Customer Reviews

Thai in Minutes: Over 120 Inspirational Recipes

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We bought this book a few years ago, each time I reach for it and try a new recipe I have not been disappointed! I love the steamed fish with lemongrass and the southern chicken curry even pleased my teenagers. Prep time is fairly minimal if you stock most ingredients, and I find it easier to use store bought red or green curry paste. I'm a novice at Thai cooking, this book makes it tasty and easy!

Okay, now I bought this Thai cookbook because it had great pictures and all the recipes sounded simple and easy to follow. I should've checked it out at the library before buying because I was completely dissappointed. I made a salad, a soup and a stirfry. I followed the recipe and it came out as if I'd added a bottle of salt water to the mixture. Many of these recipes combine fish sauce and soy sauce which makes it really salty. Thai cooking is not supposed to use much soy sauce. The only thing that turned out was the rice. So unless you are extremely lacking in rice-making abilities I would not recommend this book at all. Get Real Thai by Nancie McDermott.

Presented by a renowned Thai restaurateur, Thai In Minutes: Over 120 Inspirational Recipes is a cookbook packed with swift and easy-to-prepare Thai dishes. Most have a total preparation and cooking time of about 15 minutes or less. Notes on Thai culture round out the simple instructions, full-color photographs and explanations of traditional ingredients. A must have for connoisseurs of Thai food who are short on cooking time, Thai in Minutes includes such mouth-watering delicacies as Vegetable Wontons, Pork with Garlic and Peppercorns, Mango Sorbet and much more.

This "cooking" book is a total disapointment. It as beautifull pictures, that's all. The recipes are false. Or they lack an ingredient or they give false quantities. Following the recipe print on page 25, you will never get "crab and coconut cakes" but "crab and coconut liquid"! The "beef with bean sprout" page 66 has no taste. The only "inspiration" this book gave me is to look for another one. One more like "The best of Vietnamese & Thai cooking" by Mai Pham ,that I use for many years with great succes.

THAI IN MINUTES

Over 120 Inspirational Recipes

By Vatcharin Bhumichitr

Photography by Margtin Brigdale and Somchai Phongphaisarnkit

Published by Laurel Glen, San Diego, California

The beautiful book is also a cultural experience when you read about gracious Thai entertaining. Actually, Thai cuisine uses a narrow range of ingredients. However these complement the main ingredients so, each recipe becomes distinctively unique.

The author gives you the chance to make or purchase red, dry or green curry paste. Each takes about 8 minutes and are mashed using a motar and pestle. Likewise he also goes into some detail to distinguish rice (khoa) in its three forms: Boiled, Crispy and Sticky/Steamed Sticky.

This handsome book carries you from its interesting introduction and a section on Thai ingredients on to Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Curries, Main Dishes, Noodles & Rice, ending with Fruits, Desserts and Drinks. Here's a preview of some of the recipes:

* Oysters with Spicy Dressing (Hoy Nang Lom Manow) is simply oysters dressed with lime, sugar, garlic and green chilies.

* Broiled Spicy Sliced Steak (Nua Nam Tok) is a combination of lettuce, cucumber, radish, cilantro broth fish sauce, lemon juice chili power, sugar shallots and brown rice.

* Steamed Scallops with Garlic (Hoy Nung Kratiem Jeow). This is a mixture of oil, garlic, chilies, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, scallions and cilantro.

* Pork with Fruit and Peanuts (Ma Ho), combines tangerines, oil, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, sugar, chilies and roasted peanuts.

* Mango Salad with Cashews (Yam Manuang) is fruit and nuts mixed with green chilies, shallots, sugar, garlic, and lemon.

* Cucumber and Shrimp Salad (Yam Taeng Gwa). Try this by mixing in shallots, red chilies, tomato, fish sauce, lemon juice, sugar and roasted sesame seeds.

* Corn and Shrimp Soap (Gaeng Chuc Koapot) is broth with creamed-style corn, an egg, fish sauce, soy sauce and cilantro.

* Ground Port and Mushroom Soup (Gaeng Chuc Moo Sap). Mix peppercorns, garlic, cilantro roots, broth, dried mushrooms, fish sauce, light soy and scallions.

* Beef with Asparagus and Oyster Sauce (Nua Pad Nam Man Hoy) is garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper.

* Fried Rice with Chicken and Curry Powder (Khoa Pad Karee Gai) calls for curry power, rice, soy sauce, fish sauce scallions and onion.

Enjoy new adventures in Thai cooking for your family and friends.