Books

  1. Oriental Cooking
    Oriental Cooking

  2. Hamlyn Spice Book
    Hamlyn Spice Book

  3. The Pumpkin Cookbook
    The Pumpkin Cookbook

  4. Essential Thai: Step-by-step Recipes with Style (Hamlyn Essential)
    Essential Thai: Step-by-step Recipes with Style (Hamlyn Essential)

  5. Essential French: Step-by-step Recipes with Style (Hamlyn Essential)
    Essential French: Step-by-step Recipes with Style (Hamlyn Essential)

  6. Hamlyn Microwave Cookery
    Hamlyn Microwave Cookery

  7. The Vegetable Book
    The Vegetable Book

  8. Thai Cooking
    Thai Cooking

  9. Meat Grilling
    Meat Grilling

  10. Fish Grilling
    Fish Grilling

  11. The Orient Express Book
    The Orient Express Book

  12. The Seafood Book
    The Seafood Book

  13. The Essential Indian Cookbook: Step-by-step Recipes with Style
    The Essential Indian Cookbook: Step-by-step Recipes with Style

  14. Low Fat Cooking
    Low Fat Cooking

  15. The Asian Collection
    The Asian Collection

  16. Handbook of Whisky
    Handbook of Whisky

  17. Hamlyn Mood Food: Recipes to Reflect Your Mood
    Hamlyn Mood Food: Recipes to Reflect Your Mood

  18. The Complete Cook
    The Complete Cook

  19. Indian Food and Folklore (Food & Folklore S.)
    Indian Food and Folklore (Food & Folklore S.)

  20. Tapas
    Tapas

  21. Wok & Stir-Fry
    Wok & Stir-Fry

  22. Soups: 100 Quick and Easy Soup Recipes for Every Occasion
    Soups: 100 Quick and Easy Soup Recipes for Every Occasion

  23. Mediterranean Cooking
    Mediterranean Cooking

  24. Quick Desserts (Hamlyn Cookery Club)
    Quick Desserts (Hamlyn Cookery Club)

  25. Chinese Flavours (Hamlyn Cookery Club)
    Chinese Flavours (Hamlyn Cookery Club)

The Way of Tea: The Sublime Art of Oriental Tea Drinking
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Useful reference plus very interesting information
  • Very informative, interesting,
The Way of Tea: The Sublime Art of Oriental Tea Drinking
Km Chuen Lam , and Kai Sin Lam
Manufacturer: Barron''s Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:
  1. The Book of Tea (Stone Bridge Classics)
  2. All the Tea in China
  3. Yixing Pottery: The World Of Chinese Tea Culture (Arts of China)
  4. The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide (Connoisseur's Guides)
  5. The New Tea Companion: A Guide to Teas Throughout the World

ASIN: 0764119680

Book Description

The Way of Tea is a journey back in time to the origins of tea cultivation and Oriental tea ceremonies. It is also a book of advice, describing how to get full pleasure and benefit from tea today. The ways in which we store tealeaves, then prepare and serve this exquisite brew, influence tea's properties and affect its taste and aroma. Master Lam Km Chuen and his wife Kai Sin offer expert guidance on the essentials of the tea serving art. Separate chapters are devoted to . . . The Tea Story—the origins of tea cultivation in China, and the spread of tea drinking and tea ceremonies from Asia to Europe, then later to America . . . Cultivating Tea—the many varieties, which fall into general categories of green (non-fermented), oolong (semi-fermented), black/red (fermented), and white teas . . . Preparing and Serving Tea—the importance of correct storage and water purity, and methods of preparation and serving ... Healing Teas—discussion of health benefits of teas, supplemented with approximately 20 recipes that incorporate ginger, lychee, ginseng, dry orange peel, and other healthful ingredients. Modern science has come to recognize many health properties in tea—qualities that tea connoisseurs have known about for centuries. Full-color photos throughout.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Useful reference plus very interesting information.......2004-05-30

The book contains very interesting folklores related to Asian teas and introduced some of the author's favorites. Kam gives a brief introduction to few of the finest teas in the world, and much on the popular teas. Then an interesting tea ceremony. Although at some points I don't agree with the author, I do recommend this book to whoever interested in teas. A pleasure to read.

4 out of 5 stars Very informative, interesting,.......2003-12-13

The Way Of Tea is the flip side to a book like "The New Tea Book" -- it goes in depth on a number of subjects and has information tea connoisseurs may not have known. For those who are mainly familiar with information about tea presented from an Indian standpoint, this enhance your knowledge, as it's more about the teas of China.

One of the first things this book covers in great detail is the history and production of tea. Its history starts in 2700 BC and goes up through modern day -- but don't be afraid, it's not like reading a textbook. It's still light and quick read with a lot of great information.

Then there's a good section on the making of teas and varieties of teas. I learned a lot about the preparation of types of teas -- that is, how they're made before they get to you. There's also a lengthy discussion on the proper preparation of teas, and how to serve them. This includes a discussion and series of photos on the gongfu method of tea preparation and serving.

Additionally, there's a series of homeopathic style recipies for tea as various cures. While some of these may be effective due to the placebo effect, I have tried some of these preparations for my girlfriend when she's sick and she said she felt a little better soon afterwards (without me explaining what I was doing). While it's not to be taken as evidence of effectiveness, it may work a bit. Be aware that if you can't get to a place that specializes in Asian foods, though, you may not be able to do many of the recipes.

In any case, this is a great book and almost anyone can learn from it.

The Oriental 7-Day Quick Weight-Off Diet
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • it works
  • A good book with a great deal of versatility
The Oriental 7-Day Quick Weight-Off Diet
Norvell , and John Heinerman
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Weight LossWeight Loss | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
  1. Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Juices

Accessories:
  1. Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0132549050

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars it works.......2005-10-12

I bought this book years ago and recently picked it up again. There is nothing hard or challenging in it. It is a good 'food' for thought book. I'm recommending it to all of my family. It offers a lot of variety

5 out of 5 stars A good book with a great deal of versatility.......2000-05-26

This is a good book to start with if you want to expose yourself to different methods of rapid weight loss. If you are a fan of fruits and vegetables, this may be a really good book to look into because a lot of the strategies involve these specific foods as the basic foundation. It's a good way to segue into a better way of eating for health and fitness. I would suggest also that anyone interested in a weight reduction program be cautious with any method that they use, but this may be a sound beginning for those seeking change.
Asian Noodles: 75 Dishes To Twirl, Slurp, And Savor
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Slurp!
  • Easy and Flavorful
  • Excellent
  • This is one of those rare books that you'll use over and over!
  • Waste of money
Asian Noodles: 75 Dishes To Twirl, Slurp, And Savor
Nina Simonds
Manufacturer: Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
AsianAsian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
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Similar Items:
  1. Asian Wraps: Deliciously Easy Hand-Held Bundles To Stuff, Wrap, And Relish
  2. A Spoonful of Ginger : Irresistible Health-Giving Recipes from Asian Kitchens
  3. Spices of Life: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Great Health
  4. Big Bowl Noodles and Rice: Fresh Asian Cooking from the Renowned Restaurant
  5. Noodle Fusion: Asian Noodle Dishes for Western Kitchens

ASIN: 0688131344

Amazon.com

Udon, ramen, pho, pad thai -- there's a seemingly endless array of Asian noodle dishes that have found a very comfortable niche in Western foodie culture. And for good reason: they're nutritious, inexpensive, and darn tasty. Now Nina Simonds, Chinese scholar and author of China Express and Classic Chinese Cuisine, shows how to make them beautiful as well.

Book Description

For great food that is fast, cheap, and healthy, nothing fills the bill like noodles.Nina Simonds, one of America's most popular authorities on Asian cuisine, shows that the most satisfying and delicious noodle dishes are fun and fabulous to make at home. Tired of spaghetti and ravioli? Try soba, somen, ramen, or rice noodles instead. The 75 recipes for fragrant noodle soups, salads, starters, sides and complete suppers will thrill noodle nuts and novices alike. Cool and refreshing Cold Soba Noodles, soul-warming Ginger Sesame Chicken Noodles, and light and airy Lemon Broccoli Noodles are just a few of Nina's intensely flavorful dishes that are good enough to eat every night. Asian Noodles has a trove of useful and well-organized charts and tips on using the recipes, types of noodles, and how to prepare, use, or substitute the noodles--all designed to make any noodle novice an expert in no time.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Slurp!.......2007-01-23

In my opinion, the noodle is genius. It's fun to eat and takes on the flavor of whatever you put it in. This recipe collection really capitalizes on the variety of ways noodles are using in Asian cooking including recipes for things like Crispy Shrimp Balls, right alongside noodle soups like Udon. Every recipe in this collection is delicious and the pictures are beautiful. The clean design of the book makes it modern enough for a trendy coffee table. The reference guides for noodles are an added bonus. I will never get tired of his cookbook.
Thank you Ms. Simonds!

5 out of 5 stars Easy and Flavorful.......2006-08-03

I picked it up since I love Asian noodle dishes but have no Asian cookbooks and I haven't been disappointed yet. If you keep the staples around, it is so easy to pick up a few vegetable & protein items and throw together a tasty meal. I have made about 5 of the recipes so far and they've been delicious and satisfying, plus it's easy to improvise or make substutions based on availability of ingredients or preferences. The sauce:noodle ratio is perfect everytime. The recipes are economical and make nice leftovers! I also rate the book highly for design - it's very clean, modern, and easy to use, with close-up photos.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2006-06-18

I bought this book because I adore Asian noodle dishes and I'm also usually pressed for time. I agree that the recipes may appear almost too Americanized when reading the ingredients, but always turn out wonderfully. I own many cookbooks but have found myself cooking from this one often.

5 out of 5 stars This is one of those rare books that you'll use over and over!.......2005-12-03

I don't usually hype cookbooks. However, this one is terrific for anyone who loves Asian food, but doesn't have a Thai or Vietnamese place right around the corner. The recipes are clearly written, and use ingredients that most decent supermarkets carry. My family has loved every dish I've made from this book: soups, salads, spring rolls, you name it. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made, and I have hundreds of cookbooks.

1 out of 5 stars Waste of money.......2005-02-09

If you like recipes that don't work, sauces that don't thicken, then this is the book for you. It's a collection of poorly written recipes that I would recommend you don't waste your money on.

If you're serious about Asian cooking, don't waste your time or money with this book.
Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Madhur rocks!
  • I like to read cookbooks, but this is the one I actually USE!
  • I wish I could give it more stars!
  • Beautiful, Easy to Read, Packed with Recipes
  • Something for everyone... and then something MORE
Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking
Madhur Jaffrey
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
  1. Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World
  2. Real Vegetarian Thai
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  5. Madhur Jaffrey Indian Cooking

ASIN: 0394748670
Release Date: 1981-11-12

Book Description

From her own India, from Bali, Japan, China, from Far Eastern and Middle Eastern countries, Madhur Jaffrey brings us tantalizing new dishes, new flavors and new aromas. 400 recipes using nutritious ingredients.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Madhur rocks!.......2007-03-20

the first time I tried a recipe from this book was thanks to a friend who owned the first edition from the eighties. since then, the book was on my wish list for a long time, it took me a while to find another copy again (it was out of print).
the qualities of the book can be summarized as follow. first, the recipes are simple to reproduce: even the most elaborate Persian treats are easy to make. second, their variety is incredibly rich, from Korean kim-chi to the most elaborate Indian curry.
as a lover of international vegetarian cuisine and definitely an experimenter, I find this one of the most comprehensive, unpretentious complete book I could have on my kitchen shelf.
the only flaw: every time I cook a new recipe I have to increase a bit the amount of spices suggested. definitely not a book for those who expect to produce very hot dishes.

5 out of 5 stars I like to read cookbooks, but this is the one I actually USE!.......2006-12-19

I have been a vegetarian for many years, and I eat mainly Asian style food. My cooking skill are about average. I don't normally cook from a book or follow exact recipes. However, I fell in love with this book at first glance. I had no difficulties with any of the recipes (and I have tried them all). All the recipes are well-written and clear, most are easy to follow even for beginners, and the results will please even non-vegetarians because they taste so good. If you are a beginner, the lists of ingredients and shopping advice will be very helpful, and not complicated or overwhelming. A great user-friendly introduction to a world of delightful vegetarian cooking.

5 out of 5 stars I wish I could give it more stars!.......2005-04-21

There hasn't been one recipe from this book that I haven't loved. I found in my public library and started copying the first few recipes onto cards. After my third time of checking this book out, I realized that I would be copying the whole book if I continued. My personal favorites are the Very Spicy Chickpeas, Her recipe for Paranthas, tofu and Broccoli.
All I can say is don't be intimidated by the spice lists. It makes the ingrediants and recipe look twice as long and complicated as it really is.
I also love the artwork! It is beautiful and elegant to me.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Easy to Read, Packed with Recipes.......2004-07-19

This is the second Madhur Jaffrey cookbook I bought, and both are great, but this one has ten times the number of recipes. It's filled with great information about cooking methods, nice vignettes about the sources of the recipes, suggested pairings for dishes, and the most beautiful artwork of any cookbook I've seen. This is an ideal book for anyone who likes to cook Indian food, Chinese food, Japanese food, Vietnamese food, etc., etc., etc..

5 out of 5 stars Something for everyone... and then something MORE.......2004-03-03

I've had this book since the early 80s, and I return to it whenever I need a shot of inspiration to get me out of a culinary rut. Not only is it jam-packed with all the recipes needed to serve up an endless variety of flavorful vegetarian menus, but it is an invaluable source of ideas for things to serve with non-vegetarian entrees. Potatoes With Whole Spices and Sesame Seeds gets dished up with steak or roast in our home, and I have even served it for breakfast. Green Beans with Sesame Paste and Garlic graced our Thanksgiving table, and Carrot Cake With An Indian Flavor is likely to turn up instead of brownies or cupcakes when the baking frenzy comes over me. All of the chutneys and relishes are fabulous, but I am particularly fond of the Apricot Chutney with Raisins and Currants and the South Indian Coconut Chutney. This is a great book for anyone who loves delicious, interesting, satisfying food, whether you are a vegetarian or not.
Hot Wok (Hot Books)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Mo' sauces = mo' betta
  • Love this Cookbook!
  • I've finally learned the art of Wok cooking!
  • A fantastic opportunity for fresh and healthy wok preparatio
  • Outrageously done on show plates, but are they really good?
Hot Wok (Hot Books)
Hugh Carpenter , and Teri Sandison
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0898156785

Book Description

Fifty bold, sophisticated stir-fry recipes from a master teacher and chef, with stunning photographs throughout.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Mo' sauces = mo' betta.......2005-06-02

This is a great cook book. I've had it for years, and made about everything in it, and then varied everything in it (my wife and I no longer eat meat). The best part is all the sauces -- more often than not I now go to this book for a sauce for some other stir fry I'm making. The other reviewer's comment about needing really high heat is sort of true, but my electric stove and flat bottom wok do ok. Not quite flash cooked, but close enough to be very very very yummy! Worth your time, if you're interested in making great food in the wok.

5 out of 5 stars Love this Cookbook!.......2001-01-11

I own three of the "Hot" series and everything I have tried has been terrific. My family and friends think I am a great cook - I owe all of my best success's to Hugh and Teri. I just discovered the rest of their titles and will be ordering them all!

5 out of 5 stars I've finally learned the art of Wok cooking!.......1999-08-11

When I used to wok, I could never get the sauces right. With this book, I've mastered them! I have tried at least a dozen of the recipes in the book and have yet to have a bad "wok" experience. The flavors of the sauces are wonderful and rich, and most of the recipes have basic ingredients that can be found in your local market. They are easy and fun.

5 out of 5 stars A fantastic opportunity for fresh and healthy wok preparatio.......1999-05-05

It was my first experience with wok cooking recipies. I loved the idea of quick cooking very fresh ingredients at very high temperature. However, many household stoves may not be able to generate the necessary temperature to flash cook the recipies as intended. I solved the problem with a propane out door burner availble at many retail outlet and hardware stores. It generates the necessary heat and keeps the kithchen clean. With this equipment the recipies are fantastic. It is a true healthy and flavorful fusion cuisine.

3 out of 5 stars Outrageously done on show plates, but are they really good?.......1999-01-31

Put long, whole uncut string beans like snakes crawling inside your dish, and call it rainbow? Decorated a cooked dish with lot of small whole raw tomatos and jammed them among the cooked food? There is no way that I could accept such kind of gimmicky stuff and treated them as Chinese food. Putting raw stuff in or on a well cooked Chinese dish is just like turning it into something totally messed up. But I can understand that kind arrangements are just for photos in the book. Too gimmicky, man. And one more thing to remind: Never used too fancy, too complicated designed, and too colorful plates to hold the FOOD; as plates could only be used to make the food on them stand out, not bury them or block them with strong colors and patterns. Such disturbing distraction is the worst dream that any restaurant owner or chef would commit mindlessly.
Oriental Vegetables: The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Helps you sort out the seed catalog offerings
  • Helpful tips for difficult crops. Focus: China and Japan
  • Great Source of Ingelligence on Growing and Using Veggies
  • first rate guide to growing Chinese vegetables
Oriental Vegetables: The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook
Joy Larkcom
Manufacturer: Kodansha America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
VegetablesVegetables | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
  1. Asian Ingredients: A Guide to the Foodstuffs of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam
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ASIN: 1568360177

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Helps you sort out the seed catalog offerings.......2007-03-25

This book has really helped me understand the wonderful variety of Asian plant seeds offered by Johnny's and Fedco Seeds. It has an emphasis on the brassicas, probably because the author lives in Britain, and those crops can grow there all year. Keep her climate in mind when you read this book (average of 60 degrees in the summer, minimum low of 20 degrees in the winter, and plenty of rain).

Oriental vegetables, especially the brassicas, seem to be easier to grow and hardier than the traditional cabbages, broccoli, etc., that I've grown side-by-side with them. It is great to have a book that helps sort out the confusing names. For example, I learned that Senposai (a seed I bought from Fedco - called "one thousand treasure vegetable" in Japan) is a cross between ordinary cabbage and komatsuna, and tastes much like ordinary cabbage. Then there is a lot of information on komatsuna, chinese cabbage, pak choi, mibuna mizuna, choy sum, etc., with a chart to help you sort them all out.

In the back, there is all the obligatory information on gardening techniques that is covered better in other books, but with helpful some references to Asian techniques and tools. She speaks with authority on plant protection, telling you specifics on what works for her. There is a nice, but small section of recipes. The growing information and plant name charts are VERY helpful. And finally, the index is thorough.

If you are planning to grow Asian vegetables, especially brassicas, this book is worth consulting.

If it were updated, I would give it five stars.

4 out of 5 stars Helpful tips for difficult crops. Focus: China and Japan.......2006-09-29

The author focusses on China and Japan, paying far less attention to Korea, Southeast Asia and the South Asian region. This probably accounts for the omission of galangal (as noted by one reviewer above) and for the omission of important herbs such as rau ram (Polygonum odoratum), alluded to only vaguely by a Polygonum entry which says (roughly) "there are many oriental polygonums; you can find them sold in stores".

However, she goes into *exhaustive*, blinding detail on a whole range of arcane Japanese and Chinese vegetables. I learned critical things about okahijiki and yomogi from reading this book, as well as the procedure for blanching mitsuba, and read about a veg I had not heard of before - Chinese artichoke - when I've reached a point where few things surprise me. On the better known vegetables - edible chrysanthemum, gobo, ong choy, Chinese celery, celtuce - she gives helpful information and detailed growing instructions, and an overview of actual Asian growing practices, which I have not found elsewhere. Sadly it is not possible for Kitazawa Seed to cram all this information onto the back of seed packets and into its catalogue headings; if it had, several prior sowings of mine would have grown better.

Finally, the author includes information on the CORRECT method for sprouting mung beans, which people (like me) who have been cursed with ratty bean sprouts will welcome!

5 out of 5 stars Great Source of Ingelligence on Growing and Using Veggies.......2005-02-23

`Oriental Vegetables' by English gardening writer Joy Larkcom is the real deal. For foodies like myself, the most important thing to know about the book is exactly what deal it is real. I bought it with a bunch of other books on Asian ingredients without paying attention to much about the book except for the title, being lead to it by Amazon's cleverly surfacing books related to the books you have already chose to buy. Especially do not be deceived by the very nice blurb on the cover from Alice Waters and play extra attention to the subtitle, `The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook'.

This book is much more about gardening than it is about cooking, and it tackles the subject of gardening very, very well. It does an exceptionally good job on detailing for us the ins and outs of growing the primary subject of the book, oriental vegetables.

The very best news about this book is that it was published 14 years ago, just as commerce between the West and China and Indochina was warming up. This trade has had these 14 years to mature into something that makes the access to unusual seeds even easier. A corollary to this is the fact that the book also predates the blooming of the Internet, so most of the sources Ms. Larkcom gives from the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan will probably be joined by others and be themselves more accessible.

Ms. Larkcom began her inquiry into her subject already an expert on growing vegetables. She enhanced her credentials by making long trips to China and Japan and by enlisting the assistance of a large stable of translators. All of this linguistic help was probably even more necessary for Oriental plants, as the systematic naming of plants in China and Japan is probably far behind that in the west, plus the fact that there are simply so many different species to deal with. I have seen in other horticultural books that China is the source of far more plant species than any comparable region on the earth. Even a cursory look at Ms. Larkcom's table of contents gives weight to this observation. This lists 77 species or groups of species by `common name'. This is substantially less than Elizabeth Schneider's approximately135 species covered in `Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini', but this book is limited to less than a quarter of the world's land mass while Schneider covers the entire world (as seen from western Europe).

If you already own Bruce Cost's classic `Oriental Ingredients', you have not touched the surface of what Larkcom's book can offer. Cost gives us the culinary and economic scoop. Ms. Larkcom focuses on the horticultural.

Ms. Larkcom's favorite subject may very well be the cabbages, as they are her first subject and she lovingly describes them as being very easy to grow in western soils and climates. In her general introduction to these brassicas, she covers climatic factors, stages of use, fitting the oriental brassicas into Western gardens, cultivation, pests and diseases, grouping the oriental brassicas, and specific hybrid brassicas. The introductory section finishes up with an excellent diagram of how oriental brassicas are related. This may do nothing to improve your salads or stir-frys, but it's great in helping to choose substitutes when one species is out of season and a related species is in full bloom.

For each individual species, Ms. Larkcom follows Bruce Cost's practice by giving the most common English name, the biological family, the two part Latin name, other common English names, plus names in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese. Even among the Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, some plants may have several different names. After this linguistic heading, there are paragraphs on background, use, characteristics, types, climate, soil, cultivation, intercropping, pests and disease, harvesting, storage, and varieties. Whew! All this information includes a culinary aspect I have simply not seen elsewhere. This is the fact that several plants go through different stages and while some stages may be commercially less desirable in western eyes, they are really quite highly prized by Oriental users.

After Brassicas, the other major groups of plants are beans, cucurbits (gourds and melons), onions, radishes, water vegetables, tubers, and herbs and wild plants. If I were to take away one plant from this book and give it a shot at growing in my back yard, it would probably be the radishes. The rich assortment of oriental radishes is in strong contrast to the variety available in even a better than average American megamart.

The biggest surprise I found was that ginger received a light coverage as an herb and its relative, galangal is not mentioned at all. I am certain this is because neither of these two plants is easy to grow in home gardens, and growing is what this book is all about. This reinforces the fact that for the foodie with a black thumb, this book needs a companion with a culinary focus to fill out one's picture of Oriental veggies.

The main body of the book dealing with individual plants is supplemented with an excellent chapter on growing techniques. I am not as familiar with the soil as I am with the stove, but from what I can see, this chapter is first rate, covering techniques which you may not find in your average Better Homes and Gardens title. This is followed by a chapter on cooking which is even better than what I saw in other books on vegetables where the emphasis was more on cooking than in this horticulturally slanted book.

The appendices to this book alone are worth the price of admission with its excellent tables of gardening terms, growing calendars, plant names, and bibliographies. While there is some danger that the references to suppliers may be out of date, I do recognize several current major players such as W. Atlee Burpee and Johnny's Selected Seeds.

If any of this interests you, this book is for you!

4 out of 5 stars first rate guide to growing Chinese vegetables.......1997-06-02

Joy Larkcom's excellent introduction to growing Asian vegetables is informative, well-designed, and ably illustrated by Elizabeth Douglass. The section on vegetable cultivation and technique in China is particularly interesting. The recipes are helpful to Western gardeners exploring the savoury variety of Chinese greens, peas, and beans for the first time.

Havi Hoffman

The World in Your Kitchen: Vegetarian Recipes from Africa, Asia and Latin America for Western Kitchens With Country Information and Food Facts (Vegetarian Cooking)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A real multi-cultural cookbook
  • A Great Cookbook
The World in Your Kitchen: Vegetarian Recipes from Africa, Asia and Latin America for Western Kitchens With Country Information and Food Facts (Vegetarian Cooking)
Troth Wells
Manufacturer: Crossing Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0895945770

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A real multi-cultural cookbook.......2003-11-04

There are a number of things that I like about this cookbook, in addition to the tasty recipes themselves. First, it really does cover most of the world (the only countries left out are Europe and the US/Canada but I guess the author figured we already get a lot of those cookbooks). There are recipes from Bangladesh, Bahamas, Cambodia, Ghana, Syria, Kenya, Thailand, Guatemala, Brazil, Jamaica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Afganistan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, Algeria, Peru, and I could go on.

There is a nice intro section (35pgs) that talks about nutrition, where to get certain vitamins/minerals and some history of eating habits/the force of marketing/big money - how we got so hooked on eating animals.

Then the recipes are broken out into the following sections:Starters & Snacks, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Deserts & Drinks. Within each of these sections the recipes are broken out by continent (Africa, Asia, Middle East, Caribbean & Latin America) and the recipes themselves have a little intro that's stpecific to the food as well as the country its from and the native name for it.

Color pictures and artwork is on every page and there's lots of interesting information - more than just a cookbook but short stories about world eating which is neat.

The recipes are good from what I've tried so far. They're pretty straightforward and rely more on the flavors of the vegetables than on putting lots of different spices in there. The spices that it does call for are easily found (e.g. cumin, chili peppers, paprika, cilantro etc)

Thumbs up on this gem - lots of fun to read as well as cook from.

5 out of 5 stars A Great Cookbook.......2000-05-28

The World in Your Kitchen is a window on basic recipes and foodways usually not included in higher brow cookbooks. Filled with vibrant photography including pictures of people growing harvesting, selling and preparing food, this cookbook presents a generous array of recipes, introduced by a brief history of the ingredients involved. Both metric and non metric measures are used in this combination geographic tour and culinary exploration.
Chopstix: Quick Cooking With Pacific Flavors
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    Chopstix: Quick Cooking With Pacific Flavors
    Hugh Carpenter , and Teri Sandison
    Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 1556701330
    Cocina rápido y fácil china & oriental (Cocina Rapida Y Facil)
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      Cocina rápido y fácil china & oriental (Cocina Rapida Y Facil)
      Wendy Berecry
      Manufacturer: Trident Press International
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      ASIN: 1582794278

      Book Description

      Platillos exóticos para toda ocasión. Técnicas precisas para resultados perfectos. Deliciosos platillos vegetarianos. Prácticos tips y sugerencias para servir. Salteados fáciles y rápidos.
      Adventures in Oriental Cooking
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        Adventures in Oriental Cooking
        Janeth Johnson Nix
        Manufacturer: Ortho Book Division, Chevron Chemical Co
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 091710224X

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