Thailand: The Cookbook

Phaidon Global Cookbooks

by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, Sam Gordon (Translator), Boe's Pinto Ltd (Contributor)

The definitive guide to Thai cuisine, with 500 authentic recipes from every region brought together in one comprehensive and beautifully produced volume.

Author and photographer Jean–Pierre Gabriel traveled throughout Thailand for years to research the unique flavors and culinary history that make up the country’s food culture. Here, he presents an array of dishes ranging from street vendor snacks to home–cooked meals to restaurant tasting menus and everything in between.

Learn to recreate classics such as Massaman Curry and Green Papaya Salad using authentic methods, or discover a new favorite, such as a Dragon Fruit Frappe. Recipes include advice on essential techniques, while a glossary helps introduce home cooks to less familiar ingredients. Gabriel’s breathtaking images of the natural landscape, people, and food bring to life the history behind this storied cuisine.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Reference, Nonfiction, Food and Drink

528 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2014

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I am seduced by Phaidon cookbooks. The concept, design and photos are always gorgeous. Got this from the library to test drive before buying it. I grew up in southern Thailand and many of the recipes are difficult to find in most other Thai cookbooks. However, half of the six recipes I've tried have been terrible. I don't mean the end result -- the instructions need some serious copyediting and testing. Some are missing steps for ingredients, others have weird descriptions on techniques that are pretty straightforward. Others are just too avante-garde. And even as someone who has eaten insects, I can't say I've got a good hookup for eat-ready silkworms or waterbugs here in Canada so I would give this one a pass.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I collect the phaidon cookbooks and so I felt I needed to read about Thailand. I was surprised by all of the different recipes that I didn’t know about and I love when the author separates recipes by region. I suspect that many of these recipes are not very straightforward as some other reviews have suggested. For someone who has only made pad Thai, I’m suspicious of recipes that are only a paragraph long using ingredients not common outside of that area. Overall, I was fascinated by this cookbook. My only other disappointment like several other phaidon cookbooks is that they do not include a map. I can obviously look one up, but it’s much easier to reference when you’re pawing through the book.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautifully put together and is an amazing addition to the bookshelf. The recipes are clear, but may sometimes just require some common sense. I live in Australia, and it's pretty easy to get most of the ingredients necessary since we are so heavily influenced by Asia.

I have also purchased Hot Thai Kitchen by Pailin Chongchitnant which contains more info about the design and construction of Thai meals, however this book contains SO MANY recipes, and recipes are similar between books (i.e. green papaya salad) worked well.

[Aasinathena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the only cookbook I love from Phaidon books. others are sort of sore to eyes and no photography at all. But this one has improved !