The Book of Thai Cooking

Seven years ago my husband Dub and I sailed into Whangarai Harbour in New Zealand. On our way in I spied some friends or ours, Gayle and John, who we'd met in Tahiti. They were Kiwis and they were ending their five year circumnavigation, home at last. We anchored close to their boat and later dinghied over for sundowners (usually Coke and Rum). That evening, as usual, we told tall tales of our adventures at sea and we congratulated ourselves on being in this wonderful place at this wonderful time. Later, as we were saying our goodbyes, Gayle gave me her set of the Salamandar Book of Series Cookbooks. They are sold by HP Books in the States as paperbacks. Gayle carried these books around the planet and now she was giving them to me, complete with her notes (written in the books) on the recipes, how well she and John liked certain dishes, which were their favorites, how hard they were to prepare. She knew I was a cook and she thought I'd appreciate them. She was right. Like all the books in the series "The Book of Thai Cooking" is about five inches wide and about a foot tall, making them kind of unique among cookbooks. But one should not be put off because of the odd shape, these are real books and you can find mighty darned good recipes in them, especially in this book. The Pork and Peanut Soup on Page 28 was one of Gayle and John's favorites and Dub and I quickly took to it. The Shrimp and Cucumber Curry on Page 60 is another delight as is the Shrimp in Yellow sauce on Page 53. You can really get into Thai cookery with this book, whether it's using banana leaves or tangy curry, it's all here, waiting to be enjoyed. Review Submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

In its almost 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes. This installment, the Book of Thai Cooking, starts with a brief introduction into the basics of the Thai cuisine, the necessary equipment and utensils and a glossary of ingredients, and then presents recipe suggestions for all major courses, from appetizers, soups, curry pastes, sauces, dips and garnishes to vegetables, salads rice, noodles, desserts and drinks. Special chapters are dedicated to fish and shellfish, poultry and (red) meat. Classics such as curries, satays, stir fries, coconut and lemon grass dishes appear next to unique dishes such as lychees in coconut custard, mango with sticky rice and pork and peanut soup. From banana leaf cups to Thai fried rice and vermicelli soup, this collection of recipes, while not all-encompassing, is a great introduction to the richness and unique flavors of the Thai cuisine - and at a relative bargain price, to boot. Also recommended for fans of Asian cooking: this series' installments on Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese Cooking, on Stir-Fries, and on Curries and Indian Foods. Also recommended: Around the World Cookbook Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery) Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition) Textbook only Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

A lot of Thai cooking is based on visual appeal. The value of this book is the color photography of the finished dishes and list of ingredients specific to Thai cooking. There are not a lot of recipes in this book, but you can modify the ones here and make Thai inspired salads, rice dishes and your own creations based on these. The essential recipes are all here and generally this is a very good overview of Thai cooking, though by no means comprehensive.

I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this book. Wow! There are a ton of exquisite color photos that show ingredients, preparation, and presentation ideas for every wonderful recipe. It was difficult to believe that this book was so reasonbly priced for what you get. A lot of time and effort went into making this a beautiful and helpful cookbook. I couldn't put it down before beginning a grocery list for the first three recipes I'll try tonight. If you are interested in learning Thai cooking and don't know what lemongrass looks like, the difference between a lime and a kaffir lime, or what galangal is, you need this book! I promise, you will not be disappointed.