The Vegetarian Table: Thailand [Hardcover]

Jacki Passmore (Author), Steven Rothfeld (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Vegetarian Table | Publication Date: September 1, 1997

Illustrated with gorgeous photographs, this is the first book to treat vegetarian Thai cuisine in elegant hardcover style -- and at a pleasantly affordable price. Jacki Passmore is respected in culinary circles around the globe for her knowledge of Asian food. Here she presents an unbeatable collection of vegetarian Thai recipes, skillfully sidestepping meat without missing any favorites. Based on succulent noodles and rice, tangy sauces, crisp vegetables, and pungent herbs and spices, Thai cooking is ideal for today's health-conscious cooks, and these carefully crafted recipes make Thai flavor marvelously easy to achieve at home. From essentials like Cucumber Salad with Roast Peanut Dressing to zesty curries, soups, stir-fries, and more, The Vegetarian Table: Thailand deserves a central place in any kitchen where spice, adventure, and delicious vegetarian foods are welcome.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From: Publishers Weekly

Anyone who cooks for vegetarians and omnivores can sympathize with William Ralph Inge: "It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favour of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion." With Thai cuisine, skipping meat doesn't feel like a compromise; one can make spicy flavorful dishes for the sheep, and the wolf won't know the difference. Passmore (Fire and Spice) has chosen well, collecting recipes that aren't difficult or weighed down with an ominous list of ingredients. In each section. Passmore manages to give a sense of the full range of Thai cooking, from the expected curry paste, ginger, coconut flavor of Mushrooms in Coconut Soup with Crisp Noodle Croutons to the less expected Mussaman Curry of Potato and Pumpkin with Peanuts (and cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, tamarind) and Clay Pot of Fried Tofu and Vegetables in Brown Sauce. The first chapter includes a fairly complete glossary of ingredients. Although the difference between coconut cream (made from the first extraction of coconut meat) and the ubiquitous sugary cream of coconut used for piña coladas is not clarified. Passmore does recognize that many Thai ingredients are not universally available. The suggested substitutions (e.g., tapioca for sago; grapefruit instead of pomelos; lime zest for kaffir lime leaves; chayote for Chinese melon) will help bring the delights of Thai cuisine to many vegetarian tables.

About the Author

Jacki Passmore is author of more than twenty-five cookbooks, including Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook. She lives in the US, Australia, and Asia.

Steven Rothfeld is a photographer whose work has appeared in Travel & Leisure, Bon Appetit, and Gourmet. He lives in Napa Valley, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811812146
• ISBN-13: 978-0811812146
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Thai

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The exotic made easy, October 27, 1999

By 

Eda (Edmonton Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vegetarian Table: Thailand (Hardcover)

This is a great book! Easy to follow instructions take the mystery out of Thai cooking while the beautiful illustrations are a feast for the eye. When non-vegetarians tell me that vegetarian food is boring, I use this cookbook to prove them wrong and get rave reviews at the table. Be sure to try the Jungle curry.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very similiar to a vegetarian cookbook..., December 29, 2000

By 

"dayveg" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vegetarian Table: Thailand (Hardcover)

This book has a lot of good recipes. Unfortunately, I am not convinced the recipes were designed for vegetarians. Many of the recipes have ingredient lists like "Fish sauce (or light soy sauce)".

Apart from that, book has lots of pretty pictures, is well organized and has most of the Thai food that vegetarians would order in a restaurant (curries, pad thai, pineapple fried rice). No Drunken Noodle though!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pungent, , Exotic, and EASY, October 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Vegetarian Table: Thailand (Hardcover)

Interesting combinations, easy to understand, easy to find ingredients (well, in Toronto's Chinatown it is). Try the Spiced Corn Cakes with Cucumber Dipping Sauces and the Hot and Sour Thai Soup,and the Golden Spring Rolls.