Everyday Asian: From Soups to Noodles, from Barbecues to Curries, Your Favorite Asian Recipes Made Easy

This little book has a plethora of recipes and flavors to choose from. It's very handy to have. It's got recipes from all over the place and they're all yummy!

I don't usually write cookbook reviews nowadays, but I just had to share this with other cooks out there who like Asian foods or for those in a rut and are keen to try something new. First of all, I'm an everyday kind of cook - you know, the one who...(a) rushes home from work because he/she has to get dinner on the table as quickly as humanly possible, (b) can't be bothered with fussy dishes, and (c) calls the activity cooking during the weekdays and cuisine during the weekends. I'm Asian and although my family and I love all sorts of different foods (we're an adventurous lot), I always opt for the easiest but tastiest I can manage on a regular day. "Everyday Asian" is one of my few go-to cookbooks (and I own a ton!). I've cooked from this book for 2-3 years now and it's dog-eared and stained from all the use--that's how much I like this. Now, I've never owned a cookbook where I've cooked everything in it, but I've come close to doing so with this (approx. 95%). That's why I waited this long to review it--I wanted to try as many as I can before sharing my opinions. (1) Its size is convenient. It's just an inch longer and half an inch thicker than the Everyday Food mag, and fits in my purse. While at work or on the train, I'll stick a post-it on what I want to prepare that evening. If I have to stop at the store, it's easy for me to figure out what I need. I know. I could be more organized than this, but I have no excuse to offer at the moment. (2) I get a wide variety of Asian foods - Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indian, etc. All of them very easy to prepare as long as you're confident with your knife skills and you have a reasonable stock of Asian ingredients. Ingredients here can be found at any city grocery or Whole Foods. Don't you hate it when you have to hunt down some exotic ingredient like it's the Holy Grail, and at gas prices being what they are who'd want to do that anyway? For those foods that need marinating, I do so in the evening and stick it in the fridge for next day. (3) How about some examples: Burmese Chicken Coconut Curry takes not a minute longer than preparing spaghetti, and fantastic served over noodles or white rice. Chinese Roast Pork Tenderloin--I've tried many variations of this, and the one here is the easiest and tastiest I've made. It takes less than an hour, excluding marinating time, which you can do the night before. Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions--I've used regular broccoli many times and it's just as good. This is a tasty, nutritious side. Vietname Beef Pho--I know people who pay ridiculous prices for this at trendy Chicago eateries and it's so cheap to make at home. You can make the stock yourself or buy prepared organic stock; either way, it's great and it's a main course, not just a soup. Japanese Soba with Chicken and Mushrooms--I've done this so many times I now get this on the table in half an hour. I think I can even do this

I wanted to start cooking healthier and I like Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food, so I bought this book. I'm a bachelor who knows how to cook just a few things, such as hot cereal, meatloaf, etc. I also bought a good chefs knife and some good pots and pans as well as this book and they do make a difference. After reading the intro two chapters on ingredients and items needed to cook I went to my local asian grocer and bought a few sauces, a morter & pestle, and then went to my regular grocery store to buy some spices, rice, and veggies. That night I cooked up 3 dishes: steamed jasmine rice (in an old Black & Decker steamer someone gave me for Xmas years ago), Pepper Marinated Salmon (had some salmon in the freezer from fishing but didn't know what to do with it), and Sauteed fresh spinach with carmelized onions (and fish sauce). Aside from overuse of the salty fish sauce on the veggies (my mistake) the meal was EXCELLENT. And that's just one day after buying the cookbook. The one thing I wish was that there were more easy noodle recipes. I'd trade the supplied Asian BBQ chapter for more noodle recipes and info if it was up to me.

If you lived in NY about 10 years ago and spent time in the West Village, you probably ate at Marnie's Noodle Shop and loved it, watching them cook simple, brightly flavored noodle dishes behind the small counter, and then, best of all, eating the yummy results.Now I know these dishes are even easier to recreate at home than I suspected. Using minimal ingredients for maximum flavor, I was amazed at how easy and tasty these recipes are. It's not "classical" asian cooking--ingredients and techniques are simplified, but to great effect. I've tried some dumbed-down asian recipes and been very disappointed, but not here.After the first meal I cooked from the book, Korean Beef Noodles, my husband started jotting down a business plan for opening a noodle shop. A great Sesame Noodle recipe is included, along with soups, salads, appetizers, and entrees like Chinese Red Cooked Beef Stew and Salmon with Tomato and Garam Masala.I've recommended this book to my brother in law, a great cook, and he is in love with it. I just cooked the Burmese Chicken Curry tonight and it was amazing.Thank you, Marnie!!!!