Description:
While Asian Soups, Stews, and Curries is dedicated to what are simply called "one pot" dishes, there is nothing simple about the vast range of foods the book covers, including recipes from the subcontinent through China to Southeast Asia. Author Alexandra Greeley has drawn on her personal experiences and travels in Asia, and put together one of the most comprehensive collections available. Her goal was to collect as many representative dishes as possible and present them in a user-friendly way for western chefs and kitchens--no small task, considering the trying conditions and variety of languages she encountered. The book is divided by primary ingredients--chicken, beef, seafood, and vegetables--and includes regional recipes for each. Cooks new to the cuisine will be surprised to find that Asian dishes are quickly cooked with lively flavors and bear little resemblance, if any, to slow-cooked, stock-based western soups and stews. Greeley also does a tremendous job in debunking western conceptions about curries, and demonstrates them as a staple of Asian cuisine with infinite variations--including, and probably starring the incredible Lamb in Saffron, Apricot, Coconut, and Poppy Seed Curry. In the essays that accompany each chapter, Greeley takes great care to provide a cultural foundation for the food she is presenting, and strives to reduce the intimidation factor faced by chefs in unfamiliar territory. Asian Soups, Stews, and Curries is a great introduction for the novice Asian chef, and for those with more experience, Greeley provides a treasure trove of great recipes. --Mark O. Howerton
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