pretty coffee table book...don't buy for the recipes unless you are a professional. I am a chef and have been at several for and five star establishments. I had the pleasure a few years ago to do a banquet with Susur and he is the real deal. Will his techniques translate to the amateur cook looking to learn from his book? No. These are professional recipes designed to be executed by a top class brigade with years of technique and time to prepare the needed mis en place. But as a professional, the way he approaches food as well as the culinary foundation that he has built for himself is unique and will be appreciated by those in the know. What isn't pretentious about a $50 coffee table book? This book gives exposure to a unique and talented chef who is grounded in solid technique and is able to translate that into well presented and balanced dishes that are not silly fusion. Definetly worth a look.



5. i bought it for my boyfriend, who is an aspiring chef and loves asian cuisine. he loves it - its a beautiful and inspiring book. i wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is just interested in cooking at home.

3 comments about My China: A Feast for All the Senses.

1. Having lived in southern China for nearly 3 years, our family had nearly given up on finding authentic Chinese cuisine here in upstate NY. Thankfully, there is this wonderful book. Our daughter made us a holiday feast (including dumplings, yum!) from a few familiar recipes found here and we were almost back in Xiamen! Outstanding photos, stories, and great recipes. If you've ever lived in China, this is for you. If you've ever wanted to visit or live in China, this is for you, too! Try some of these meals and you will understand what real Chinese food is about.



2. I have all of Kylie Kwong's books and they are all great but this is her best so far. The stories add to the book but the real stars are the recipes. I've only tried a few so far, but there are so many already on my do list. There is a fabulous rare beef with Ginger sauce which got rave reviews from the family. Last night we tried the Hot and Smoky chicken with Ginger and Chilli - YUM. We do have an industrial strength wok burner which probably helped with the smokiness, but it was very good on all levels. I am a bit of a cookbook collector (500 or thereabouts)and I have a shortlist of books I think are really excellent. This one has already made it to that list - I knew from the moment I opened it!



3. Kylie Kwong was born into one of Australia's oldest Chinese families. She is a 29th generation Kwong, and a 4th generation Australian-Chinese. Kylie is known to many Australians through her wonderful television series, as the proprietor of the Billy Kwong restaurant in Sydney and through her magnificent books.
   
   `My China' is the fourth of Kylie's books, and invites the reader to travel with her as she rediscovers her Chinese heritage and explores the history, culture and cuisine of China and Tibet. This book contains magnificent photographs of places, people and food. The book is also a travelogue containing recipes specific to particular regions. There is a map, as well, so the reader can see where these places are.
   
   The recipes themselves are easy to follow, clearly explained and are accompanied by delicious photographs. Ms Kwong provides serving numbers based of shared meals (ie a recipe will serve 4 to 6 as part of a shared meal) thus enabling someone to plan how many dishes they might wish to prepare based on the number of guests and type of gathering. I particularly like her section on ingredients, and found the paragraph on the relative uses of different soy sauces especially helpful.
   
   In summary, `My China' is a delightful addition to the home library for anyone who enjoys Chinese cuisine. Those interested in Chinese culture and history will also enjoy this book. The photographs are simply stunning.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith

5 comments about Chinese Cooking Made Easy: With Simple Sauces and Dressings (Wei-chuans cookbook).

1. I was hoping to replicate many of the dishes I buy at my local chinese restaruant: Kung Pao Chicken, chow mein, chow fun dishes, and a variety of veggie and lamb dishes. This particular book though is full of heavier meat recipes; roast chicken, stewed duck, peking duck, smoked duck, various preparations of chicken legs and breasts, pork chops, and beef steaks. There ARE a few dishes like I was looking for: chicken w/ black beans, curry beef, ground meat in lettuce, spicy shrimp w/ cashews, but they are fewer than I'd hoped. The soup selection has only 3 choices and does not include Hot & Sour soup. "Fried Noodles" are the only noodle recipe. There are no Chow Fun recipes. There are almost no vegetable dish recipes except for detailed info on boiling or stir frying specific veggies (which is good info, but it's not a dish, it's just prep).
   
   More minor problems are: they don't use english abbreviations for quantities even in the English text. They use "T." for tablespoon instead of "tbsp". Many recipes reference "wine", but so far I have not found what kind of "wine" they actually mean listed in the intro How-To section.
   
   Overall I find it lacking in terms of common "chinese lunch special" type dishes, or Szechuan dishes (as best I can tell from reading anyhow). Some of these dishes may be in here, but they're called "spicy" this or that instead of the names you'd see them listed on a menu as. This may or may not be more accurate, but I'd rather have commonly understood names instead of technically accurate names.
   
   I'm caucasian. I'm also Californian and near San Francisco so I've been eating chinese food all my life and love it, but I'm far from literate in what differentiates Szechuan from Mandarin, etc. Therefore I find this book a little less informative than I'd hoped. I would probably not buy it again for the relatively few recipes in it I will ever cook, but the section on squid dishes and a couple others is enough to keep me from trying to return it.



2. The key to this cookbook is correct expectations. As mentioned, you won't find a recipe in here for General Tso Chicken, etc. What you will get is a basic introduction to how to make authentic tasting dishes by seeing how various sauces are made, etc. This provided a great starting point for me to be able to improvise all kinds of dishes, soups, etc.
   
   If you are looking for a cookbook that will walk you step by step through Moo Goo Gai Pan and Moo Shu Pork, you probably want to look elsewhere.



3. I've made extensive use of pages 6 through 9, which cover sauces, marinades, and salad dressings. I appreciate the way that many of the recipes that follow provide examples and variations on the sauces.
   
   The flavors and results from the recipes in this cookbook are great, and the pictures and illustrations can be a big help to beginners. But, after some experimentation to figure out exactly how I prefer to make a black bean sauce and a spicy ketchup sauce, I haven't found myself going back to this cookbook much.
   
   People looking for recipes for specific, common Chinese-American foods might get more use out of another Wei-Chuan cookbook, Chinese Cooking for Beginners, ISBN 0941676307. It covers Crispy Salad with Chicken (a.k.a. Chinese Chicken Salad), Chinese Roast Pork, Hot & Sour Soup, Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce, Moo-Shu Pork, Sour & Hot Shrimp, Shrimp Foo Yung, Shau Mai, and Almond Jello, among many others.



4. I have the 1991 edition of this book and keep coming back to it over the years for new and fresh ideas. IMHO, pages 6 and 7 which give recipes for over a dozen basic Chinese sauces are worth the entire investment. Once you have a good sauce, you can improvise with what you have on hand in the pantry and fridge and garden. Yet I recommend you follow some recipes from start to finish per the book, as that gives you a feel for what Chinese cooking is all about. Then you can go from there.
   
   The bilingual aspect and the unusual format (compared to Western cookbooks) takes a bit of getting used to, but is no real barrier. By using this format, the author has managed to squeeze a whole truckload of helpful information into a slim volume.



5. I was first introduced to this cookbook by my mother who had purchased a copy when it was first published. I remember spending one summer during high school and testing out half of the recipes within the book. It was great! My mother and father were delighted because they didn't have to cook and that the food came out delicious! The instructions within the cookbook are so simple and easy to follow, I had to purchase my own copy. Now that I'm at an intermediate level of cooking, I only refer to the book now for ideas on various sauces. The majority of the recipes are so versatile that you can substitute any meat or vegetable you'd like for each recipe.
   
   Pros - beautiful photographs of each recipe and all recipes are simple and easy to follow.
   
   Cons - none!

2 comments about The Food of China: A Journey for Food Lovers (Food Of Series).

1. This is a book on authentic Chinese food. It is based on a trip made by the authors that covered much of Chins, talking with Chef's and photographing their dishes.
   
   This book is a large format book, profusely illustrated with literally hundreds of color photographs. The photographs show mostly food, but also a bit of the cultural scene -- where culture in this case usually involves food.
   
   The one problem with authentic Chinese food is getting the proper ingredients. For instance under Tea, they say that China's finest greet tea is grown around Longjing, and is called Dragon Well. Here in the middle of the Nevada desert trying to find such ingredients is pretty difficult. Thank goodness for the web where I found it for sale.
   
   All in all, this is the ultimate Chinese cookbook. There are hundreds of recipies, and they all came directly from China.



2. I love the recipes and the pictures were stunning and the food taste as good as they look, it keeps you cooking

5 comments about Fortune Cookie Fortunes.

1. Hard to keep a young toddler (or an adult) interested in the storyline...it's mostly a long list of fortunes, but Grace Lin's illustrations are wonderful, as always. My toddler loves just looking at the packed pages of beautiful birds, origami animals, and lots more!



2. For older kids, even high school, this would be a great starter story for them to read and then make their own fortune cookies, inserting their own fortunes before the hot smooth cookies harden. A nice end note explains some of the original of the Fortune cookie as Japanese, not Chinese, but the overall charm of the book is its celebration of the traditions of the messages inside the cookies. If you didn't want to make fortune cookies from scratch in a classroom, you might just settle for everyone having a fortune cookie (available in most large groceries) and sharing their fortunes over a cup of nice tea. Also, check out Dim Sum for Everyone, also celebrating cultural food experiences for all ages.



3. I bought this book for a lesson on Multiculturalism in the classroom. I incorporated a puppet with the story, and the students loved it. This is a must for any classroom.



4. My two-year-old daughter and I just LOVE Grace Lin's books. With each new Grace Lin book that we buy, it immediately becomes my daughter's favorite, until we get another Grace Lin book! There is so much to see in the book, and the story is adorable. Highly recommended!



5. My 3-year old daughter loves Grace Lin books. Kite Flying, Dim Sum and this one are in her current reading rotation (sometimes 10 times a day!) The illustrations are just wonderful.

5 comments about Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide to Chinese American Celebrations and Culture.

1. Great book that gives a basic overview of Chinese traditions. If you want to know more details,(such as the myths and Gods that relate to every event) there are other books. It is written in an easy format, very assessible to people who are not Chinese. I give it 5 stars for what it is-- an introductory-style book on Chinese traditions.



2. The book did answer a few questions for me, but was not exactly what I was looking for. It was weighed much more heavily towards explaining holidays and celebrations rather than culture, which was what I was more interested in reading about. Will keep looking....



3. I first stumbled across this book at the library in the school where i work. As a first generation Chinese born in US, i was naturally curious about my heritage and why my family practiced certain traditions and what they all meant. This book answered many of the questions i had about our traditions and more. Not only does this book introduce all the "general" holidays and traditions of Chinese people, but it also explains the why and how to. Since our families are more assimilated into american culture, i wanted to know more about the practices so i could share them with my children. Also, there are differences in holidays and traditions by regions (northern, souther, etc.) across China, so this book has that disclaimer where it states how things are generally done and that there may be exceptions. Overall, after reading this book, i feel much more knowledgeable about what's appropriate and what's not during what occassion. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to learn more about Chinese culture and traditions.



4. This book is great for anyone who is interested in Chinese American culture but especially good for those who grew up here in America. I always wondered about the traditions and rituals my mother and grandmother performed when I was a kid. This book explains it all! Its slightly biased towards West coast Chinese culture, compared to those more common to East Coast. But great nonetheless.



5. A great book to share when planning a multi-cultural event, like a wedding. Written in comprehensive, easy language and is a great gift. Useful for learning about what to do, when to do it and how to do things in Chinese culture, properly.

1 comments about Classic Chinese Cooking.

1. Yan-kit's cookbook is a celebration of authentic flavors from China, with easy-to-follow numbered steps to make cooking even easier. National favorites like Peking Duck are featured along with delicious Wonton Soup and Spring Rolls. The book is divided into "Recipes" and "Regional Menus."
   
   The first section explains ingredients, equipment and techniques. New cooks will love the detailed pages on how to use a Wok, Steamer and various knives like the cleaver. Step-by-step pictures take you through everything from preparing the ingredients to the final presentation.
   
   Yan-kit also includes fun advice on what to drink with your meal, how to eat rice and how to serve a meal. Pictures of all the vegetables, dried mushrooms, bean products, herbs, spices, cereals, sauces, oils, wines, vinegars, grains and noodles is very helpful when shopping.
   
   A few of the intriguing ingredients featured include Chinese flowering cabbage, winter melon, ginkgo nuts, Szechwan peppercorns, Tientsin fen pi made from mung beans, floral mushrooms and dried oyster.
   
   A few of the delicious recipes include:
   
   Steamed Scallops in the Shell
   Deep-fried Wontons
   Lobster with Ginger and Scallions
   Kung Pao Chicken
   Paper-wrapped Chicken
   Willow Chicken in Black Bean Sauce
   Beef with Preserved Tangerine Peel
   Red Bean Paste Pancakes
   
   
   The Szechwan Menu serves eight and includes delicious Silver thread buns, Lotus leaf buns, Fragrant and Crispy Duck, Hot and Sour Soup, Fragrant Shredded Pork, Dry-fried four-season beans and Pang Pang Chicken.
   
   What is it about a delicious soup served in a beautiful bowl and enjoyed with a porcelain soup spoon? I think the recipes are even more delicious when served in something like the ASIN: B000ITZ81O set with a beautiful peony design. You may also want to look for a Cantonese Fire Pot.
   
   Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is not an ingredient in this cookbook, so the flavors come from quality ingredients and flavorings. The classic favorites are included, but this book is a little more gourmet in appeal all while retaining an authentic appeal. The beauty of this book is that you can either select a new recipe to try for lunch or dinner or go all out and cook for a party by using the menu section.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

5 comments about The Take-out Menu Cookbook: How to Cook in the Foods You Love to Order Out.

1. I bought this for a relative who loves to eat out and has good cooking skills. Lots of foreign take-out, not too much American. Finding ingredients might be a problem. But she found lots of interesting recipes to try.



2. I am an experienced home cook with over 100 cookbooks. This book has been a very positive surprise for me. There are a variety of different recipe organized categories by ethnic cuisines. The recipes that I've cooked have turned out well and I keep returning this book to try out different recipes. There are some more unusual tasty recipes that I didn't' expect such as chicken with preserved lemons and green olives. There is even the simple recipe to create the preserved lemons. In general, the recipes are relatively quick to prepare and don't require someone who is very experienced. However, the experienced cook will still find a lot of worthwhile recipes.



3. I wanted to really try this cookbook out before writing a review. I have to say that after trying many recipes, ALL of them turned out absolutely fantastic. I am very comfortable giving this a 5 STAR review.
   
   Just last weekend, I had my mom's 91st Birthday, and although I had tried none of the recipes, based on my previous successes with this book, I made an entire German meal from this cookbook: Sauerbraten, Spaetzel, Red Cabbage with Apples, and the Apple Cake. I got RAVE reviews for every single item! (Incidentally, I made her Multi Grain Bread from her Mixer Bible, and likewise, was phenomenal, and a bread I will make often.)
   
   From her Italian section, I've made the Minestrone, Alfredo Sauce, Marinara Sauce, Bolognese and Basic Pizza Crust. On these, except for the longer cooking Bolognese, all I have to say is that the premise of this book is that you can "eat in" for less money AND less TIME than going out - was absolutely true.
   
   In the French Section, the Sole Meuniere was so quick and so delicious I could barely stand it, and after dinner immediately typed it out and sent it to my married daughters and sisters. I made the Champagne Viniagrette, and it has now become a staple in my refrigerator. I've made the French Onion Soup, the Quiche Lorraine, Beef a la Bourguignonne, and Chocolate Mousse.
   
   I could go on and on with many other recipes and nationalities, but all I can say is that you can't go wrong with this cookbook. Some I love because they are quick and easy, and for others that may take more time when you have the time, they are equally delicious.
   
   This cookbook has become such a reliable source for me, that I would not hesitate to make another entire company menu (naturally a family meal) from this cookbook! Some International type cookbooks are so complex, so fat and thick, and so many obscure recipes, and so hard to "get through" and "make decisions." Carla and Meredith make international cooking a safe and exciting prospect all at the same time!



4. Great little book. Haven't made any yet but am looking forward to trying some of the recipes.



5. I really can't knock this book much. It does have nice recipes in it. However some are not the kind that you can make out of the blue. Some items that are needed are things you are not likely to have in your home at any given time. This is one reason I order out alot! Also, when I look for a cookbook, I look for color! Beautiful, colorful pictures. In this you won't find any. If these things don't bother you like they bother me, by all means, buy this book.

5 comments about The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts.

1. I've cooked Asian for many years now, and have owned at least a dozen different Asian cookbooks, but I've always found them lacking in desserts, or other sweet recipes. This book fills the void in my cookbook collection.
   
   First of all, it is a beautiful book, with lots of color photos. It has more recipes then I thought possible, some being traditional Asian desserts, and others being more American with Asian infusions.
   
   There is a short introduction in which the author agrees with me that Asian desserts have been quite overlooked in America. There is then a section on bakeware needed, most of which should already be in every decently supplied kitchen. Finally there is a chapter entitled The Sweet Asian Pantry, which not only describes different ingrediants used, (some of which should already be on hand in your kitchen, others which may need special ordering,) but also recommends brand names to get.
   
   The first chapter of recipes in the book is devoted to cakes, which is further divided by type of cakes. It starts with loaf and sheet cakes, of which there are four recipes, including an olive oil and yogurt cake. Next there are three steamed cake recipes, which I had never heard of before this book, including steamed pandan layer cake. Next are five recipes for individual cakes including ginger date pudding cakes with rum-walnut toffee sauce. The next section of cakes is devoted to layer cakes, of which there are four recipes, including carrot cake with lime cream cheese frosting. The last section of cakes is cheesecakes, and there are three recipes, including a recipe for Grand Marnier tofu cheesecake.
   
   Chapter two is devoted to cookies, begining with six recipes for drop cookies including ginger oatmeal raisin cookies. There are then eight recipes for Chinese-American cookies, which includes two recipes for what is probably the best known Asian dessert to America, the fortune cookie.
   
   Pies and tarts are covered next, first with seven well known American pie with Asian twists, including a scrumptious coconut cream pie with a jasmine rice crust. There are then four recipes for desserts with Chinese puff pastry, including caramelized pineapple turnovers.
   
   Next is a chapter for my favorite type of desserts; Puddings and Custards. There are ten recipes included, and unlike the other chapters, this one is not divided by type. Included are recipes like spiced chocolate pudding with caramel crisped rice cereal and coconut bread pudding.
   
   There is an entire chapter devoted to candy, which is not found in many of the dessert cookbooks I own. This is divided by style again, but the first recipe, milk chocolate and peanut bars, seems to have no category. There are then five recipes for candy with caramel, including spiced caramel popcorn. That is followed by two recipes of candy with rice, which is a staple in Asia, including seasme balls with a fig filling.
   
   Next is a chapter of desserts with fruit, which is a topic I'm very familar with, owning several books on the subject. The twelve recipes in this chapter have not been divided by type, but its not really needed anyway. Recipes including the cover picture sake-sauteed plums with ginger and star anise and fried bananas.
   
   The last true dessert chapter in the book is devoted to frozen desserts, mainly ice cream and other similar items. Fourteen recipes are included and include fruit creamsicle pops and a very unusual sounding shaved ice with corn, avocado, and red beans.
   
   The final chapter of the book, which I was suprised to see in a dessert book, is Drinks. There are seven recipes, including another unusual sounding "dessert" avocado milk shake.
   
   Mr. Ong has also listed mail order sources for the ingrediants needed, including Amazon.com, of which I've searched, and found many of the more unusual ingrediants.
   
   This is a great book, and I had needed it for my ever growing Asian cookbook collection.



2. If you thought Asian desserts were limited to bland fortune cookies and watery rice pudding, this book will open your eyes and tingle your tongue. Lushly photographed and intelligently written, it features a wide variety of recipes from cakes and cookies to puddings, candy and drinks.
   
   The recipes are much more than Asian riffs on western classics. The author, a talented chef, truly integrates the flavors and styles. I think that fusion has gotten a bad name largely because it dumbs down the joined cuisines. I found the recipes doable notwithstanding the fact that many are rather lengthy. There is not excessive usage of exotic ingredients and the ones he does use are fairly accessible in metropolitan areas or over the internet. Additionally, he suggests substitutions, such as using light brown sugar for palm sugar. One word of caution if you are not partial to ginger or coconut be advised that he uses both liberally.
   
   The recipes I've tried so far have been successful. His condensed milk pound cake is rich and moist while the sweet potato beignets with roasted apple filling are a fall delight. There are pineapple turnovers that look like tangerines complete with a stem of clove. Both the banana cream pie and the coconut cream pie are phenomenal and the walnut cookies are a nice treat. The Vietnamese coffee tart is rich and the avocado shake is a silky sensation. Be sure to try the spring rolls filled with kumquats and bittersweet chocolate---decadent, delicious and easy.
   
   This book is truly a feast for the senses. It is a great read, beautiful to look at and the recipes taste wonderful.



3. I own over 100 cookbooks and there are only a few that I turn to over and over again. Although I only just received Pichet Ong's book as a gift, it has quickly become a staple in my kitchen. First and foremost,the recipes are delicious. They also are easy to follow. His instructions are precise, for instance, he'll tell you the approximate amount of time needed to achieve "light and fluffy" while creaming-a critical point when trying to create airy desserts. They are truly fusion, but in a good way, as in combining the best of two worlds, not so exotic as to intimidate the average Western cook, but different enough to be refreshing. For instance, his carrot cake is enlivened with lime. The almond cookies are buttery sensations. With food this good, I overlooked one minor quibble. Some of the recipes are printed on the back page of the ingredient list, so you have to flip back and forth.



4. Im a pastry chef at a pan asian restaurant, so naturally this book was natural to pick up. The recipes look great, the pictures are fantastic (im a huge fan of pictures) however most of the recipes I have tried havnt been true to the book and have lacked crucial information. for instance, the lemon twinkie cupcakes he describes as needing only approx 10 minutes baking time. What he fails to mention anywhere in the book is that the baking time is in a convection oven. (I found this out after emailing him) another problem recipe is the coconut flan. 1. I could not get palm sugar to 350 degrees without WAY over carmalizing it. 2. he failed to mention to cover them while baking, or risk over carmalizing the mixture. However, I will give him credit, once you do decipher his recipes, the flavors are pretty fantastic. I tried the poached pears (which do not take 1.5 hours, 1 hour should be more than enough) which were very yummy, and our chef, who despises poached fruit liked the desert. So if you buy this book, be wary, but have fun.



5. This is a nice book. I bought it for my husband because Chef Ong helped create the dessert menu where my husband currently works and I thought it would help him better understand the mentality and flavor combos of asian desserts from a restaurant viewpoint. The recipes are excellent although there is copious usage of alcohols in them and very pretty to look at. They are inventive with traditional flavors and some suprising combos.
   Great book for bringing restaurant quality asian desserts home for the family or entertaining.

5 comments about Asian Ingredients: A Guide to the Foodstuffs of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

1. This excellent, informative book deserves to have been reprinted (how could such a fine book have gone out of print?), but beware of the "fully revised and expanded" claim. I ready owned the out-of-print hardcover and bought the new paperback edition to check out the updated information. I've looked pretty closely, and the only new copy I can find is very incidental (i.e., changing the locations of farms from exotic locations to the US as more domestic farmers are now growing Asian produce). No new recipes, either, although some new titles (to throw unsuspecting readers off the scent?). If you don't have this book, and you are an Asian food aficionado, do add it to your collection. However, I am very irritated at the publisher's suggestion that this is a new edition (it's a good old-fashioned reprint, and that's all) and at the previous reviewers who didn't find it necessary to warn other buyers of this important fact. I would rate it much lower for readers like me who own the original, but newcomers to this classic will find no quarrel.



2. A terrific reference for people like myself: round-eyes who want to learn about authentic asian ingredients and cuisine. The book is a great guide to many obscure and, to outsiders, mystifying ingredients. What's most important is that the book clearly describes the ways in which they are commonly used and (often) provides sample recipes; this allows you to utilize previously unknown items correctly and learn how their flavors are part of traditional asian dishes.

   The book is well-written, though this version is the first I've seen, so I can't comment on whether it's really "new and expanded". Someone with a keen interest in food can sit down and read it cover-to-cover. I was also impressed by the care taken to differentiate national/regional applications of ingredients. Much discussion is given to how the region and history shaped the use of ingredients and what is accepted in contemporary cuisine.

   All in all, a great reference book.




3. Asian Ingredients is a cookbook in reverse. The familiar formula dictates that a little of the cookbook is dedicated to some cultural background titbits and a glossary; the rest is devoted to recipes. Cost, as his title indicates, offers us a major tour of the foodstuffs with just a sprinkling of recipes throughout. And that is exactly why the book appealed to me. Here you get the best bookish knowledge mixed with personal experience as he gives ingredients not just names, but cultural context, almost bringing them to life as if historical characters. Soy sauce, he tells us in the introduction, "evolved from ancient methods of fermenting and preserving meat and game ¡K" The Chinese value fresh water fish above salt water because the latter are considered to be already partly preserved (less fresh) - salted by the water they swim in. Amongst gems like these are plenty of practical advice for both the market and kitchen. But while the book includes a Region of Use listing for each ingredient, the geographical origin of each recipe is unfortunately left a mystery. The book is also crying out for a separate recipe index. You would not buy this book for the recipes alone but I tried four or five and whenever I wore my reading glasses and did not try to cut corners, I ended up with some really good food. Simple Roast Chicken with Sichuan Pepper (I was drawn to the word Simple), for example got the thumbs up from my friend Linda. The photographs being black and white are not always as illuminating as they should be, and there may be a few questionable facts. For instance, we learn that Dong gwa (gua) is Cantonese for Winter Melon. Not mentioned is the fact that this pronunciation is virtually identical in Mandarin. All in all I would call this an excellent reference.



4. `Asian Ingredients' by Bruce Cost is one of those books like Patience Gray's `Honey from a Weed' and Claudia Roden's `New Book of Middle Eastern Food' which gets cited as THE authority on its subject by culinary heavyweights such as Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters. So, in my quest for the perfect culinary library, I really need to read and review this book. I am very happy to say that the reputation of this book is not overdone. It is one of the finest books on culinary ingredients I have seen on either Oriental or Occidental cuisines. The author states from the outset that his objective was not to give us an encyclopedic work. What we get is much closer to some of the finer books on Mediterranean cuisine such as Nancy Harmon Jenkins `The Essential Mediterranean'. In many ways, Cost's book is far more practical, albeit less analytical than Jenkins' work.
   
   Cost deals with the fairly homogeneous food world of Japan, Korea, China, Viet Nam, and Thailand. He mentions India as an influence on Thai cuisine, but does not deal directly with Indian cuisine, as it is substantially different from the cuisine of China and the rest of the Far East. The book also does not deal with the cuisine of the Philippines or Indonesia, as the cuisines of these two nations are heavily influenced by European colonization beginning in the 16th century.
   
   One of the best things about Cost's book is that it is organized in such a way to make it a pleasure to read for background information. While I have never sat down to read the Larousse Gastronomique for pleasure, I read Cost's book from cover to cover with great pleasure, skipping a very few subjects on which I was very familiar. Costs book is divided into the following seven (7) major chapters:
   
   Fresh Ingredients including Herbs and Seasonings, Vegetables and Fungi, Meat, Poultry and Eggs, Fish
   Preserved and Processed Ingredients including Dried Ingredients, Cured Ingredients, and Soy and Coconut
   Condiments and Sauces including Soy based condiments, Fish based sauces, Chili based sauces, Vinegar and spirits, and Flavored oils
   Spices, Sugars, Nuts, and Seeds, including Spices, Sugar, Nuts and Seeds
   Rice
   Noodles and Wrappers
   Flours and Thickeners
   Cooking Fats and Oils
   
   One of the most dramatic lessons to be learned from this book is the fact that like the Mediterranean respect for dried and preserved ingredients such as salted cod, dried pasta, and dry beans, Asian dried ingredients such as seaweed, vegetables, fish, and mushrooms are highly regarded ingredients in their own right. They are not `second best'. By drying and concentrating their flavors, they bring something to the party that is simply beyond their fresh precursors.
   
   Another fairly dramatic discovery is the fact that while so many of the spices prized by Europe and so greatly desired by Renaissance Europe were grown just next door to China and Japan, these spices such as black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon (cassias) really did not and still do not play a big part in East Asian cuisine, except for Thailand, which is influenced by the curries and other spices of India. Northern China and Japan almost totally reject the use of the `cookie spices' except for ginger, which is used heavily throughout the region covered by the book.
   
   It is interesting to see both the harmony and the dissonance created when one lays Mediterranean and Far Eastern cuisine side by side. Some of the biggest parallels are the importance of garlic, pork, mushrooms, cilantro, and New World (capsicum) chilis. Some differences are in the relative importance of drying versus salt curing. As Nancy Harmon Jenkins points out, salt is much more important in the Mediterranean cuisines simply because the Mediterranean is saltier than the oceans, so it is a lot easier to acquire than on the Pacific Rim. There are some salt cured pork products, with hams very similar to Smithfield hams, but nowhere near as much of the Charcuterie / salume culture of Western Europe. The greatest differences between the two areas lies in the use of milk. There is simply no milk culture in East Asia from cows, goats, sheep, or buffalo. The Chinese and Japanese feel the same towards Europe's more aromatic cheeses as westerners may feel about fermented fish sauce, birds nests (dried bird saliva), and seaweed. Where the European uses animals' milk, the Asian uses milk refined from soy or coconut.
   
   An important part of this book, more important than similar samples in most other books of this type, is the recipes, especially for things such as fish and chicken stocks, which are far simpler than comparable French stocks. They are not just simpler; there is a whole rationale in the Chinese cuisine against including vegetables in chicken stock recipes.
   
   Two of the most useful aspects of this book are the recommendations on how to best use Asian markets and which commercial preparations are of a high quality. I had some reservations regarding a local Chinese run farmer's market with a fish counter until I read Cost's description of Asians' regard for freshness in fish. The `Iron Chef' episodes where virtually all seafood ingredients are presented live is not for the sake of show business. These people are SERIOUS about their fresh fish! Note that while this book was originally written and published in 1988, the new paperback edition was revised in 2000, so the numerous comments about which prepared brand name ingredients are the best should be fairly current.
   
   This book is so good you will be remiss if you buy any other book on East Asian ingredients without first reading this new edition. Other books may offer better coverage of selected aspects of this subject, but this book is certainly the gold standard against which other books should be measured!
   
   Very highly recommended, especially if you like to read about food as well as eat it.



5. Being an Asian-American born in the US, sometimes we need something to understand Asian cooking and foodstuffs ourselves! I consider Bruce Cost the ultimate Asian food expert considering he's not Asian! Everything is explained in an easy to understand manner and is authentic as any Asian food reference. His Big Bowl cookbook is also excellent.