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The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen Hardcover – August 5, 2008

by Christina Arokiasamy (Author)

26 customer reviews

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It was the aroma. The exotic scent of spices: rich, alluring, and almost magical. A scent that would sometimes overpower the freshness in the air and sometimes subtly mingle with it to create a tantalizing bouquet. A scent that would always bring me back to my childhood.

Growing up enveloped in the aromas of her mother’s spice stall in Kuala Lumpur, Christina Arokiasamy developed an artist’s sense of how to combine and use spices in traditional and innovative ways. In The Spice Merchant’s Daughter, she shares her family’s spice secrets, expertly guiding and enticing home cooks to enliven their repertoires.

Christina weaves evocative stories of cooking at her mother’s side with real-world practical advice gleaned not only from working in professional kitchens but also from tackling the nightly task of getting a home-cooked dinner on the table for her family of four using American ingredients. She shows how easy it is to build layers of complex flavor to create 100 tempting Southeast Asian–inspired recipes, including Lemon Pepper Wings, Spicy Beef Salad, Steamed Snapper with Tamarind-Ginger Sauce, Cardamom Butter Rice with Sultanas, and Coconut Flan Infused with Star Anise. She unlocks the transformative power of homemade spice rubs, curry pastes, and sauces, as well as chutneys and pickles, enabling home cooks to bring new depth and dimension to their favorite dishes.

With lush photography and a chapter identifying and defining key pantry ingredients and aromatics, The Spice Merchant’s Daughter both inspires and empowers, awakening the senses and unlocking the alluring world of spices.

The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The perfumes of Malaysia practically float off the pages of this beautifully composed cookbook. With a Proustian nostalgia, cooking instructor Arokiasamy follows her nose back to Kuala Lumpur, where her mother ran a spice stall (and her great-great-grandfather transported spices for the English East India Company), mangoes were delivered to their home by bicycle and baths were enhanced with ginger-scented water. Her aim is to introduce turmeric, star anise and saffron to readers in a country where the term spice blend usually refers to Colonel Sanders's secret recipe. Here, spices are the very foundation of cooking; Arokiasamy demonstrates how concentrated sambal made from shrimp paste or a garam masala can be prepared in advance to simplify dishes in a time-strapped kitchen. Recipes circle her native Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Though Braised Pork in Caramelized Soy Sauce and Rice Noodles with Seafood and Basil, for example, are densely flavorful, they are also relatively easy to make. Arokiasamy is a natural teacher, offering useful cook's tips with how-tos for makingrice powder and peeling shallots. Suggested spice pairings, a list of shopping resources and a chapter defining the components of a spice pantry give cooks the tools for improvising on their own. Illuminating her techniques with vivid personal anecdotes, Arokiasamy offers a tantalizing glimpse of a rich, vibrant culture and all its scents and flavors. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

CHRISTINA AROKIASAMY, of Indian descent, was raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She began her culinary career working in her family’s kitchen and spice stall before cooking in various Four Seasons resorts throughout Southeast Asia. Arokiasamy opened the Spice Merchant’s Cooking School in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her family.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (August 5, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307396282
ISBN-13: 978-0307396280
Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #41 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Main Courses & Side Dishes > Sauces & Toppings
- #108 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Herbs, Spices & Condiments
- #278 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Asian Cooking

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

5 star		81%
4 star		11%
3 star		4%
2 star		4%
1 star		0%

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Top Customer Reviews

I do not know the author nor have taken her cooking class.

By kiwanissandy VINE VOICE on October 20, 2008

Format: Hardcover

If you notice the other reviews I think they all know the author personally or have taken her cooking classes at some point. Most of them have only written one review for Amazon and that being this book. A couple of them have written 2 so that leads me to believe that the other reviews while well meaning aren't necessarily unbiased. I would like to offer that review as I do not know the author, have never taken a cooking class nor have been paid by her to review the book.

This is it.

I enjoyed reading the book. While it is a cookbook it is also almost a diary. I enjoyed the first chapter where the author describes her childhood and growing enchantment with spices. I too have a similar memory but in rural Kentucky our smells were fat back and chitlins. Everyone remembers their own sweet smells from childhood. Ms. Arokiasamy does a wonderful job of leading us to hers.

One of my pet peeves is people describing most asian cooking as Thai cooking when in fact it is not. And the author knows that and shows us the differences between broad southeast asian cooking and its traditions. The author suggests introducing these spices slowly so that your family will become accustomed to their taste. I think I've heard you need to expose a child 10 times to a new food before they can truly decide if they like it or not.

She as many recipes for making your own spice blends and suggests adding the spice at the beginning of the cooking process if you want it milder in flavor and at the end if you want it strong. Helpful information to know about any spices.

There are recipes for curry powder, garam masala, fiery curry powder, lemon pepper rub, steak and chop rub. The steak and chop rub was delish.Read more ›

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The Spices of Life, Revealed!

By Lawrence A. Kurfiss on August 5, 2008

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

This wonderful book brings the knowledge, wisdom, and passion for cooking to the world at large, that until now has been known to those of us fortunate enough to have taken part in Ms. Arokiasamy's cooking classes, at her Spice Merchants Cooking School, here in the Pacific Northwest. I received my (three!) copies today, and am delighted by the beauty and overall quality of the book.

Christina is a very gifted teacher and story teller, and in this book her passion for cooking and life comes through, almost as well as if she were in the kitchen with you, the reader, cutting up veggies, grinding spices, stirring sauces, and swapping stories.

This book is unlike any "cookbook" you may have ever read. It teaches you about spices, what they are, where they come from, and how to use them in your own cooking. There is a world of difference between the small, ridiculously expensive jars of "spices" found in most stores, to the real thing, which are surprisingly affordable, and available here in North America, if one knows where to find them, and how to use them.

Once you have tasted the dishes in this book, you will know that there is a lot more to Southeast Asian cuisine than what we have commonly seen in the West. When you try these recipes on your guests, they will demand that you tell them where you learned to cook this way. It's all in this fantastic book, which I wholeheartedly recommend to one and all.

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A party in your mouth!

By D. Parker on August 19, 2008

Format: Hardcover

The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen

I have had the great fortune to spend 6 very full fabulous days, learning from Christina herself, how to cook recipes from this book. I feel extremely lucky that I can hear her voice every time I open the book. If you ever get the chance to attend her cooking school, do not pass it up. It is the chance of a lifetime!

This book is written very simply so the reader can understand the recipes. The stories that accompany the chapters help the dishes come alive. She is an amazing story teller and her passion for cooking comes across the pages. The begining of the book has an explanation of spices and herbs and advice on how to have a well stocked spice pantry so that you have all the tools to make these recipes happen.

The photos of the dishes are totally accurate and you can count on your dishes to look just as appealing. The colors and the flavors are nothing like American food. Since the class with Christina, I have had a very hard time "settling" for anything that didn't burst with flavor and cause a "party in my mouth" the way Christina's recipes do each and every time!

Christina believes in natural and healthy ingredients. I cannot wait until she writes another book that gives us even more!

I have had the pleasure of introducing her and her recipes to a University food service program and the guests are blown away by the offerings. People who used to dislike SE Asian food or Indian inspired flavors are asking for more. My point is that the recipes can be used for individuals or multiplied and used for groups.

The price is a steal for what you get from this book!

Keep an eye out for Christina's future works......this is only the begining!

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The interesting stories added intensity to the recipes

By Francis SB on September 13, 2008

Format: Hardcover

An excellent and wonderfull cookbook! I really enjoyed the stories associated with the recipes. As the recipes involved some spices which I had not used before, I was initially a bit sceptical but was pleasantly amazed on how fantastic the food turned out. My favorites recipes were the chicken and tender beef curry as well as the meatballs wrapped in Lettuce which were simply mouth watering. Christina has made the art of cooking with spices a delight to the senses.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Fantastic cookbook

Fabulous background stories and spice descriptions. First time I have ever turned out perfect Jasmine rice. I am purchasing more of these for family gifts.

Published 2 months ago by June C

A Must-Have for Asian Food Enthusiasts

Excellent book, great flavors. Malaysian cooking is underexposed here in the US, so this book is a Godsend if you'd like to experience some different flavors and spice blends. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Victor Semprini

Four Stars

The recipes look great. Now to find more spices to add to my kitchen pantry.

Published 17 months ago by Gerri Cannon

Cookbook and more

I love cookbooks, even if I never plan to make any of the recipes. Arokiasamy’s book with a biographical sketch of her Malaysian childhood is an excellent book. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Nelda Brangwin

... did not have just what I wanted but a good one never the less

It did not have just what I wanted but a good one never the less.

Published on January 20, 2015 by R.M

The recipes are great and delicious

The recipes are great and delicious. But it's the notes on spice usage, care and spice mixtures that make this book worth having for any cook who wants to have good Southeast Asian... Read more

Published on August 30, 2014 by Marvin Bernardo

Beautiful book. I love the way the author writes

Beautiful book. I love the way the author writes, you can smell the spice bazaar. Recipes are easy to follow, and lead you through complicated steps that don't seem complicated the... Read more

Published on July 20, 2014 by Julie Behrens

Great service/prompt delivery/great condition

I rated it 5 stars because there were absolutely no problems. The book shipped out early and arrived early. It is in great condition as declared. Read more

Published on February 18, 2014 by Amazon Customer

What A Treat!

This book is a terrific place to start creating fragrant and delicious dishes in your kitchen. Simple and entertaining to read.

Published on June 28, 2013 by Rezgirl

Spice merchant's daughter

This is a small but fantastic cookbook. i have done some recipes several times in the first two weeks and they are sure to be repeated. Read more

Published on July 21, 2012 by muriel pacheco