Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients: Buying and Cooking the Staple Foods of China, Japan and Southwest Asia [Hardcover]

Bruce Cost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1988

Whether it be the sweet, spicy curries of Southeast Asia, the tantalizingly fresh seafood of Japan, or the hearty homestyle noodle dishes of China, home cooks have long wished to re-create these alluring Asian dishes in their own kitchens yet not known where to begin with such foreign ingredients. Now, in one classic volume, acclaimed chef and restaurateur Bruce Cost removes the home cook's frustration with this in-depth, illustrated guide to the wide variety of ingredients used in Asian cooking.

From fresh herbs and Asian oils to exotic types of seafood and specialty meat cuts -- and over 100 creative and inspiring recipes -- no item in the repertoire of the Asian cook is missed. With the help of Asian Ingredients, Thai Green Curry Noodles with Beef and Chinese Chives, Sichuan Sesame-Chicken Salad with Garlic and White Pepper, and Shrimp in Ginger-Tamarind Sauce will soon be available in a home near you!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cost ( Ginger , East and West ) here surveys fresh, dried, preserved and bottled ingredients found in Oriental food markets, and offers advice on how to buy, store and use them. His book is more than timely or helpful; it rolls reference, recipe and history book into a single innovative volume. Tracking each ingredient through history and placing it in a cultural context, the author clarifies the differences between Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisines and pairs ingredient descriptions with recipes that feature them. Recipes include delicious soft-shell crabs with ginger, lemon and black beans; fresh coriander and peanut salad; daikon in orange peel sauce; and clams with basil, mint and chilis. Cost cuts a swath through the confusing array of Asian foodstuffs and makes Oriental cuisine make senseeven to beginners. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This impressively researched and very readable guide covers the many foods from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia now available in American markets. Cost covers hundreds of items: fresh ingredients like herbs and fish; preserved foods like dried mushrooms; staples like rice, noodles, and flours; and the numerous Asian condiments and sauces. History, description of the ingredient and its proper use, and storage tips are given for each item; unusual and appetizing recipes are scattered throughout the text. An invaluable resource; highly recommended.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 333 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (October 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688058779
• ISBN-13: 978-0688058777
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Comprehensive, January 21, 2011

By 

Rarkm "rarkm" (Camp Hill, PA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients: Buying and Cooking the Staple Foods of China, Japan and Southwest Asia (Hardcover)

I have been eating asian food for decades -- only recently have I become interested in trying to cook it. The biggest barrier is understanding the use and purpose of Asian ingredients. This book demystifies things wonderfully and provides illustrative recipes showing the proper use and context of the spices, vegetables and ingredients necessary to authentic Asian food.

It's an invaluable resource and is obviously a huge amount of work went into researching and describing the use of foods in the various regions in Asia. For instance, I never noticed that the Japanese do not use garlic at all, while every other Asian country uses garlic extensively.

Too bad it's out of print -- pick up a used copy if you can. Some enterprising publisher should reprint it pronto. With the availability of Asian foods spreading outside the US major cities, this book is becoming more relevant than ever.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book if you like this kind of thing, October 7, 2010

By 

Nancy "mother of guys" (Oberlin OH) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients: Buying and Cooking the Staple Foods of China, Japan and Southwest Asia (Hardcover)

I bought this for my husband and son who love to read about food. Both are avid Asian foodies and very interested in unusual ingredients. It is encyclopedic and provides a huge amount of information. They love it. It would bore me to death. This is the standard text in the field.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, September 16, 2005

By 

D. K. Sherman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients: Buying and Cooking the Staple Foods of China, Japan and Southwest Asia (Hardcover)

I bought this book because I thought it would help me indentify unknown vegetables and other ingredients in the Asian Food Market. There are no color photographs and only a few black and white photos of some ingredients. Don't waste your money as I did.