The Flavors of Asia

Flavors of Asia is definitely one of those books where you can absolutely judge a book by its cover. The Korean Onmyeon - Beef Broth & Braised Rice Noodle Soup with beef and kimchi (my daughter thinks it should be deemed a national treasure) immediately catches your attention and there's no stopping it after that. The photos are stunning, the recipes, delicious...so what more could a person possible want from a book....

One very special element is the manner in which it's presented. Many cookbooks that I call "National Graphic" ...you know the ones with combination of different cultures... puts each of the different regions/ethnic groups separately. Not so with this lovely treasure. Like most typical cookbooks, it's arranged traditionally - appetizers, followed by soups, followed by salads & vegetables, followed by meats, followed by...well you get the picture. This makes for such an interesting presentation of the world we live in. Today, it's so much closer and smaller, with so many unique and wonderful dishes just around the corner.

But let me start at the beginning...at least to when I first opened the book. Now, from the title I was expecting China, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, maybe even Korea and Thailand, but (although I did study geography in school) I would never have included India...ridiculous, I know. And as I was flipping through the book, drooling at every page and bookmarking many of the recipes for later, I found a personal "AHA!" moment. If you asked me (before I opened the book) which country would I want to eat my way through first, I would have said China or perhaps, Thailand...maybe Vietnam, after all, a huge bowl of Pho is the most nourishing dish I can think of.

What I discovered was that all the dishes for my first meal from the book was composed of Indian dishes....

The Spinach, Onion & Potato Pakoras were ...well, there really are no words to describe it. And, I admit, it will be quite a while before I get to eat it again, being on South Beach Diet, which means potatoes and frying are limited. But the high heat of the oil somehow had the very crispy spinach just literally melt in your mouth and very little grease was left (once cooked I scooped them out with a slotted spoon and let them rest over a paper towel lined baking sheet).
These Masala Shrimp were fantastic over rice (next week I can have them over brown rice, but they'd be tasty on their own). Shrimp, avocado & cilantro are the stars. I was quick and easy and ...well, they were gone in no time at all!

Don't get me wrong, I also have these dishes bookmarked too....
From Vietnam: Shrimp & Cucumber Salad,
From Singapore: Stir fried spicy noodles,
From China: Fried rice with Chinese Sausages (I adore them and one local Asian market carries them!)and General Tso's Chicken
From Korea: well I'll leave it to my daughter to make the Baechoo Kimchi
From Thailand: Pad Thai, naturally, but also Shrimp Salad - cutely wrapped in lettuce lealves, Lamb shanks in Massamum Curry (my favorite taste sensation),
From Japan: Daikon "Fettuccine" with Tomato Basil Sauce
And naturally more wonderful dishes from India, like Goan Shrimp Curry and Lamb Biryani

Plus wonderful condiments, gravies and desserts from everywhere. It is going to be a long and fruitful journey through all of Asia.

In a nutshell, if you're into exploring other cultures and are particularly enamoured with The Far East...this book is for you.