Asian Hot & Spicy (The Essential Kitchen Series)

Rating:
Summary: Living Up to its Title..........
Review: This cookbook could be dubbed "A tribute to the hot pepper!" This most enjoyable cookbook opens with a guide to the many types of chili peppers and spices that are traditionally found in Asian cooking and also contains a brief overview necessary kitchen equipment (wok, bamboo steamer, slotted spoons, etc.). These guides are sufficient to get novices started.

So far, the recipes contained within this cookbook are quite good. My husband and I have prepared: Asian vegetable and lentil soup, chili-noodle cakes, red curry shrimp, Thai spicy chicken with basil, duck on a bed of chili onions, chili beef burgers with Asian salad, and pork with ginger and lime sauce. All have been very tasty and each is distinct. There is also an intriguing dessert section that we haven't yet tried which includes recipes for pistachio and cardamom ice cream, mango and cumin lassi, chilled spice tea, and ginger and nutmeg sweet potato pudding. All and all this cookbook contains more than forty recipes. This includes a chapter containing sauce and condiment recipes.

I want to add that while I am enjoying this cookbook very much, its flavors are suited to the American palate. None of my Asian friends would say, "Wow, just like Mom makes!". This may put off some of you out there who are looking for a more authentic experience. Also, the photographs in this cookbook aren't quite what they could be. While attractive, the photos of each dish are typically blurry around the edges, often with only the closest part of the dish being in focus. I'm not usually too fussy about food photos, but this was enough to make me notice it. Again, I wanted to mention this because it may bother some
potential buyers. The photos could simply be of higher quality.