Thai: The Essence of Asian Cooking

I love Thai. So many people think they can't eat Thai food as it is too spicy. That is not true. There are many less spicy dishes and you can always tone down the heat, spices, chiles etc. Plus a lot are sweet and spicy. You have not tried Asian food until you get away from the same old Chinese recipes you always cook or the restaurants you frequent. If you are looking for a Thai book this one is not bad to try. The recipes are not difficult and you can get most of the ingredients from Asian stores but sometimes in your local food stores. The photos (preparation, food , results, techniques) are spectacular. There is a nice forward section with photos of the history , thai cuisine in general and differences from the regions. Traditional meals, holiday meals and information are also covered so you also getting a geographic and history as well as a food tour. What I like is there a little paragraph which tell about the background for the recipe. I have not tried many recipes from this book yet but the steamed fish (with Lemongrass and chilies) was pretty good (9.6/10). There are quite a few to try like appetizers, vegetable, fish , beef , , soups , side dishes and food shopping. There are a lot of Thai books but this one gives you a tour on the side and more. Take a look and see what you think and try Thai!

This lovely book is artfully produced, with 2-3 attractive photographs per recipe, both of the food prep and the finished product. This isn't just a cookbook. It is a primer on Thai history, cooking techniques, ingredients, equipment, and more, with over 60 non-recipe pages. The recipes are given both in metric and US measurements. For example: 900 ml / 1 1/2 pints / 3 3/4 cups vegetable stock. The recipes are explained with clarity, so that even if one is unfamiliar with the dish, it's easy to follow the instructions. This book will help you produce beautiful, interesting, simple, delicious Thai meals. This book is published in hardback as Thai Food and Cooking