This cookbook is about looking at the familiar with new eyes, integrating old and new flavors. For example, a typical Asian dish, the spring roll, is transformed into a spectacular dessert by using a fruit plentiful in the islands -- the banana. The book is also about introducing unfamiliar ingredients that are rapidly becoming available in supermarkets due to the influx of immigrant populations around the world. Asian noodles such as udon and soba are a good example of ingredients that can be found in many stores now but may be intimidating to the average cook familiar with only Italian pasta. Recipes here explain not only how to cook these different noodles but also how to prepare sauces for them.
The methods in this book promote a light approach to cooking, with vegetables cooked just enough to take the raw edge off and with fat significantly reduced. Throughout the book, delightful illustrations enhance the recipes.
