Review of New Asian Cuisine: A Groundbreaking New Cookbook
by Jennifer Brizzi
 As beautiful in the palate s eye as it is heavy in the hand, New Asian Cuisine: Fabulous Recipes from Celebrity Chefs is the first cookbook published by the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association.
The book has been a true group effort, an immersion in a mind-boggling variety of Asian dishes created by a roster of 100 international celebrity chefs.
This beautiful book, with most recipes illustrated with mouth-watering glossy photographs on heavy paper, has recipes ranging from Asian-accented and wildly creative to thoroughly classic. Most are healthful; all are educational and eye-opening works of art. Some recipes are ambitious, exotic fodder for chefs imaginations, but many are simple enough for a home cook wishing to venture into new territory. Many dishes could be called Asian fusion, their Asian ingredients or techniques melded with those of the southwest U.S. or Mediterranean, for example. Many of the recipes submitted by the chefs have a connection between past and present, from substantial to a suggestion inspired by a memory.
Sections cover healthy eating, small plates and salads, soups, meat and poultry, rice and noodles, vegetables, desserts and Asian cocktails. The chapter on fish and seafood is especially enticing. From Nobu Matsuhisa comes a recipe for his popular Black Cod in Miso. From Todd English comes Tuna Tartar. From Vikram Gag of IndeBleu in Washington DC comes a sumptuous Lilliputian Tower of Lobster and Lump Crab with Marinated Mango and Curry Oil. From David Chang of Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York comes Roasted Butter Clams, Bouchot Mussels and Baby Squid with Fermented Soybean Paste.
Chefs from around the world have submitted recipes: from throughout the US, from Toronto, Dublin, Belfast, London, Milan, Frankfurt and Paris. More dishes come from chefs who cook in Adelaide, Singapore, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Seoul and Taipei.
Food lovers will recognize many names in the star-studded lineup of contributors, including Susanna Foo, Anita Lo, Charmaine Solomon, Monica Bhide, Ming Tsai, Norman Van Aken, Roy Yamaguchi, Martin Yan and many more.
Authors are Wendy Chan and Grace E. Niwa, and the editor our own Andrea Rademan, IFWTWA Vice President, co-chair of our culinary division and regular contributor to Global Writes.
Culinary consultant for the book was Michael Pardus, who helped developed the Asian food pyramid described in the book. Pardus teaches the cuisines of Asia at the Culinary Institute of America and organizes and leads culinary tours to Vietnam for students and professional chefs.
Joyce Jue also wrote commentary; she is a specialist in Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines, cooking teacher, food writer and TV cooking personality.
This joyful celebration of beautiful Asian food that extends beyond Asia to the whole world should be in everyone s food library.
New Asian Cuisine is available at Amazon.com, Asia Society, Asian Chefs Association, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Chef Central, World Journal Bookstores and elsewhere. See the website at www.newasiancuisine.com.
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