Rating: 
Summary: Another beautiful coffee table cookbook
Review: If only the producers of this book put as much effort into coming up with recipes that I might consider making as taking beautiful photographs and doing a beautiful layout I would award 10 stars. As it is, I haven't made anything from this book and I love southeast asian food.
Rating: 
Summary: Five Star Flavour Hits!
Review: If you love flavour, you have to have this book. Thai food introduced many of us to that culinary balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet, which gives this book its name. Alford and Duguid reveal the similarities and differences in the cuisines of neighbouring worlds along the Mekong. I've been fortunate to help test for the authors, and this collection is my favourite so far. Many of the recipes are now in my daily repetoire, to the delight of family and guests. Choose a spice paste or sauce to transport a simple meal into another realm. That's not to say it's all complex; recipes such as Yunnan greens, or Dali Cauliflower satisfy with a few well chosen ingredients, simply prepared. I had to resist the urge to jazz it up, and was glad to have followed the recipe and learned something new.
Rating: 
Summary: Sure book is fine but binding wasn't
Review: My copy had at least a chapter upside down. That's unfortunate as it makes it difficult to use. Having said that, I've cooked 2 recipies so far and they've both been good. I would write in and ask about the chapter being upside down before ordering this book though.
Rating:
Summary: an amazing book
Review: this book is truly a work of art and love... Whoever these people are you can tell that they truly enjoyed making this book, or living the life experinces that they recount in this book. the pictures are beautiful and help greatly to tell the story of the recipes and experiences..... now..... All this could be the case and the recipes could be $hit... and it would make a beautiful coffee table coaster... but they're not... these recipes are good, from the five or six that i've tried, well written and precise. A solid introduction to south east asian flavours and ingredients with nice, acessible home-style dishes.
Rating:
Summary: beautiful...just beautiful
Review: This book with its beautiful pictures and *make-able* recipes is a great addition to any cook book collection. I liked the back ground information about the areas.. i like cookbooks that do more than list ingredients, and this one does. I have tried some of the recipes and they were really good... in this day and age its not hard to find most ingredients anymore. this cookbook is a bit more expensive than i usually like to pay but... with its color pictures it reads like a travel book! i loved it
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book
Review: This is a terrific book. I own so many cookbooks I don't use that generally before I buy a new one, I get a library copy and test some recipes. Prior to borrowing this book, I tried out 3 different Thai/SE Asian cookbooks, and rejected them all for being either too complicated for everyday cooking, or not "authentic" enough. One look at this book and I ordered it. The recipes have been uniformly excellent-- the grilled chicken with hot and sweet dipping sauce and several of the vegetable dishes introduced me to delicious taste combinations that I have never experienced in Thai restaurants. More common dishes such as the stir fried chicken with holy basil and the pad thai are as good as-- or better-- than most of the restaurant Thai that I have had. I can't wait to try more. The ingredients are relatively easy to find, and they do suggest substitutions in many instances. On top of all that, it is a beautiful book to own. I am definitely buying multiple copies of this book to give as holiday gifts this year.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding culinary experience
Review: This is the most compelling cookbook I have ever had in the more than 50 years I've been cooking (and eating). Usually I skim cookbooks, just picking out the best sounding recipes. But, in this book, I read (and salivated over) every word. Upon finishing, I immediately ordered another copy to be sent to one of my brothers and his wife who also love to travel and cook. All of the recipes I've tried so far have been fabulous.
Rating:
Summary: One Beautiful Cookbook
Review: This is without a doubt the best cookbook I have read. Few cookbooks out there are as readable and interesting as this one and even fewer can come close in terms of the photography. This is as much a look into the food anthropology of the region as it is a cookbook. I lived in Chicago when I got this book and then moved to Hawaii, so for the most part I have had minimal challenges in rounding up authentic asian ingredients. Unless you live in a large city this could be a challenge, but the results from the easy-to-follow recipes speak for themselves. This cookbook is a confidence builder - because these are for the most part home-style recipes, they are somewhat forgiving and the exotic smells that fill your kitchen will impress your guests long before the flavorful, aromatic and colorful dishes are brought to table. Anyone who enjoys the aromas of Asian Food in general and foods of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam (among others) in specific will love this cookbook for it's clarity, simplicity, and authenticity. Anyone who has visited or spent time in this region will love it for it's photography and storytelling. This book is a winner as a cookbook and as a love letter to the people and places it describes.
Rating:
Summary: Great text and recipes!
Review: We own two other very good Asian cookbooks - and think this is a great cookbook - wonderful text that is fun to read on its own, and then also good recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and are accompanied with beautiful pictures that whet the appetite. We have some favorite meals from the book that we make regularly. Only caveat - we love our food hot, so we always at least triple the chile the recipes ask for.
Rating:
Summary: Great text and recipes!
Review: We own two other very good Asian cookbooks - and think this is a great cookbook - wonderful text that is fun to read on its own, and then also good recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and are accompanied with beautiful pictures that whet the appetite. We have some favorite meals from the book that we make regularly. Only caveat - we love our food hot, so we always at least triple the chile the recipes ask for.
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