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 Vegetarian Fare: Chinese ,Indonesian Thai, Sri Lankan and Many More.

No comments about Cook Indonesian.

1 comments about Step by Step Indonesian Cooking (Confident Cooking Series).

1. I picked this leaflet of a book up (small, 64 pages, 32 recipes) while on one of my many trips to Indonesia. It was about $2.50 there, and that's about what it's worth. These recipes will yield some pretty good dishes, but they're not authentic at all. I kept looking through it thinking, "This might be a dish an Australian would make if handed some of these Indonesian ingredients."
   
   The recipes in this book seem to be adapted to a more Western style of cooking. Onions make frequent appearances in ingredient lists, and while I'm a big fan of onions, they're not a staple of Indonesian cooking at all. Again, the recipes are good, but not necessarily authentic. Some are better than others, though: the tamarind chicken is great, and the desserts are terrific (whether they're authentic or not). I can't recommend the hot steamed bananas with cinnamon coconut cream sauce highly enough. In six trips to and cumulative months spent in Indonesia, I've never seen such a dish anywhere, but it's easy and tasty.
   
   One note of praise: the accompanying photographs are outstanding. There are small photographs of the preparation steps, as well as a larger photograph of the finished dish... for every recipe.
   
   This is not a bad little cookbook at all, but there are far better choices out there if you want to cook authentic Indonesian dishes. Also, be very aware that the price printed on the back cover is US$2.95, so bear that in mind when you see the prices some booksellers are charging.

No comments about The new art of Indonesian cooking.

1 comments about To All My Grandchildren: Lessons in Indonesian Cooking.

1. This heartfelt cookbook not only produced some fantastic Indonesian recipes in my kitchen but provided me with true insight as to what growing up in Indonesia might have been like. If you get any Indonesian cookbook, make this the one!

1 comments about Indonesian Flavors.

1. I own a few Indonesian cook books already, so I browsed the index of this one carefully before ordering it. The recipes looked pretty standard until I noticed an entry for compressed rice, or lontong. I love lontong and was excited to think I would learn the secret to making it myself.
   
   When I got the book, the first thing I did was turn to page 114 to see how to press lontong. Instead, I found a superficial overview of popular tropical fruits. I turned the page and under the heading "Puddings and Cake" found a capsule summary of the Badui culture of Sunda. Then again, for a cookbook, it was actually a pretty long section considering it said nothing about Badui cuisine other than that it is fascinating to watch them boiling palm sugar to sell.
   
   I scanned every page looking for lontong. It appears only in the index.
   
   The photos are lively, well-composed, and apt, but the text reads like an outdated travel guide. If this author's next work is a coffee table book of photos, I will buy it--provided she gets a partner to write the captions.

1 comments about Indonesian Regional Food and Cookery.

1. This is one of those rare Indonesian cookbooks that lists authentic ingredients for most part.
   
   There are, however, ingredients listed not unique to Indonesia cooking. For example flat leaf parsley as garnish. I think Sri should also provide the garnish that the parley substitutes for, in this case.

2 comments about Finger Licking Different: Dutch, Caribbean, Indonesian and South American recipes.

1. I saw this book and thought it was very appealing from the outside. I purchased it and saw interesting easy to make recipes, I gave one a try and was taken back by the taste-different. I made it again and shared it with friends and family.
   I have since made three of the recipes and love them!!
   The title is correct very different and great for holidays and everyday cooking.
   
   Give it a try and enjoy!!!



2. This book is for anyone who already enjoys exotic food and those who would like to try exotic food in the comfort of their kitchen. It is easy to follow the recipes and the food is exquisite. The thing I like about the book is that it would appeal to a diverse audience because it has Caribbean, South American, European and Asian flavor. I highly recommend this book. A must buy for expert and novice cooks.
   
   A satisfied customer

No comments about Indonesian Cooking Around the World.