Asian Grilling: 85 Satay, Kebabs, Skewers and Other Asian-Inspired Recipes for Your Barbecue (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In her award-winning Cracking the Coconut, Su-Mei Yu offered one of the best introductions to "cooking Thai" we have. Her Asian Grilling moves beyond Thailand to include the mouthwatering satays, kebabs, skewers, and other tempting grilled dishes from that country plus Vietnam, Korea, India, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. With Su-Mei's help, and an outdoor grill, this intensely flavored food is easy to prepare; readers should waste no time in trying any of her 85 recipes, including super versions of more "familiar" fare, like Mongolian-Chinese-Style Lamb Kebabs, as well as "newer" recipes such as Garlic-and-Pepper Shrimp and Kumquats, spicy Myanmar-Style Grilled Duck, and Grilled Scallops with Pineapple-Chile Glaze in Endive.

After providing key technical info (for authentic taste, Su-Mei champions use of the traditional mortar and pestle, though she also endorses the blender with a few procedural adjustments), she then offers her skewer repertoire, which can be matched with zesty dipping sauces and flavorful relishes like Tomato and Chile Sambal or Indonesian Peanut Sauce. Companion chapters, "Wrapped and Grilled" and "Grilled and Wrapped," present alternative versions of traditional case-cooking in dishes like Grilled Marinated Catfish in Banana Leaves and Korean-Style Grilled Beef in Lettuce. Equally tempting are recipes for grilled salads like the feasible-to-fix-after-work Thai-Style Grilled Eggplant Salad; noodle and rice dishes, including Soba Noodles with Grilled Vegetables and Sesame-Ginger Dressing; and grilled desserts, such as Grilled Mangoes with Ginger Syrup. With a separate section on making the required spice blends and pastes, tips on shopping, and color photos throughout, the book opens grilling vistas to those of us inclined to simply throw some hamburger on the barbie again, for want of a better way. The dishes are also just plain fun to prepare. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly

Yu, owner of the restaurant Saffron in San Diego, Calif., here presents sophisticated grilled entrees and salads from Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere. Cooks used to combining spices, a process more thoroughly explained in Yu's first book, Cracking the Coconut, will benefit from meals flavored by, for example, dry roasted white peppercorns and cumin seeds. In Savory Mushrooms in Banana Leaves, there are no fewer than 17 ingredients; however, most of them are for the spice paste. Making things easier, several marinades for example the coriander-and-lemongrass-infused Nonya-Style Chicken or Pork Satay can sit overnight. Meat and fish entrees meant for entertaining, such as Salt-Grilled Yellowtail Tuna and Grilled Duck, Pineapple and Bitter Greens Salad are balanced by quick vegetarian recipes, such as Indonesian-Style Grilled Vegetables with Peanut Dressing and Grilled Vegetables in Rice Paper. Grilled Curried Lamb Wrapped in Radicchio and Garlic-and-Pepper Shrimp and Kumquats are standouts. Those who want to add special condiments to simply grilled food will appreciate the sauces chapter (there is also a short chapter on grilling fruits). Overall, Asian-food lovers will appreciate Yu's undiluted approach and creative exuberance.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066211190
• ISBN-13: 978-0066211190
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,515 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mouth-watering recipes from South East Asia, August 13, 2002

By	Wallis Davenport "joyous2" (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is different from many Asian cookbooks in that its primary focus is on grilling techniques as they apply to Asian foods. The result is a scrumptious wealth of recipes which are truly a delight to prepare and eat. The only reason I didn't give the review 5 stars is that I found that many of the recipes were a little more time-consuming than I prefer, taking 45 minutes minimum to prepare. However, the result is food that is truly authentic Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Laotian, and so on. This book really delivers on the flavors of South East Asia. Most recipes call for ingredients which can be found in any grocery store, but there will be times you'll have to make a trip to your neighborhood Asian mart to discover the delight of cooking with real banana leaves, palm sugar or some of the more unusual ingredients. I would say that if you love cooking, especially on the grill, and enjoy flavorful food, you'll really get a lot out of this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for grilling & sauces, August 22, 2006

By	LMarie (Motown, USA) - See all my reviews

This is a nice cookbook for those interested in Asian food. There are many recipes for marinades and sauces, as well as grilled salads, noodles and flatbreads, even Thai quesadillas. Su-Mei Yu, a native of Thailand, does a nice job of explaining methods for grilling and for proper satay. There are recipes from most countries in southeast Asia, Japan, Korea and China. The recipes appear to be rather authentic and easy to follow. There are many good pictures of the food, and she suggests multiple ways to serve particular dishes (for example, with different sauces or sides).

While this isn't my very favorite Asian cookbook, it is one I refer to often. I'm glad it's in my library. Those who love to grill and/or make Asian food will likely find it to be very useful.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delicious results, July 4, 2006

By	SMB3 "SMB3" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

My wife and I have been visiting Thai and Vietnamese restaurants for years. I have bought several other cookbooks with little success; The recipes looked good on paper but didn't measure up. I found this book easy to follow. The ingredients were easy to find and the results were great. I would recommend this book to someone who has as least cooked some Asian food.