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Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia

Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia

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Author: James Oseland
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Category: Book

List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $23.10
You Save: $11.90 (34%)



Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 reviews
Sales Rank: 19474

Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.5
Dimensions (in): 10 x 8.2 x 1.3

ISBN: 0393054772
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5959
EAN: 9780393054774
ASIN: 0393054772

Publication Date: August 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
The first book to reveal the undiscovered jewels of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Just when you thought you knew everything about Asian food, along comes James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor. Oseland has spent two decades exploring the foods of the Spice Islands. Few can introduce us to the birthplace of spice as he does. He brings us the Nyonya dishes of Singapore and Malaysia, the fiery specialties of West Sumatra, and the spicy-aromatic stews of Java. Oseland culled his recipes from twenty years of intimate contact with home cooks and diverse markets. He presents them here in easily made, accessible recipes, perfect for today's home cook. Included is a helpful glossary (illustrated in color in one of the picture sections) of all the ingredients you need to make the dishes and where and how to buy them. With Cradle of Flavor, fans of Javanese Satay, Singaporean Stir-Fried Noodles, and Indonesian curries can finally make them in their own kitchen. 16 pages color photographs; 3 maps.



Customer Reviews:   Read 11 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Passion for the palate   April 16, 2008
Chad (Colorado, USA)
I'm a chef and have been fortunate to travel somewhat extensively to the three countries whose cuisines are covered in this book, particularly Indonesia. I love this book. I'm actually relocating to Malaysia soon, and this book will go with me. It's great as a cookbook, but its true delight is found in the prose that accompanies the recipes, recounting the author's experiences in SE Asia, discussing hints for shopping at an Asian market, selecting the best spices, etc. I've had many of the dishes in the book, from Padang-style food in Jakarta to the wonderful gudeg and ayam bubur in Yogyakarta to a fantastic fusion of Chinese, Malay, and Indian street food in Kuala Lumpur, to the comfort-food appeal of Nyonya cooking in small, family-run restaurants in Melaka (Malacca) to the fantastic crossroads of cuisine found in Singapore (indeed, about the only things to really do in Singapore are shop and eat).

It's been said that food is the most apparent uniter of any culture, and that once everything else has been watered down or weaned away completely (think of Greek or Italian immigrants who have come to America), the last cultural identifier that remains is the food. It's so true, and this book absolutely takes you on a cultural and culinary journey. The author's passion for food and for the people of these fascinating countries practically leaps off the pages. The wonder of Indo-Malay cuisine is indeed the best-kept secret in Asia. Any sizeable city in America is likely to be overrun with Chinese and Thai restaurants. Vietnamese food is plentiful, and you can usually find Korean or Japanese food without much difficulty. But try to find an Indonesian restaurant, or a Malaysian restaurant serving up Nyonya chicken. If you do find one at all, it's likely to disappoint if you've ever spent any time in these countries. This book is the cure for what ails you.

Any cookbook will offer a list of ingredients, preparation instructions (in varying degrees of clarity and depth), and occasional notes on the dish itself. This book utterly transcends the basic offering. Virtually every recipe is replete with anecdotes, personal observations, and a truly in-depth guide to making the dish spectactular. I do wish there were more color photos, the few that are included aren't really sufficient, but the quality of the recipes and the fantastic depth of the writing more than makes up for it.

Highly, highly recommended.



2 out of 5 stars NO PICTURES!!!   March 25, 2008
newagebaby2008 (san diego, ca USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful

How can you fall in love with food if theres no pictures????? i got persuaded to buy this book fron the bookcover but inside it lacks color the recipes might be great but if you are new to this type of cooking its hard to even start to get a clue even more so with so many cultural backgrounds !


5 out of 5 stars An artful and indepth look into Singaporian, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisine!   September 2, 2007
C. Larson (San Jose, CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

The author provides wonderful ancedotes for each of the recipes that truly inspire the Western cook. The book is filled with the many encounters the author has had along his journey and vividly retells them with such insight. The recipes are written in a simple, yet descript manner that should not intimidate nor offend the novice or professional cook. This book is truly a gem and is recommended for all who are interested in experiencing the awe of cuisine from the Spice Islands.


5 out of 5 stars wonderful flavors   August 23, 2007
Eric David Wahlquist
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I did some traveling in Malaysia and Indonesia a few years ago and loved most of what I ate. This book has given me the opportunity to try making some of those foods at home. His mouthwatering descriptions of the key ingredients include even some brand recommendations and make finding and purchasing these novel and exotic items much less intimidating. He explains in great detail the required cooking techniques and his recipes are extremely easy to follow. Every recipe I have tried so far has been fantastic.


3 out of 5 stars No Show, All Tell   May 30, 2007
Don Ellis (Hong Kong)
9 out of 16 found this review helpful

If you want a cookbook with no photos, this one's for you. I read the reviews before buying but only one mentioned wanting more pictures. This is an understatement. The text may be good -- I don't know because I'm still getting over the disappointment of what might have been -- but the few photos there are feature ingredients (how many chili shots do I need?) and a few of the less interesting dishes.

 
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