Basic Asian: Everything You Need for Yin and Yang in the Kitchen [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Cornelia Schinharl (Author), Sebastian Dickhaut (Author), Kelsey Lane (Author)

Book Description

Series: Basic | Publication Date: April 1, 2003

Finally--a cookbook series especially created to show young people how to prepare great meals while having lots of fun doing so. Loaded with color photographs, trendy design, and humorous text, these books transform chores into recreation. The Basic Series consists of a line of absolutely unpretentious cookbooks, which have already become favorites in an astounding number of modern kitchens. The absolutely unpretentious Basic series brings Basic Asian to the tables of the next generation's home chefs. With the newest Basic title, kitchen novices will be wrapping spring rolls, pickling ginger, making peanut satay sauce, and exploring Asian barbeque with ease. From the southern tip of India to the shores of Malaysia, Basic Asian takes the reader on a culinary exploration that all palates can appreciate. The first section of the book covers all of the basic ingredients and cookware necessary for preparing authentic Asian dishes. Demystifying fish sauce, explaining how to use a steamer, and reviewing the fine points of "wokking," Basic Asian makes even the most elementary chef feel like appro. The recipes in the second half of the book combine ingredients and technique into easily executed meals for parties of all sizes. Loaded with color photography, clean design, and humorous text, this book makes preparing Asian food basic.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kelsey Lane, cookbook editor for Silverback Books, is a journalism graduate who went on to receive her culinary training from the California Culinary Academy. She is also currently a restaurant critic and food writer whose articles appear in publications such as the San Jose Mercury News.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Silverback Books (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930603657
• ISBN-13: 978-1930603653
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars basic but fabulous!, July 9, 2007

By 

anonymous (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Basic Asian: Everything You Need for Yin and Yang in the Kitchen (Paperback)

I bought this book as a gift for my daughter who was interested in learning Asian cooking. Knowing very little about the food, this was a perfect introduction. We have both started using it and found it to be very informative and easy to understand. The recipes cover all regions (from India to Japan and China to Vietnamese and Thai)so you are able to try out many different types of Asian cuisine in one handy book. Photos of ingredients and finished dishes are provided for each recipe. But this book is more than recipes! Half the book is devoted to the ingredients: the basics, what you should have on hand, what you should try, what is expensive and not for everyone, etc. There is a basic shopping list of ingredients and we found this very helpful when visiting our international grocery! Even if you are not a fan of Asian food, if you love to cook this is a great book to learn new ingredients, tastes, and styles. Lovely book, great gift, and great resource for any chef.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple but always Flavorful Recipes, December 30, 2009

By 

Rose Red (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Basic Asian: Everything You Need for Yin and Yang in the Kitchen (Paperback)

This is my go to book for Asian cooking. The recipes are always easy to follow, fairly simple to put together and always delicious. It has a great section on the various key ingredients and spices used in Asian cooking and the helpful hints sprinkled throughout the book are really helpful. I have a large library of Asian and Middle Eastern cooking books, but when I want something that I can really count on for dinner, I reach for this book.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to Asian cooking, but irritating and inaccurate, February 5, 2011

By 

Aliette De Bodard (Paris, France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Basic Asian: Everything You Need for Yin and Yang in the Kitchen (Paperback)

I own the French version of this. It's got a lovely layout (the detailed presentation of ingredients is quite nice), and a handy organisation with pictures. The recipes are straightforward, and it serves as a good introduction to Asian cooking. For anyone really interested in authentic cooking, though, I'd get something else: the recipes are sometimes outright weird (the fried rolls are made with wonton squares instead of rice sheets, for instance), and their contents seem to be more suitable for goi cuon, the non-fried salad rolls), and there's a whole tone of "mystical/philosophical" about the presentation of Asian cooking that can get really annoying (it might be fine for Westerners, but as a half-Vietnamese I don't particularly feel like being patronised in such a clichéd way).