Asian Flavors: Unlock Culinary Secrets with Spices, Sauces and Other Exotic Ingredients [Paperback]

Wendy Sweetser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2005

A guide to preparing gourmet dishes using the ingredients that make Asian cooking so special.

Asian Flavors takes a new and exciting approach to exploring the many different cuisines of the Far East. The book identifies the main flavors used throughout the region-ginger, chiles, lemon grass, coconut, sesame, lime, soy and herbs-and offers some 120 authentic recipes that can be prepared easily at home.

A melting pot of cultures and eating habits, Asia's cuisines reflect the diversity of its people and many foreign influences over the centuries: the French and Chinese in Vietnam, the British in Myanmar and Malaysia, the Dutch in Indonesia and the Spanish in the Philippines. The blending of new ingredients and cooking styles with each country's
indigenous foods created the exhilarating culinary fusion we enjoy today.

Organized by ingredient, the book looks at the flavors that define Asian cuisine, offering fascinating facts and clear instructions on how to prepare and use them in recipes. Complete with a detailed, illustrated glossary, information on selecting and keeping fresh vegetables and ingredients, substitutes for hard-to-find ingredients and techniques, Asian Flavors celebrates some of the world's most delicious and satisfying food.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Creating authentic Asian dishes requires the right balance of flavors, according to Sweetser (Asian Sauces and Marinades). She identifies 10 key elements of Asian cuisine (ginger, chili, lime leaf, fish sauces, herbs, etc.) and discusses how each element can be used to create the flavors that characterize traditional dishes from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea and Indonesia. Asian cuisines easily blend with influences from French, Spanish, Dutch and other foreign settlers, but they've retained their essence: fresh local produce, seafood and meats lightly cooked and enlivened with spices, sauces and other dressings for a wide array of variations. Sweetser offers brief profiles of each element, along with helpful tips on use and a glossary with short descriptions of frequently used items. The 120 recipes, each identified by country, feature many popular dishes (Sushi Bento Box, Chicken Pad Thai, Satay with Peanut Sauce), but there are some surprises as well (Omelet Rolls with Sweet and Sour Duck). The range of delicious, quickly prepared dishes and beautiful full-color photographs by Ian Garlick make this an attractive gift or addition to a culinary library that contains more comprehensive titles on individual Asian cuisines. (Oct.)
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Review

"Asian Flavors, a new cookbook by British food writer Wendy Sweetser, offers an excellent excuse for a trip to an Asian food store. The book is chock-full of beguiling photographs and recipes ... it's an attractive source for good ideas for supper." -The Houston Chronicle

"The range of delicious, quickly prepared dishes and beautiful full-color photographs make this an attractive gift or addition to a culinary library." -Publishers Weekly

"What to do, exactly, with those gnarled roots of ginger, the pungent, briny fish sauce, and trembling blocks of tofu, so maligned for their alleged lack of flavor? Here, at this point of bewilderment, Asian Flavors identifies its mission: to guide ordinary folks without fear through the aromatic jungle of fermented soy products, galangal, rice wine, and lime leaves-until they have safely reached a well-laid and colorful table... For readers who wish to explore the spectrum of Asian Flavors in their own kitchens, this worthy volume will bolster courage-and serve as a grown-up introduction to the world of possibilities beyond chop suey." -ForeWord Magazine

"Asian Flavors by Wendy Sweetser triumphs with an innovative concept and execution. Arranged by exotic ingredients such as ginger and galangal, chilli, lemon grass, lime and lime leaves, and coconut, this absolutely fascinating book gives a series of intriguing recipes from all over Asia." -Pages Magazine

"A superb introduction to a wide sampling of Eastern ingredients and techniques." -Midwest Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568363591
• ISBN-13: 978-1568363592
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ginger, Lemon Grass, Thai Basil, Rice Wine..., November 18, 2005

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Asian Flavors: Unlock Culinary Secrets with Spices, Sauces and Other Exotic Ingredients (Paperback)

All cooking traditions have a distinct flavor, something that instantly places that dish within a geographical region. In the case of Southeast Asia, these regional flavors are as famous as they are delicious. Asian food has become increasingly popular in the US, although much of it in an "Americanized" version.

"Asian Flavors" looks at the special sauces and spices that make Southeast Asian cooking unique, and offers several regional dishes for each flavor. The chapters are "Ginger & Galangal," "Chili," "Fresh Lime & Lime Leaves," "Soy," "Rice Wine & Rice Vinegar," "Coconut," "Lemon Grass," "Fish Sauces," "Sesame," and "Asian Herbs & Leaves." All of the ingredients are fairly easy to acquire, and any decent supermarket should supply the majority of them. A specialist Asian deli might be required for a few of the more obscure spices such as Trassi or Szechuan Pepper, but 95% should be readily available.

The dishes are all fantastic, and different from other Asian cookbooks I own. "Salmon Marinated in Gingered Tea," "Crab and Vegetable Tempura with Teriyaki Dip," "Crisp-fried Squid Rings with Lime & Chili Sauce," "Spicy Barbecued Tuna" and "Seared Chili Scallops" are all dishes I have tried and loved. The book is heavy on seafood, as befits an Asian diet, but there are still vegetarian, beef, chicken, pork and duck dishes to satisfy everyone.

The preparation is fairly simple, and a beginning cook should be able to do everything. There is quite a bit of prep work, including several 4+ hour marination times, on some of the dishes, but many can be put together in 10-30 minutes. Only a few dishes call for a Food Processor, which I don't own.

I am looking forward to experimenting with and enjoying more dishes from "Asian Flavors." A great addition to my cookbook library.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb introduction to a wide sampling of Eastern ingredients and techniques, September 6, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asian Flavors: Unlock Culinary Secrets with Spices, Sauces and Other Exotic Ingredients (Paperback)

Asian Flavors: Unlock Culinary Secrets With Spices, Sauces, And Other Exotic Ingredients is cookbook filled with 120 delicious recipes from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea, and Indonesia. Each sumptuous dish makes use of distinctive culinary spices and ingredients to promote flavors rarely experienced in the West, and full-color photography illustrates the majority of the dishes in all their gustatory appeal. Simple instructions readily accessible to chefs of all experience levels make Asian Flavors a superb introduction to a wide sampling of Eastern ingredients and techniques.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice Asian cookbook., June 15, 2011

By 

James Braley (Arkansas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Asian Flavors: Unlock Culinary Secrets with Spices, Sauces and Other Exotic Ingredients (Paperback)

I got this on sale for about 5 bucks. The book is well-written and very well organized. The photographs are great. Can't speak to the recipes 'cause I've got a broken heelbone and can't stand up long enough to cook for awhile. So why only give 4 stars? I reserve 5 stars on cookbooks for books which have a photograph of each and every recipe - this only has photos of maybe half the recipes. I will put Ms Sweetser right up there with Jaden Hair.