can someone reccomend a truly awesome Thai ccok book as most seem mundane and lack a ny culinary hints to make the mouthwatering masterpieces that I encounter in Thai restaurants. Ditto for East Indian cuisine.
Most appreciative- Lepois

[mudbug]

Check out the following:

Thailand : The Beautiful Cookbook : Authentic Recipes from the Regions of Thailand
by Panurat Poladitmontri, Judy Lew. Hardcover (April 1992)

The Original Thai Cookbook
by Jennifer Brennan. Paperback (June 1984)

An Invitation to Indian Cooking : With a New Preface by the Author
by Madhur Jaffrey (Preface)

Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni

I'm with cchiu - any of Madhur Jaffrey's books are excellent. I recently picked up one of her's that covers Asian food in general; I haven't tried anything from it, but I've always had great results from her other books. Kulfi - yum!

[nutcakes]

It Rains Fishes by Kasma Loha-unchit

This is a Berkley, CA based author I have heard really good things about. It won the 1996 Julia Child Award. This is not exaustive in recipes but will help you with ingredients and techniques so you will really feel like you are making it right. She has a new book out, called Dancing Shrimp.

I mean to get it, but do check out her website. She has a lot of articles and recipes. She also recommends brands, which was very helpful to me when I went shopping in thai markets.
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com

Real Thai by Nancie Mc Dermott
I lived in Thailand for 4 years, Nancie 3 and she has a good handle on Thai food, and not just Pad Thai! She covers the different regions and in a narrative style gives background as well. The bottom line is that the food IS authentic. So, depending on your tastes you may need to cut back on the peppers and curry pastes. The other cookbooks are, well "pretty" but Nancie's is good.
Oh, I got mine at Barnes and Noble, cheap too. 9.95


[This message has been edited by blueribboncakes (edited 01-06-2001).]

"HOT SOUR SALTY SWEET" is a great cookbook by a wonderful couple who have spent a lot of time traveling through Southeast Asia. The recipes are unique and authentic and they also have great stories about their travels!

Ditto on Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. I made the red and green curry pastes yesterday and they came out great! Even my 5 year old sn loved the pork and green beans in garlic. The book gives great geographic and anthropological background to the distinct cuisines of Southeast Asia. Truly a culinary adventure.

I'd also like to suggest that you try to pick up two books by Linda Bladholm - "The Asian Grocery Store Demystified" and "The Indian Grocery Store Demystified". I find them both to be essential references when you're first getting used to finding the right ingredients. Too often, the many choices and strange labels in some stores stop us from trying out new ways of cooking. I can't recommend these books highly enough!

[Pooh]

Try True Thai : The Modern Art of Thai Cooking
by Victor Sodsook, Byron Laursen (Contributor), Theresa Laursen (Contributor)
Hardcover - (May 1995) 419 pages

Here's an excerpt of the book review from amazon.com and go there for a free recipe:

Sodsook's more than 230 offerings go beyond traditional recipes of satay, pad prik, and iced coffee. Here, country and city cuisines appear. A dozen suggested menus and instructions on carving fruits and vegetables round out this very pleasurable, unassuming, and unpretentious cookbook.—Barbara Jacobs

For East Indian Cooking, I rest in the hands of Madhur Jaffrey and Julie Sahni.

Love

Dancing Shrimp

too!

Just got HOT SOUR SALTY SWEET. Didn't cook with it yet but the photographs are breathtaking!

For starters, I will try the curry pastes.

[Kimmie]

Ditto for True Thai : The Modern Art of Thai Cooking;

and ditto for Madhur Jaffrey and Julie Sahni.

Also love Dancing Shrimp too!

Funny, I also purchased HOT SOUR SALTY SWEET!

We seem to be on the same wave length here.

[Marzoli]

I accidentally got HOT, SOUR, SALTY,SWEET because I didn't send back my card to the Good Cook Book Club--I was moving (still am for that matter) and it was sent automatically. I thought I wouldn't like it, but after reading through parts of it, I can't wait to try the recipes. It will be useful too when I teach geography again--they switch me every year--so I'm glad I messed up!

[Chef David Simpson]

Welcome to cheftalk, kimmie.

[Kimmie]

Thank you Chef David Simpson.

I'm enjoying it very much!

This is so and informative. The people on this site are doing a great job.
Thumbs up for whomever is responsible!

[ March 15, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[Pooh]

Cracking the Coconut : Classic Thai Home Cooking by Su-Mei Yu

www.sumeiyu.com/

Su-Mei Yu (Cracking the Coconut) is bestowed the First Book: The Julia Child Award

(The first cookbook by a writer who has not previously authored or co-authored a cookbook.)

For review, excerpt and recipes
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0688165427/reviews/ref=pm_dp_ln_b_6/107-7678171-5388545




[ May 11, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]

lepois: ok, I found your topic again. You requested some Thai recipes and cookbooks and I had posted a topic about a Thai website you could browse in; its posted in the "Inside Scoop" Forum. You can go check it out under the subject name "A Taste of Thai (Another Food Website You Might Enjoy)". The website I gave out there has tons and tons of recipes and other things you can check out and enjoy. I'm sure you might even find some cookbooks, etc., or whatever else you're looking for on that site. I really recommend that you should check it out. I think you will like it. Good luck with your search!