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50books_pocThis is my first post to the community, so please edit or correct me if I screw up any formatting.
I'd like to tell you about one of my top five favorite books ever, which is written by a POC. World of the East by Madhur Jaffrey is the best cookbook I own; I used to work in a cookbook store, so I got a chance to read many of the great food writers. I still think Madhur Jaffrey is the best. This book is vegetarian focused (it is easy to add or adapt for meat eaters), but what is particularly wonderful about it is that it's a guided tour through many different cultures way of cooking certain foods. There is an entire chapter on rice, for example, that explains how Indians cook rice and how Japanese cook rice, and what is different about the methods and why one might want to cook it this way or that way. The recipes are all fantastic, but unlike many of the 'eastern' (her word, but this is an older book, I would call it Asian) cookbooks that I have read, the food is food that is cooked at home. That is to say, it is not special occasion or restaurant food, but everyday food. (I like everyday food best, partly because it is achievable!) I did not know, for example, that Chinese cook stews. I have made her recipe for stewed vegetables many times; I usually serve it with rice and Oyce's mom's pork with onions. There is a fabulous recipe for winter tofu. A wonderful selection of Korean dipping sauces. Indian soups. Thai fried rice. If you have access to a farmer's market, you may be able to find some wonderful greens, like choy sum. Soooooo good.
There are recipes from friends and recipes from tiny hole in the walls that she visited and from all sorts of places. Often the ingredients will look similar on the page, but when cooked, will taste uniquely different. Recipes include Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, et cetera. All of the food I have made from that book has come out tasting *good*. She has an amazing glossary in the back of the book that explains different ingredients and produce and how to find them. Highly, highly recommended.
edited to add: This is a reread for me, and technically my #2 POC book for the year, but I haven't finished reviewing the #1 book.
I'd like to tell you about one of my top five favorite books ever, which is written by a POC. World of the East by Madhur Jaffrey is the best cookbook I own; I used to work in a cookbook store, so I got a chance to read many of the great food writers. I still think Madhur Jaffrey is the best. This book is vegetarian focused (it is easy to add or adapt for meat eaters), but what is particularly wonderful about it is that it's a guided tour through many different cultures way of cooking certain foods. There is an entire chapter on rice, for example, that explains how Indians cook rice and how Japanese cook rice, and what is different about the methods and why one might want to cook it this way or that way. The recipes are all fantastic, but unlike many of the 'eastern' (her word, but this is an older book, I would call it Asian) cookbooks that I have read, the food is food that is cooked at home. That is to say, it is not special occasion or restaurant food, but everyday food. (I like everyday food best, partly because it is achievable!) I did not know, for example, that Chinese cook stews. I have made her recipe for stewed vegetables many times; I usually serve it with rice and Oyce's mom's pork with onions. There is a fabulous recipe for winter tofu. A wonderful selection of Korean dipping sauces. Indian soups. Thai fried rice. If you have access to a farmer's market, you may be able to find some wonderful greens, like choy sum. Soooooo good.
There are recipes from friends and recipes from tiny hole in the walls that she visited and from all sorts of places. Often the ingredients will look similar on the page, but when cooked, will taste uniquely different. Recipes include Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, et cetera. All of the food I have made from that book has come out tasting *good*. She has an amazing glossary in the back of the book that explains different ingredients and produce and how to find them. Highly, highly recommended.
edited to add: This is a reread for me, and technically my #2 POC book for the year, but I haven't finished reviewing the #1 book.
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Date: 2009-03-02 10:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 10:12 pm (UTC)Damn, now I'm hungry.
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Date: 2009-03-02 11:07 pm (UTC)I lent it to my seven year son the other day, who is now showing every sign of falling in love with it too.
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Date: 2009-03-02 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-03 08:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-03 05:17 am (UTC)Have you ever seen her in a movie? She is incredible in Shakespeare-Wallah, a very early Merchant/Ivory movie. Also starring an impossibly handsome young Shashi Kapoor.
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Date: 2009-03-03 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-03 06:05 pm (UTC)And welcome!