Essentials of Asian Cuisine : Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes (Hardcover)

by Corinne Trang (Author) "Technically, condiments are any foodstuff of pronounced flavor used to season or heighten the natural flavor of foods, aid digestion, stimulate the appetite, or preserve..." (more)
Key Phrases: rooms rehydrate, japanese dark soy sauce, basic pork stock, Southeast Asian, United States, Hong Kong (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
For so many of us, Asian cuisine beckons like a beautiful tropical pool. And yet, the most we ever do is test the water with a tremulous toe or two. But now Corinne Trang, award-winning author of Authentic Vietnamese Cooking, has taken on the prodigious task of being both swimming teacher and siren, lifeguard and fearless mariner, to lure us into the deep water with her Essentials of Asian Cuisine.

At 590-plus pages, this is a big book. It is beautifully illustrated, for those who need to see where they are headed, and just as beautifully thought out, for those who want to get where they are going. The destination is the food of Asia, with China as the wellspring. The territory Ms. Trang has mapped includes Indonesia and the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan and Korea--as well as greater China. She does not pretend to be definitive--that would take an encyclopedia. Rather, Ms. Trang assures the reader that much of what they know of western cooking applies to the east. She begins with familiarity then builds in self confidence, chapter by chapter, recipe by recipe.

There are detailed sections on the Asian pantry, the basics of tools and techniques, an overview of the working fundamentals of building a dish or a meal. Then the book breaks out into chapters on "Condiments, Stocks and Starter Soups," "Rice, Noodles, Dumplings, and Bread," "Vegetables and Herbs," "Fish and Seafood," "Meat and Poultry," and "Sweets and Drinks." She ends her book with notes about Asian food rituals and sample menus and sources. The recipes are refreshingly short, concise, and to the point. A reader could begin by cooking what is already familiar, then expand into the many delicious alternatives Essentials of Asian Cuisine has to offer. Before you know it you'll be swimming like a natural without a second look back. --Schuyler Ingle

From Publishers Weekly
There are some books you never knew you needed until they appear, and then you can't imagine how you did without them. Trang's newest (after Authentic Vietnamese Cooking) is an encyclopedic summation of the history, techniques, ingredients and recipes of the major Asian nations (China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines). It's an ambitious undertaking, but Trang delivers and shows an astonishing mastery of the often subtle differences among the cuisines. (For example, she clearly differentiates between three kinds of hot pots-Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese.) In this vast catalogue, some recipes are relatively familiar, like Bibimbap, Tempura, Hot and Sour Soup, Chicken Adobo; Curried Conch Shells, Fish and Coconut Custard and Oxtail braised in Peanut Sauce are more exotic. While some staples have not been included (such as Kungpao Chicken), the book can hardly be accused of brevity. A true instructor, Trang spends 60 pages on fundamentals before offering any cooking instruction. She fills out each chapter of recipes with an extensive essay on the different permutations taken by shared ingredients-there are 140 pages on "Rice, Noodles, Dumplings, and Breads" alone. The protein chapters are somewhat less impressive; still, this volume should be a first port of call for home cooks eager to undertake a serious study of Asian cooking.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743203127
• ISBN-13: 978-0743203128
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,546 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ESSENTIALS OF ASIAN CUISINE: FUNDAMENTALS AND FAVORITE RECIPE, August 11, 2005

By	Tu Bright (Irvine, CA) - See all my reviews

I think this might be a good book for individuals who are not very familiar with Asian cuisine and would like just a light touch of Asian flavors and spices in their dishes. But for someone like me who grew up eating down right bona fide home-cooked Asian foods, the recipes are very unauthentic and the ingredients and cooking methods are greatly downplayed. If I used these recipes to cook for my parents, who are Vietnamese, I woud probably get disowned. But again, I think it might be a good book for starters. The instructions to the recipes are very easy to follow. The author did take time to thouroughly explain each ingredient to the readers. GOOD LUCK!

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A passionate exploration of Asian cuisines., July 14, 2003

By	Karen Page (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

After admiring Corinne Trang's AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE COOKING -- one of our very favorite books about one of our very favorite cuisines -- we were delighted to pick up a copy of her new book ESSENTIALS OF ASIAN CUISINE: Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes.

Corinne takes you on a mouth-watering tour of Asia, providing key information on the essential ingredients of the Asian pantry, basic equipment and techniques, an overview of the fundamentals, along with hundreds of recipes for soups, starches, vegetables, fish and seafood, meat and poultry, and sweets and beverages. She caps it off with information about food rituals and sample menus that will allow you to enjoy your cooking efforts with even greater pleasure.

Not only is Corinne a talented writer, but her own beautiful black-and-white photographs enhance the journey through her 592-page treatise on Asian cooking.

This book is an essential purchase for anyone who loves cooking Asian cuisine -- or who wants to start!

--Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page, James Beard Award-winning co-authors of BECOMING A CHEF, CULINARY ARTISTRY, DINING OUT, CHEF'S NIGHT OUT and THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irresistible, February 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Essentials of Asian Cuisine : Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes (Hardcover)

I checked out this cookbook from the library and tonight I made the chicken adobo, which was incredible. The sauce chapter was particularly compelling as well as the soups and...really, every single chapter contained many recipes that I am anxious to try. I tend to check out cookbooks and type out particularly interesting recipes before returning them. With this cookbook, I found myself overwhelmed with the task and I finally had to give up. I never heard of Corinne Trang but every single recipe made sense, sounded utterly delicious and is very doable. I expect to use this cookbook with full confidence the next time I put together an Asian dinner. What a find.