Thailand: The Beautiful Cookbook (Hardcover)

~ Panurat Poladitmontr (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Thailand the Beautiful Cookbook is a joyous celebration of Thailand its people, and its cuisine.

The range and diversity of Thai cooking is showcased in this magnificent collection of authentic recipes from each of the four regions of Thailand.

From the South, where the cooking reflects a Malay influence, comes a tantalizing array of curries and delicious seafood dishes. The Central Plains region, with the huge vibrant city of Bangkok as its focus is the most fertile, part of the country and is rich in fresh produce. The North has a very distinctive cuisine based on glutinous rice, and the dishes that accompany it are generally milder than those of the Central and Northeastern regions In the Northeast the influence of nearby Laos is felt and dishes tend to be highly spiced.

Thai-born chef and culinary expert Panurat Poladitmontri and his partner, Judy Lew, have prepared this superb collection of authentic, recipes, each of which has been individually photographed by leading food photographer John Hay and beautifully styled by Ann Creber. Internationally renowned photographers Luca Invernizzi Tettoni and John Hay present a spectacular collection of photographs to show Thailand's great scenic diversity, from the beaches and jungles of the South to the misty mountains of the North, and the varied lives of it's people. William Warren, who has spent many years in Thailand, writes with an insider's knowledge. He takes the reader on an absorbing trip around the country discussing the various influences--historical, physical, racial and cultural--that have formed the distinctive culture of the Thai people.

An extensive glossary ensures that any cooks who are unfamiliar with oriental ingredients and presentation will have no difficulty in bringing this wonderful selection of Thai dishes to their tables.

About the Author

Panurat Poladitmontri, chef-owner of the Lemon Grass Grill Restaurant in Seattle, is proud of his Thai heritage. Recognized as one of the leading Thai chefs in America, he has authored cookbooks, appears frequently in the media, and travels internationally to teach Thai cuisine. Judy Lew, considered the Northwest's leading expert on pacific Rim Cuisine, is the author of many cookbooks on Asian cuisine, including Enjoy Chinese Cuisine; Flavors of Chineses Cooking; Dim Sum Appetizers and Light Meals She is the Director of the Uwajimaya Cooking School.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Beautiful Cookbooks (April 23, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002550296
• ISBN-13: 978-0002550291
• Product Dimensions: 14.3 x 10.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desert island Thai--one more vote, May 31, 2002

By	B. Strottman "Jam Band Fan" (Kingwood, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first borrowed this book in 1993 from my neighbor who had lived in Thailand. I made about 4 things from the book--by the book--and invited her to dinner. She raved how perfect and authentic the flavors were. I kept the book awhile, made more recipes, and, being on a student budget but having plenty of time, copied those recipes I thought I might someday make (about three-quarters of them). The Burmese Chicken Curry was a hit from the beginning--when my wife's friend walked in the front door she remarked that it stung her NOSE just smelling the dish as it cooked!
Over the years I have made some fifty recipes from the book--soups, meat dishes, rice and noodle dishes, vegetarian dishes, seafood dishes, curry pastes, desserts--and nearly every one has been a huge hit with my wife and me. I've made so few different recipes because I've come back to many of them a dozen times or more. The Chicken Coconut Soup is my four-year-old son's favorite food, and he requests it often.
I finally bought the book for myself this year and have made several different recipes that I hadn't before. Some have hit my "frequently made" list already.
The book is visually stunning, with large appealing photographs of each dish, and with similarly beautiful photos of the countryside, divided up by region between the chapters of different foods. The recipes themselves are very easy to follow, and even those that have many ingredients usually only require a couple steps. Some require ingredients that you can only find in Asian food stores (like galangal) but even things like fish sauce and coconut milk are becoming more available in other supermarkets; and many recipes require nothing more exotic than fresh ingredients and soy sauce.
The only shortcoming I see in the book is a dearth of purely vegetarian dishes, but since Thai cooking seems to encourage improvisation, this can be remedied by substitutions. Despite this, I still consider this to be the best Thai cookbook I have (of six), the best Beautiful Cookbook I have (of six), and the best cookbook period that I have (of nearly 100).

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desert island Thai, June 8, 2000

By	Greg Alder (Mexico) - See all my reviews

When I moved to Mexico two years ago, I was forced to accept that it would be impractical to bring my library. So I spent a few hours looking at the volumes on the shelves to select the 20 or so books I felt I absolutely HAD to have with me. One of those books was Thailand The Beautiful Cookbook. Most of the time I open it, it's to find something to satisfy my craving for the sweet, pungent, rich and exotic flavours of Thai food. But other times I've simply lost myself in memories of a beautiful country - memories brought back by the stunningly evocative photographs which fill this book. Thai restaurants here in Mexico seem to be nothing more than a rumour. But Thai ingredients (or serviceable substitutes) are reasonably easy to buy. I have cooked from this book frequently for Mexican friends. Every one of them has been bowled over by flavours packed into the dishes placed in front of them. And if that's the response you want when you cook for friends, then I suggest you buy this book. For me, a Thai food fanatic a long way from Asia, it is essential.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Thai Cookbook!, March 17, 2005

By	Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have lived in Thailand and this book is the best cookbook I have found in the US. It made me very happy to be able to see Thai foods that are not offered in Thai restaurants in the US and not seen in other Thai cookbooks. Now I can finally have my Nam Gabi and Soup No Mai. (The spelling is different in the book.) I was happy to see both the Roman lettering and the true Thai word for the dish. It helps me figure out what the dish is and jogs my memory when reading the Thai. Thai food is great and I'm happy to see the recipes and the Thai regional information included.