While I still consider Charmaine Solomon’s Complete Asian Cookbook to be the Cordon Bleu of total Asian cuisine, Robert Danhi’s most recent cookbook tackles the countries of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore with gusto. In fact, it’s not really fair to call Southeast Asian Flavors a cookbook. It’s far more a book about food, including extensive commentary on each culture, core ingredients, and extensive photos taken by the author. If you never cook anything from it, it’s still a fine read.
Last week I did cook a dish from the Malaysian section, Curry Noodle Laksa (p. 302). The primary ingredients are asian noodles, garlic, curry powder, coconut milk, chicken stock and red chili paste. We are very fortunate in Kansas City to have two very good Asian supermarkets, one of which is very close to my home. As a result, procuring items like lemongrass or tempura batter is not a problem. Don’t be frustrated, though, if an Asian recipe has an item or two you don’t have or can’t find. Chances are that the dish will turn out fine if you substitute or even eliminate an ingredient. Don’t hesitate to improvise, either. You don’t have Asian red chili paste in the larder, but you wonder if a pinch of chili powder sautéed in peanut oil and garlic will suffice? Go with your instincts.
The laksa was a big hit, and it’s a quick one-pan recipe, which means easy clean-up. Look for Robert Danhi’s cookbook – you’ll find it to be an excellent introduction to some of the more exotic Asian cultures as well as cuisine.
berowne.com 