[.ca] Southeast Asian Specialties: A Culinary Journey (English) (ISBN 3895089095)

From Amazon.com:
Southeast Asian Specialties starts with a map, a proverb ("other fields, other insects; other seas, other fish"), and a photo of whole, bronzed, barbecued chickens suspended in a shop window. The image is so vivid you can taste the salty crackle of their crisp, lacquered skin. From here, this encyclopedic book, crammed with information, unforgettable photos, and more than 200 recipes, takes you on a vivid journey through Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The chapter on each of these places opens with a brief overview of the local culture and history. This is followed by a procession of spreads, each devoted to a single subject. Cumulatively, this provides a comprehensive experience of the area's rich culinary life. Since the Chinese are a major influence throughout Southeast Asia, you learn about the health-promoting principles of balance and about ingredients with medicinal benefits that are commonly used in home cooking. The "Dim Sum" section, like many others in the book, shows a dozen or more dishes, with captions providing detailed information. Often names are given in both Mandarin and Cantonese, and the Latin name is provided for anything that grows, from water spinach to various mushrooms. To deepen your understanding of local ingredients, you see how fresh beans become bean sprouts, how tofu and tempeh, indigenous to Indonesia, are made, and how shiitake mushrooms are grown. Equipment is described, with such details as how to season a new earthenware cooking pot. Daring cooks can enjoy recipes for spicy Malaysian Fish Head Curry and succulent, silken Hainanese Poached Chicken. Those with access to an Asian market can try the recipe for Kuak Durian, a sauce made with the infamous fruit Southeast Asians adore, despite its revolting fragrance. On a simpler note you can make a Eurasian omelet, filled with fresh red chile peppers and onions. Whether or not you use its recipes, if you enjoy Asian food, this book is valuable and enlightening. --Dana Jacobi

south-east asian eating delights:
This book is one of the best south-east asian cookbooks I've ever seen. There are plenty of pictures to show you what each dish should look like and there is an index of all the different ingredients you will have to find. The directions are easy to follow and the recipes that I've tried are wonderful. Just like being back in Malaysia. Even my mother has bought the book and she's Malaysian and a great cook! This book is also just a great book to learn about the different culture in south-east asia, but turning the pages will make your mouth water. Great recipes like penang laksa, assam chicken and rojak will make any meal authentic and delicious.

One of my favourite cookbooks!:
When I got this for Christmas, 1999, I thought it was interesting...but more of a coffe table book than an actual working cookbook. And to some degree I was right: the print is rather small, making it hard to use in the kitchen, the recipes are the bare minimum and assume you absolutely know what you are doing, and the book is more photos of scenery than photos of dishes. But some of the recipes intrigued me, so I gave it a shot...and wow! I have not made a thing in here I didn't like. The Indonesian stuffed squid in spicy sauce ("cumi-cumi isi") is fabulous, and the Malaysian mutton in soy sauce with onions and tomatoes ("kambing kecup") is now a standard of mine -- I make it whenever I have some meat (I use any kind, including fish) and I can't be bothered to be ingenious! Another thing that makes me very fond of this book is the photos of ingredients, like galangal and kaffir limes leaves and candlenuts, with the names of things in several Asian languages, which I have found indispensible.

A Journey for the tastebuds!:
After having spent 6 months in Hong Kong and enjoying the regional cuisine of Southeast Asia, I was hungering for an authentic book on the subject. I have found it through Culinaria. I have since purchased the other editions in the series. The photography is stunning and the recipes are quite authentic and varied. I have never disappointed a guest using these recipes. A must read!