[.ca] Essentials of Asian Cuisine: Fundamentals and Favorite ... (ISBN 0743203127)

From Amazon.com:
For so many of us, Asian cuisine beckons like a beautiful tropical pool. And yet, the most we ever do is test the water with a tremulous toe or two. But now Corinne Trang, award-winning author of Authentic Vietnamese Cooking, has taken on the prodigious task of being both swimming teacher and siren, lifeguard and fearless mariner, to lure us into the deep water with her Essentials of Asian Cuisine. At 590-plus pages, this is a big book. It is beautifully illustrated, for those who need to see where they are headed, and just as beautifully thought out, for those who want to get where they are going. The destination is the food of Asia, with China as the wellspring. The territory Ms. Trang has mapped includes Indonesia and the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan and Korea--as well as greater China. She does not pretend to be definitive--that would take an encyclopedia. Rather, Ms. Trang assures the reader that much of what they know of western cooking applies to the east. She begins with familiarity then builds in self confidence, chapter by chapter, recipe by recipe. There are detailed sections on the Asian pantry, the basics of tools and techniques, an overview of the working fundamentals of building a dish or a meal. Then the book breaks out into chapters on "Condiments, Stocks and Starter Soups," "Rice, Noodles, Dumplings, and Bread," "Vegetables and Herbs," "Fish and Seafood," "Meat and Poultry," and "Sweets and Drinks." She ends her book with notes about Asian food rituals and sample menus and sources. The recipes are refreshingly short, concise, and to the point. A reader could begin by cooking what is already familiar, then expand into the many delicious alternatives Essentials of Asian Cuisine has to offer. Before you know it you'll be swimming like a natural without a second look back. --Schuyler Ingle

A passionate exploration of Asian cuisines.:
After admiring Corinne Trang's AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE COOKING -- one of our very favorite books about one of our very favorite cuisines -- we were delighted to pick up a copy of her new book ESSENTIALS OF ASIAN CUISINE: Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes. Corinne takes you on a mouth-watering tour of Asia, providing key information on the essential ingredients of the Asian pantry, basic equipment and techniques, an overview of the fundamentals, along with hundreds of recipes for soups, starches, vegetables, fish and seafood, meat and poultry, and sweets and beverages. She caps it off with information about food rituals and sample menus that will allow you to enjoy your cooking efforts with even greater pleasure. Not only is Corinne a talented writer, but her own beautiful black-and-white photographs enhance the journey through her 592-page treatise on Asian cooking. This book is an essential purchase for anyone who loves cooking Asian cuisine -- or who wants to start! --Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page, James Beard Award-winning co-authors of BECOMING A CHEF, CULINARY ARTISTRY, DINING OUT, CHEF'S NIGHT OUT and THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF

What you always wanted to know about Asian cuisine:
Essentials of Asian cuisine by Corinne Trang isn't just a cookbook. If you are looking for recipes, there are plenty of publications out there. However, if you want to understand what Asian cuisine is about, where it comes from and why are things prepared in a certain manner, then this a truly essential book you actually love to read . . . and yes, if you want to find the right ingredients it is a great guide, too.

A very important master work:
So many cookbooks are published today without important information. They tend to be one similar reicpe after another with a little copy thrown in. Ms. Trangs book is a master work of Asian folklore and food. She clearly leads the reader into a world very few people know about. Her recipes are interesting, creative and well tested. This book is an important masterwork. I am sure it will be a best seller for a long time. Suzen O'Rourke Pres. Cooking by the Book, Inc.

A Truly Wonderful Cookbook:
Corinne Trang's Essentials of Asian Cuisine is simply the best Asian cookbook available. These recipes introduce the reader to food that is not only delicious but that is good for you.