Alan Benson

Cookbook Review: The Complete Asian Cookbook

I love this book! It’s the 40th anniversary edition of Charmaine Solomon’s influential and iconic The Complete Asian Cookbook. Instantly heralded as a classic when it was first published in 1976, the book covers 800 classic and contemporary dishes from 15 countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, The Philippines, China, Korea and Japan). Written with the home cook in mind, Charmaine’s recipes are straightforward, simple to follow and work every time. Recipe and chapter introductions give valuable information about how local dishes are prepared and served, while the comprehensive glossary explains unfamiliar ingredients (which are steadily more commonplace in supermarkets today). The Complete Asian Cookbook is a book that belongs in the kitchens of every household. I highly recommend it! (more…)

Cookbook Review: Street Food Asia 

Street Food Asia

In Street Food Asia, join Luke Nguyen on a stroll through the heady, fragrant backstreets of Asia to discover street food at its very best. Pull up a stool for a bowl of pho in his beloved home city of Saigon, or explore a hawker stall in Kuala Lumpur. Soak up the coconut-infused air of Jakarta and immerse yourself in the smoke, heat and unmistakeable buzz of a Bangkok night market.

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