Asian Tapas: Small Bites, Big Flavors [Hardcover]

Christophe Megel (Author), Anton Kilayko (Author), Alain Ducasse (Author), Edmond Ho (Author), Anton Kilayko (Author), Alain Ducasse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2004

Using an abundance of the fresh, seasonal ingredients and a harmony of flavors, Anton Kilayko and executive chef Christophe Megel offer a collection of recipes that will excite anyone yearning after new and delicious ways to approach the tastes of the East. Cultural lines blur as they explore the breadth of Asian cuisine to bring you dishes inspired by the cooks of Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and many more. The food is imaginative, approachable and can just as successfully be brought to life at a sophisticated dinner, a lazy lunch, or a cool partyùor very simply as a tasty little snack. These recipes of appetizers and finger foods, illustrated with the cutting-edge photography of Edmond Ho, is exquisitely presented to provide huge impact.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tapas, the bar snacks that are a time-honored tradition in Spain, have gained a foothold in cuisines and restaurants around the world—even in many parts of Asia. This book collects small dishes from countries like India, Japan and Bali, offering seafood-heavy selections such as Fresh Salmon Salad Rolls and Spicy Fish Cakes with Coconut and Coriander. Poultry, pork and beef also have a strong presence, appearing in Malaysian Beef Satays with Spicy Peanut Sauce and a Smoked Turkey and Green Mango Salad. Apart from the expected rolls, salads and skewers, the book also covers creative sweet dishes like playful Fruit Cookie Lollipops and a time-intensive Coconut Pannacotta with Lavender Jelly, Mangosteen Meringue and Melted Chocolate. Every recipe is photographed in full color and presented in a beautiful, extravagant manner that will challenge all but the most artistically inclined cooks. Home cooks, meanwhile, may struggle just to find the ingredients. Many items are only available in specialty ethnic markets and some, such as the wagyu or sukiyaki beef in Japanese Beef Salad Rolls, are highly expensive. In addition, the authors don’t always offer substitution suggestions. Delicious as many of these dishes appear, all but the most intrepid chefs will probably prefer to try them at a restaurant, leaving the preparation to expert chefs with fully-stocked pantries.
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Review

"With small plates emulating Spain's beloved tapas becoming increasingly popular across the country, this is a very timely cookbook indeed."—Gourmet Retailer

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Periplus Editions; Hardcover with Jacket edition (October 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0794603149
• ISBN-13: 978-0794603144
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #851,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sorry, it's a beautiful presentation, but..., September 29, 2006

By 

Keith (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asian Tapas: Small Bites, Big Flavors (Hardcover)

I agree the book is visually well presented and appealing, but the content is not suitable for home cooks, nor aspiring chefs. I admit I am 'flexible' in the use of 'fusion' cooking and terms, but I had definite ideas in mind when I read "Asian TAPAS". The (Spanish) tapas I know and love are not so labor intensive, nor contain such large shopping lists of ingredients. Elegant food? Absolutely. Flavorful and interesting food? Without a doubt. "Tapas", as I know them? Absolutely not - the French influence of intense preparation and manipulation (not a bad thing, don't misunderstand me), is inappropriate here - frustratingly intense efforts for 'tapas'. Also, where in the U.S. does a typical home cook/aspiring chef find, or more importantly, Afford, abalone?? It's my understanding that the finest North American source of abalone was California, and, greedy folks as they are, they overfished their abalone to extinction. Do you have the staff required to do all the mise en place and prep work for these works of art? Some cookbooks are more the display of the talents of the author chefs, rather than a source of encouragement and teaching to home chefs. This is the second time I have bought a cookbook without visual inspection - I will not do it again.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful recipe book that blurs cultural lines, March 9, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Asian Tapas: Small Bites, Big Flavors (Hardcover)

Co-written by an executive chef, Asian Tapas: Small Bites, Big Flavors is a beautiful recipe book that blurs cultural lines in its presentation of exciting flavors from Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, and more. From Flaky Cashew Nut Puff Pastry Squares, to Summer Green Tea Noodles with Mussels, to Spicy Crab Salad Sandwiches and more, the preparations within combine traditional ingredients to create inventive and mouth-watering, succulent dishes. Each recipe is accompanied by a full-page color photograph that captures the dish with the precision of a skilled artist. A beautiful, captivating compendium recommended for kitchen cooks of all skill and experience levels who want to try preparing something a little different.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my top ten cookbooks, January 30, 2011

By 

Art Mum (left coast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asian Tapas: Small Bites, Big Flavors (Hardcover)

I don't use my enormous collection of cookbooks nearly as much as I used to - the resources online are so easy. If I had to limit my real world cookbook collection to ten, in no particular order, this would be on the list. The recipes are brilliant and flexible. Read the foreword to learn Trevor Hooper's recommendations re substitutions. That essay alone is worth the price of the book.