Essentials of Asian Cuisine: Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes

by Corinne Trang, Christopher Hirsheimer (Illustrator)

With eight major national cuisines, and dozens of regional variations, a comprehensive exploration of Asian cuisine might seem too daunting to present in one volume. But with Essentials of Asian Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes, award-winning author Corinne Trang successfully brings the fundamentals of Asian cooking into the home kitchen in a collection that includes both contemporary and time-honored recipes. Trang takes the reader on a journey of Eastern culinary discovery as seen through a practiced Western culinary lens. Explaining how and why Chinese cuisine is at the root of all Asian cooking, she describes in familiar terms the techniques that incorporate the five senses and embody the Chinese yin yang philosophy of balanced opposites. Trang uses Asian ingredients commonly found in supermarkets and through mail-order sources -- such as fish sauce, lemongrass, and rice noodles -- to guide home cooks through the preparation of healthy, sensual meals. She illuminates the mysteries of authentic Asian cooking, explaining the aromatic herbs and spices that make Asian cuisine vibrant, colorful, and distinctive. Trang brings together more than three hundred traditional and cutting-edge recipes for condiments, appetizers, main courses, vegetables, and sweets and drinks from China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Mouthwatering items include Chinese Scallion Pancakes, Filipino Fried Spring Rolls, Spicy Indonesian Crab Fried Rice, Japanese Miso-Marinated Black Cod, Japanese Spring Water Tofu with Sweet Sake Sauce, Stir-Fried Leafy Greens, Chinese Pork Ribs with Black Bean and Garlic Sauce, Green Tea Ice Cream, and Thai Coffee. In organizing the book by type of food, Trang allows cooks to see both the common elements and the distinctive individualities of Asian national and regional cooking. Trang explains the roots of major recipes and discusses where they appear in various guises in different countries. Vietnam's Canh Ca Chua (Hot and Sour Fish Soup), for example, can also be found in Cambodian, Indonesian, and Thai cuisines; Trang provides the recipes for both the master soup and its variations. Trang includes a comprehensive glossary of Asian ingredients, plus a detailed list of resources for purchasing special ingredients and equipment. She offers sample menus, including a Chinese Dim Sum, a Filipino Dinner, and a Japanese Lunch. A special section on feng shui demonstrates how to organize and beautifully present a meal. In this lavishly designed and illustrated volume, more than eighty-five original black-and-white and color photographs bring to life the ingredients, dishes, and people of Asia. The book is rich with personal anecdotes and intriguing information about Asian culture, and nowhere else will you find such a clear, comprehensive, and accessible treatment of Asian cuisine. More than a cookbook, Essentials of Asian Cuisine is a celebration of exotic culinary delights.

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

608 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Corinne Trang is the award-winning author of several books including the most recently published Asian Flavors Diabetes Cookbook (ADA, 2012), Noodles Every Day (2009), Curry Cuisine (2007), The Asian Grill (2006), A Food Lover's Companion: Vietnamese (2006), Essentials of Asian Cuisine (2003), and Authentic Vietnamese Cooking (1999), and has served as spokesperson to various national brands and commodities. Dubbed the "Julia Child of Asian Cuisine" by the Washington Post, she is a frequent television and radio guest and has appeared on national, regional, and cable network including NBC's Today Show, CBS's Early Morning Show, PBS, FOX News, ABC, CNN, Lifetime, Discovery, Food Network, Sirius, Business Talk Radio, National Public Radio, and Bloomberg to name a few. She has written for numerous publications including Saveur, Food & Wine, Fine Cooking, Islands, Gourmet, Cooking Light, and Bon Appetit, and has taught and lectured internationally, most recently at New York University. She serves on the Board of Directors of Cook for Your Life, a non-profit dedicated to teaching cancer survivors proper nutrition through fun hands-on cooking programs. She is the East Coast Correspondent for Business Talk Radio's "America's Dining and Travel Guide" and "The World A La Carte." Trang is also the founder of a hybrid wellness program combining mindful eating, yoga, and meditation.

Reviews

[Heather]

No matter how many other Asian cookbooks I read, this is the one I always turn back to - it is truly an essential resource.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I was looking for an Asian cookbook with basics and also with some more comprehensive recipes. I found that I could "veganize" the things that interested me most if I needed to.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look out world, I've got dumplings in the bull pen!