Recommend a Cookbook

Along with my decision to eat new and different vegetables in new and different ways this summer, I am looking to branch out in terms of the kind of foods I cook.  I cook very new Californian-American-Mediterranean food generally, and every now and then will stray into Mexican or Vietnamese.  But now I want to stray even further.  So, I am looking for the best cookbook that you can recommend that delves into Asian cooking, particularly Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese. So let me hear it!

Comments

[teri]

Hi Molly:

Given your vegetable fascination, you might want to check out Madhur Jafrey's World of the East Vegetarian. This is a wonderful cookbook with tons of clear, delicious recipes from Asian cuisines. Great for both sides and mains. Her Step-by-Step Cooking also has a lot of Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes.

I do not have any Japanese cookbooks (so I'm hoping you'll get some good feedback and steer me in the right direction!). For Vietnamese, I recommend Mai Pham's Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. As for Chinese, I don't own any Barbara Tropp books, but they've been highly recommended to me.

I just ordered Bruce Cost's Guide to Asian Ingredients, so I'll let you know how that one turns out!

[alice]

I don't know any good Japanese cookbooks in English... All of the ones I've seen are strangely twisted version of very classical Japanese food that are very much out-dated in Japan. I go to the online resources for these, but most of the ones I use are in Japanese there too. But check this one out:
http://keigakumuchushojin.blogspot.com/

It is bilingual, vegetarian, and has wonderful pictures of yummy-sounding recipes in the spirit of Japanese Shojin (Salvation) cuisine.

[Fatemeh]

I second Teri's reco for Madhur Jaffrey's book... I believe that book has a Biryani recipe that is to DIE for.

[Molly]

More More More!

Especially looking for Japanese. I guess I better just try one and see how it goes. Thanks for your responses.

[sara]

Hi!

Your blog is great!

I really like these:

Williams Sonoma Savoring China: Recipes and Reflections on Chinese Cooking (Savoring Series) by Jacki Passmore, Chuck Williams, Andre Martin (for the photos alone, this book is worth it)

Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen: A Cookbook by Hi Sooshin Hepinstall

=)

[martine]

For Korean: A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes

For Chinese: The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking (Barbara Tropp)

For Japanese: Are you looking to make sushi? Or just japanese in general?

Good luck!

[Molly]

Ok, to clarify, I don't plan on doing sushi OR much frying, so a Japanese cookbook that is more country/home cooking, if there is such a thing, would be great.

[Winslow]

Hi Molly,

For a variety of Asian cuisines, try Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients (mentioned upthread) and Marnie Henricksson's Everyday Asian. Cost makes fascinating reading, whether or not you cook his recipes, and everything I've tried from Everyday Asian has turned out terrific; the recipes work very well.

Japanese: Hiroko Shimbo's The Japanese Kitchen has a variety of recipes from the traditional to the European-influenced, and also has lots of explanation of different ingredients, techniques and tools that may be exotic to those unfamiliar with Japanese food. Hiroko Urakami's Japanese Family-Style Recipes is just that, a simple assortment of down-to-earth dishes.

Chinese: Ken Hom's Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood has terrific recipes and nice memories. Gloria Bley Miller's The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook is exhaustive, but its no-frills approach can take some getting used to.

I'm still looking for good cookbooks on Thai, Vietnamese and Burmese food, or at least I will be when I scratch together some money to go cookbook shopping.

Happy reading and eating!

[Rachael]

I love Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and The Yan Can Cook Book by Martin Yan. (That one is Chinese) I wouldnt say they are the most authentic books ever (not being able to judge) but they are great. In the Noodles book try the Cinnamon Beef Noodles, it is the BEST recipe...good luck! Cant wait to read what you end up getting!

[sheikha]

This thread is a few months old, but I think you should look toward Hawai'ian cooking as well. Hawaiian cooking has influences from Portugal, Japan, Okanawa, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, China, the Polynesian islands, and I am sure I am forgetting some of the other influences. Anyway, Hawai'ian cooking is extremely multi-cultural. There are good books on the subject of Hawai'an Home/Country Cooking to the renaissance in Hawai'ian Modern cooking that has been going on for the last 20 years. Mutual Publishing is a local publisher that has a wide variety of Hawai'ian cooking titles. Also, the godfather of Hawai'ian cooking is Say Choy, and I have to say I really enjoy his books. Good Luck.