4 comments about Indonesian Regional Cooking.

1. This is not only an excellence cooking book but also a very good traveling book. It gives you the briefing on each region of Indonesia and then presents its vanishing recipes with an easy-to- follow instruction. I am really enjoy reading this book.



2. I am Indonesian but grew up in the United States. It has been difficult for me to collect information, history and recipes from my native homeland, but I was so thrilled when I found this book. Sri Own gives history, methods and classic recipes that I remember my mother and family cooking for me as a kid. I wish that more people, Indonesians as well, would value the richness of the food, culture and culinary possiblibites and potential that Indonesian food has to offer.



3. This book is a comprehensive guide to the preparation of Indonesian regional foods, as well as the culture, history, and ingredients that make the food distinctly Indonesian. Sri Owen covers internationally known favorites from every region, as well as local favorites you might know only from your family or your travels there (martabak!). I love the notes with anecdotes, history, and techniques preceding each recipe. And for non-Indos or those not familiar with Southeast Asian ingredients, the glossary of ingredients and techniques provides short descriptions with suggestions for substitutions, as well as scientific, Indonesian, and English names. This book is a much-used reference in my Indonesian cooking.



4. As is the case with many Thai/Asian cookbooks, make sure that you have a good Asian grocery store in your area. While many things can be substituted, most substitutes are inferior, and of course the end results will not be as amazing. Yes, ginger can be used instead of galangal, lime zest instead of kaffir lime leaves, foil instead of banana leaves, but you'd lose a lot in the process.
   
   So far I have only cooked a few of the recipes in this book with good results, and the main difference I can find between Indonesian and Thai cooking, is that Indonesian food seems more subtle, while Thai bursts with big bold flavors. This isn't a bad thing, especially when you don't feel like having a spicy curry dish. It takes a little while to get used to that.
   
   The weirdest thing about this book is that the author isn't afraid to do some bashing of cooks and restaurants she describes to have visited while researching the book. There are numerous references to overcooked fish, horribly made this-and-thats, but don't let that intimidate you. It's delish.

1 comments about Food of Indonesia: Authentic Recipes from the Spice Islands (Food of the World Cookbooks).

1. I started with the Food of Asia, which I think is excellent. I decided to check into some specific cuisines, such as Indonesia, of the seven cuisines that are presented in the Food of Asia. I am a little torn.

   The individual books in the "Food of" series by Periplus have extensive introductions. There are not as many recipes as I had hoped for. The ingredients list, along with the accompanying commentaries, are about the same, with an equivalent number of photos, as the Food of Asia. The Food of Asia contains many of the recipes, however, some do not have a photo.

   The variety of main ingredients is pretty good, with recipes such as: Tempeh Stew, Hot Spicy Fried Tempeh, Water Spinach with Spicy Sauce, Vegetables with Spicy Coconut, Fern Tips (or Asparagus) in Coconut Milk, Stewed Eggplant, Lobster in Yellow Sauce, Simmered River Fish, Spicy Fried Sardines, Eggs in Fragrant Sauce and Pandan-style Eggs, plenty of chicken recipes, Duck Curry, several satays, Ginger Pork, Porked Cooked with Tomatoes and Seasoned Fried Beef Slices.

   However, the Food of Asia contains some recipes, such as Balinese Squid, that do not appear in the Food of Indonesia. Also, the substitute of asparagus for fern tips is found only in the Food of Asia.

   The ingredients list is thourough, with substitutions for (or omission of) many hard-to-find ingredients, but is a little more stringent than other books I have read. For example, shallot or onion was offered as a substitute for asofoetida in a different book, whereas here no substitute is given. On the contrary, macadamia nuts are suggested as a substitute, or even almonds or cashews, for candlenuts. The books on separate cuisines do not have such substitutions.

   A word of caution, many of the ingredients are difficult to find even online. There are also several "fresh" ingredients, such as kaffir lime leaves, salam leaves, duan kasum, etc, that have to be shipped fresh and stay for only a short while. Most of the recipes in Food of Indonesia require many of the hard-to-find ingredients. Other cuisines, like Thai and India, have more availability of authentic ingredients as well as spice mixes that really help save time.

   I think that the Food of Asia may be a better starting point. Make sure that you can find the hard-to-find ingredients from some Indonesian store or many of the recipes will be lacking. I have been able to make most of the recipes that I was really interested in, such as the tempeh, sardines and asparagus, but with a bit of difficulty coming up with all the ingredients.

   Hope this helps.

No comments about Diabetic Cooking with International Flair: 150 delicious ethnic dishes for the diabetic diet (Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern).

No comments about Classic Indonesian Cooking: 70 traditional dishes from an undiscovered cuisine, shown step-by-step in over 250 simple-to-follow photographs.

4 comments about The Indonesian Kitchen (Indonesian Kitchen 309 Ppr).

1. As a "meat-n-potatoes" American woman married to an Indonesian man, I have been looking for a good Indonesian cookbook for 15 years. THIS IS IT. Most other Indonesian cookbooks are written in Dutch or suffer from metric measurements. Recipes from other multi-Asian cookbooks have resulted in bland semi-chinese food. But this book results in authentic Indonesian cooking. All dishes have both English and Indonesian names so I can cook my husband recipes from his childhood. Everything I have tried has turned out delicious. Also the menu planning tips for "rice tables" or banquets help with meal planning. Spices and common ingredients are listed in Indonesian, Latin botanical, English, and Chinese or Indian if applicable.



2. I was first introduced to Indonesian food at a wonderful Rijstaffel (rice table) restaurant in Utrecht, The Netherlands, in 1994. Once I returned to the States, I lost touch with this cuisine. Fortunately, I recently found The Indonesian Kitchen. The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow. The ingredients needed are relatively easy to find if you have any Asian groceries in your area (and since we have a few here in western Montana, you should be able to find them just about anywhere). My family loves the dishes I've prepared from this book, and it will get used often! Spice up your life and try the recipes in this book. You won't be sorry.



3. I have quite a few Indonesian cookbooks to supplement what I've learned from my mom. This book covers all the basics that you might not find in other Indonesian cookbooks. By this I mean the staples that you might be able to order in a restaurant to supplement fancier dishes or would likely make yourself at home if you were living in Indonesia (e.g. lontong, rempeyek kacang, sambal bajak). While Marks and Soeharjo cover regional variations, they include them side-by-side in the book rather than grouped by region--very helpful for anyone just getting started in Indonesian cooking. I also love the short section on "Spices as Medicinal Remedies"--something almost always considered in Indonesia when deciding what dishes to prepare. You'll be able to make good use of this book if you love to cook Indonesian food.



4. This book is a guide to cooking Indonesian food in the American kitchen. It begins with a brief introduction to culinary traditions in Indonesia and general cooking techniques, followed by some discussions of spices and coconut. The remainder of the book consists of recipes, organized by type of food. The chapters include: rice, satay (barbecue), soups and noodles, chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, fritters, garnishes and chips, eggs, sauces and dips, and sweets. At the end of the book are some menu suggestions for a rijsttafel (buffet), traditional herbal remedies, a glossary of ingredients, and an index. There are no photographs and very few illustrations.
   
   While the recipes include a sampling from all the major islands (Java, Sumatra, Bali, Borneo, Sulawesi, and Madura), the focus is on Java, Sumatra, and Bali. Many of the recipes include a brief introduction explaining the cultural significance or context of the recipe. Marks has included recipes for many well-known dishes, such as nasi goreng (fried rice), satay (barbecue), rendang (coconut stewed beef), soto ayam (chicken soup), gado-gado (salad with many ingredients), and rujak (green mango salad). On the whole, the directions are clear and many of the recipes can be prepared without a lot of fuss. Marks frequently includes useful notes about which recipes can be made in advance and which freeze well. He also describes which spices are essential to a recipe, and which can be substituted without a great loss in flavor. The chapter on vegetables is titled "Vegetables for the Vegetarian," but this is a bit of a stretch, since recipes in this chapter frequently call for shrimp paste, shrimp, and one even uses ground beef.

No comments about Homestyle Thai and Indonesian Cooking (Homestyle Cooking Series).

1 comments about Southeast Asian Food: Classic and Modern Dishes from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

1. This book more than fulfills my expectations of a book on SE Asian food. There are excellent introductory comments about the background to foods from different areas and easy to follow recipes.

1 comments about Taste of Indonesia: Recipes from the Spice Islands.

1. The recipes in the book appear to be authentic. The beef rendang recipe is delicious. I am looking forward to testing the other recipes in the near future for my partner from Indonesia. The most challenging part is finding what I need in the local asian market. For harder to find ingrediants the author gives substitutions.

No comments about Authentic Recipes from Indonesia (Authentic Recipes Series).

5 comments about Singaporean, Malaysian & Indonesian Cuisine.

1. This cookbook is a 'must have' for those who want a taste of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The instruction is easy to follow, and the result is amazing! My first attempt on some of the dishes featured was already a hit with friends. Among the favorites are Spicy Crab (pg 37), Grilled Fish with Sweet Soy Sauce (pg 87) and Mixed Vegetables with Grated Coconut (pg 53). Creative presentation of the dishes captured in the full color photographs is another plus factor of this book.

   Authentic taste! Great for entertaining or home dining!




2. Finally, a cookbook that satisfies my frequent cravings for foods like padang spicy beef, sate, and hainan chicken!! After living in Southeast Asia for a number of years, I fell in love with the cuisine of this region and since then, I've been searching long and hard for a cookbook like this one to come out. It's easy enough to find decent cookbooks for Thai food or Vietnamese food these days, as a single search will turn up thousands of results, but it's truly a rare find to come across a cookbook on the foods of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore - especially one of this quality! The recipes, each of which is accompanied by a large, beautiful picture, are concise and easy to follow, and the food itself is simply amazing. Now that I have this book, I no longer have to suppress my cravings or fight the urge to fly back to the islands to get my fix of Gado Gado (Java styled salad), Kari Sapi (Malaysian beef curry), or Kangkung Tumis (spicy, Singaporean water spinach). Funny thing is, I never thought I would ever be able to make these foods myself! But what surprised me most was the fact that these dishes tasted even better than I remembered, coming out of my own kitchen no less! (now *that* is truly incredible). So do yourself a favor and buy this book - you'll not only save tons of money you'd otherwise spend at mediocre Malaysian/Indonesian/Singaporean restaurants in the area (if there even are such restaurants available to you), but you'll also be able to impress everyone with your newfound ability to cook dishes as delicious and as hard to come by as the ones shared in this cookbook. Definitely worth every penny and more!



3. After having now tried almost every recipe in this book, I can say that they are all absolutely delicious! This cookbook is essential for anyone who wants to learn how to cook Indo/Malay/Sing food. My boyfriend is Indonesian and had been bugging me for some of his childhood favorites such as Lontong. The satay is the best I have ever had, in or out of Indonesia. The recipes are also super easy. There is no complicated preparation for any of the recipes. Even someone who is a novice could make these with ease (and they will taste great!). I live in Tallahassee and we have one not too big Asian market. With a little searching, I found virtually all of the ingredients needed. Most of the ingredients are readily availible in your average grocery store. If you do have an Asian market, even a small one, they can often find something that you need, so don't be afraid to ask. The book itself is perfectly laid out and there are color photos of every single dish. I highly recommend this cookbook!



4. Being a native Indonesian far away from home, I crave for the rich and savory flavor of the cuisine from these three countries. Unlike Thai cuisine, Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine is still not well known here in United States. Therefore there are limited restaurants that offer this cuisine. You can imagine my agony of having to suppress my craving until I make a trip to these restaurants in NYC or Toronto. It all changed after I bought this cookbook. This cookbook is amazing! It contains 68 recipes that are divided into Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian recipe sections. A one-page spread picture accompanies each recipe, which is very helpful for people who are not familiar with this cuisine. The author starts by introducing the countries and their cuisine followed by glossary of ingredients, seasonings, spices and herbs. It then continues with recipes for stocks, condiments, pickled salads, sambal chilli sauces (used like chutneys in Indian cuisine), and assorted spice pastes. These spice pastes are used in a lot of the recipes and they are what give this cuisine its fragrant, rich and savory flavors. This book offers specialties from Singapore (Hainan chicken rice, spiced sparerib soup, spring roll, laksa, spicy crabs, sweet coconut rice balls, etc), Malaysia (fried noodle, coconut rice, sate, beef curry,vegetable with grated coconut, etc) and Indonesia (beef rendang, eggs in spicy red sauce, java salad or gado gado, turmeric fried chicken, etc). I have tried more than a dozen of the recipes and they all taste fantastic! Most of all they taste authentic. They are a huge hit with my American boyfriend and roomate. There are some ingredients that are hard to find, even in Asian markets (especially in small towns). I had to shop online at an Indonesian grocery store to find most of the hard to find ingredients like candlenut, dried galangal, pandan leaves, palm sugar, kaffir leaves and shrimp paste. However, they are worth it. I use dried galangal because I don't have access to fresh ones. I substitute fresh red chilli with bottled ground chilli paste called Sambal Oelek. It works just as wonderful! I think this is the most authentic and remarkable cookbook I have. It is simple, clear, precise and a gem. I would recommend this cookbook if you want to bring authentic new flavors to your table. It helps ease my homesickness. Nowadays, I call my mom up to say "I made beef rendang today!"... something I had never said before this cookbook.



5. This is an amazing cookbook. If the bilingual recipes didn't give it away, the recipes would -- this is incredibly authentic and varied cooking. The other positive reviews here are exactly on the mark. The photos are a good indication of the real food you will cook.