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Asia
New & Featured
 Singapore Cooking
Terry Tan
Specifically concerned with Singapore food and cooking, this book is full of recipes and inspiration for fans of Asian food. Dishes such as beef rendang, chicken wings in dark soy and rice wine, and Sri Lankan crab curry are sure to appeal. Full colour photos throughout. Hardcover, 128 pp. $34.50.
 Serendip
Peter Kuruvita
Despite an increasing Sri Lankan presence in North America, books on its cuisine are few and far between. This beautifully-produced book serves up popular dishes such as kottu rotti and string hoppers along with regional specialties including some of the rarer Muslim offerings. Be warned: Sri Lankans are even more fascinated by chiles than Indians are. The author, a chef who has worked in England, Australia and the United States, is Austrian. Colour photos. Hardcover, 255 pp, $52.95.
 Wild, Wild East: Recipes and stories from Vietnam
Bobby Chinn
Having worked side by side with Hubert Keller and Gary Danko, Chinn now plies his skills at his restaurant in Hanoi. Stories abound in the book and are as compelling as the recipes. A wonderful look at what makes this country's cuisine so interesting and it's people engaging, all told through food of course. Hardcover, 224 pp, $29.95.
 Chinese Food Made Easy
Ching-He Huang
A rising on star on BBC-TV, this is Huang's second cookbook (China Modern, $24.95 was her first). Recipes are not meant to intimidate and can be prepared readily. Includes a very handy section at the back of the book on Chinese cooking techniques, pantry must haves, and menu ideas. Hardcover,192 pp, $39.95.
 Izakaya
Mark Robinson
This is the first English-language book on Japanese pubs. Robinson, Tokyo-born but Australian-raised, uses eight typical pubs as a backdrop from which to explain izakaya history, its small plates, the ingredients, and drinks which are such an important part of Japanese culture. Colour photos. Hardcover, 159 pp. $29.95.
 The Seventh Daughter
Cecilia Chiang
Through recipes, stories and beautiful photography, Madame Chiang takes us on a journey beginning in her native China in the early twentieth century to becoming a successful restauranteur in San Francisco. This memoir is jam-packed with Chiang's personal stories highlighting the vast differences between Eastern and Western cultures and also includes seventy-five of her recipes that showcase the simplicity of authentic Chinese home cooking. Hardcover, 246 pp. $42.00.
 Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Bursting onto the New York restaurant scene at Lafayette in the
Drake in 1992, Vongerichten has not looked back. While building
a culinary empire around the world he still manages to find time
to put together a stunning new cookbook. In this new book he pays
homage to the wonderful Asian spices that make up his incredibly flavorful
dishes. Hardcover, 290 pp. $50.00.
 Kaiseki
Yoshihiro Murata
Yoshihiro Murata has raised what began as accompaniment to the tea ceremony to an exquisite art form. The seasonal dishes represent the best, much of it based on fish and seafood, from Murata’s Kyoto restaurant, Kikunoi. While presenting a breathtaking array of dishes, Murata explains the ingredients on which they are based and how and why each has evolved over time. You know the book is awe-inspiring when both Ferran Adria and Nobu Matsuhisa offer praise. Colour photos. HC, 191 pp, $62.95.
 Inside the Southeast Asian Kitchen
Su-Lyn Tan
f you missed Charmaine Solomon’s great Inside the Southeast
Asian Kitchen (o/p), you may want to consider this as a substitute
This,too, is divided by country, each with representative recipes
plus an introduction to the cuisine, its techniques, and ingredients.
There is a general glossary and a weights and measures table. Colour
photos. Softcover, $43.50
 The Sweet Spot
Pichet Ong
A veteran of both Chez Panisse and Jean-Georges, Pichet Ong, now chef/owner of New York’s P*Ong, is a master of desserts with an Asian twist. Some dishes offer an Asian riff on American classics: coconut cream pie with toasted jasmine rice crust and banana cream pie with a hit of ginger. Lest you think it is all fusion all the time, behold the sentimental classics like Chinese almond cookies, fortune cookies, and “pocky” sticks. Colour photos. Hardcover, 292 pp. $37.95.
 The Breakaway Cook
Eric Gower
The author of The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen ($40.95)
blends kitchen basics - chicken, eggs, pasta - with international
flavourings. Haven’t we been calling this fusion cooking for some
time now? Fusion, breakaway, whatever, Gower’s dishes are quick,
tasty, and satisfying. Maccha poached eggs, umeboshi duck legs, and
pomegranate potatoes are typical Gower creations with few ingredients
and short preparation time. His lists of breakaway, equipment, beverages,
and tastes along with his nine global ingredients will kick-start your
experiments. Colour photos. Hardcover, 224 pp. $37.95.
 Let's Cook Japanese Food
Amy Kaneko
There is more to Japanese food than sushi. Filling rice bowls, pan-fried dumplings, and noodle dishes are some of the dishes the author learned from her in-laws when she married into a Japanese family. A glossary, suggested substitutions, a source list, and clear instructions make for a good introduction to modern Japanese home cooking. Colour photos. Softcover, 167 pp. $29.95.
 Cuisine Unplugged
Emmanuel Stroobant
There are two striking components of Emmanuel Stroobant’s European- Asian fusion cuisine: intense colour and the play of textures. Marinated salmon roe with watermelon ice cubes and a warm salad of char-grilled Japanese aubergines and Roma tomatoes exemplify the way Stroobart so fully engages the senses. Belgian-born, owner of Singapore’s St. Pierre restaurant, Stroobart is particularly creative with fish and seafood. Colour photos. Hardcover, 174 pp. $59.95.
 The Festive Food of China
Deh-Ta Hsiung
Learn about the multitude of national, regional, and religious festivals of China, and the traditional foods that accompany them. This little book explores the food and culture of China through the sometimes familiar and often exotic dishes that are associated with celebration. This is a window into a world far beyond your local take-out. Similar titles are available for Thailand, India & Pakistan, Italy, France, and Spain. Colour photos. Hardcover, 92 pp. $12.95.
 The Festive Food of Thailand
Jacki Passmore
This little volume is an introduction to Thai culture explored through the festival calendar and associated foods. As popular as Thai food has become there are many recipes here that are sure to be unfamiliar to westerners, but are not so exotic that they are hard to cook in an American kitchen. Learn about Buddhist festivals, annual celebrations, and national holidays while eating your way through a year of Thai special occasions. Similar books are available for France, Italy, Spain, India & Pakistan, and China. Hardcover, 92 pp. $12.95.
 300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes
Nancie McDermott
Read the equipment and ingredient glossaries at the beginning of this book, stock your pantry accordingly, and a tasty, speedy meal will always be at hand. A noted expert on Thai cooking (Real Thai, Real Vegetarian Thai, both out of print), Nancie McDermott offers a good balance of Asian and fusion recipes that includes meatless dishes. Colour photos. Softcover, 352 pp. $27.95.
 Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook
Fuchsia Dunlop
After the success of her first book, Land of Plenty ($45.00) on the cooking of Sichuan, Fuchsia Dunlop is back to unveil the previously obscure culinary pleasures of Hunan province in south-central China. Home of both Chairman Mao and the Chinese hotpot, Hunan favours braised or smoked foods in which sourness counters the heat of chiles.
The book blends history with the basic ingredients and techniques of the Hunan kitchen.Classic recipes include red-braised pork, popular with the Mao himself, the much-abused General Tso’s chicken, and a beef and cumin dish which seldom appears in Western cookbooks. Beautiful colour photos. Hardcover, 304 pp. $39.00.
 Discovering Korean Cuisine
Edited by Allisa Park
This cookbook, a compendium of recipes from the best Korean restaurants in L.A. goes far beyond bulgogi and kimchi. For those looking to expand their asian food horizons this is a good intro to Korean food, with a pictorial guide to ingredients and plenty of step-by-step photos. However, the instructions themselves are sometimes too brief for culinary beginners. Colour photos. Softcover, 169 pp. $24.95.
 Simple Delicacies
Candice Obayashi & Hiroji Obayashi
Lovely, easy, authentic food from Hirozen, a Japanese restaurant in L.A. The recipes are simple, but the ingredients may not be so easy to find, so be prepared to head to an asian grocer. That being said, most of the 'foreign' ingredients are pantry staples, so stock up, because these dishes are absolutely worth it. Colour photos. Softcover, 151 pp. $24.95.
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