Review: Thai: The Essence of Asian Cooking by Judy Bastyra and Becky Johnson

Synopsis: Starting with a short but interesting history of Thailand, the book moves into detailed and colorful information about each ingredient you might find in the recipes. Each one includes a picture, a description of the taste and use, and where do possibly find it. From there, the book moves into recipe in the categories of poultry, beef, fish, rice, noodles, salads, desserts, and appetizers. The recipes are easy to read, easy to follow, has pictures, and includes cooking tips.

Review: I made my first recipe from the book. Beef Stew with Star Anise (p142).

Looks good, right? It was. It was fan-freaking-tastic. Seriously, I ate two helpings – and would have eaten more but I’m trying to regain my girlish-figure. It’s important to remember, I am not a particularly good cook. So, if I can manage to follow a recipe and come up with something edible, it’s a cookbook worth experiencing.  The book lays open nicely, which makes cooking from it easy.

Notes:

1) It is Thai cooking, which means there are a lot of ingredients. But most of them can be purchased at a local Asian market, as they are common to most Asian cooking (mung beans, fish sauce, lemongrass, star anise, Thai basil,). But if you haven’t ventured into an Asian store before, it’s a bit daunting. Be warned.

2) The book has the measurements in both American and British/Australian/European amounts. Meaning that it will say 30ml/2 tablespoons. This doesn’t detract from the recipes or cooking instructions, but it is important to note that it is a book for any English-speaker, regardless of what measurement system you are familiar with. 

Bookmarks: 8 of 10

Awards: None (that I know of!)

ISBN: 1-84309-724-9
Year Published: 2003
Date Finished: 8-17-2016
Pages: 256