Balance & Harmony: The Secrets of Asian Cooking

Perry, author of Simply Asian and chef/owner of the Sydney-based restaurant Rockpool, offers a stunningly beautiful collection that is as suitable for the coffee table as it is for the kitchen. Motivated by his great love for Asian cuisine and the desire to share that affection with the world, Perry provides a tutorial on technique, flavor, and balance that will wow existing fans and make converts of hordes of others. There's also instruction in cooking methods, working from easiest to hardest and containing useful information on the equipment and ingredients common to Asian cuisine. Recipes start with the very basics from steamed rice to marinated salmon salad to spicy beef short ribs. Throughout are such useful tips as how to handle crabs and lobsters and roast or barbecue a duck. Later chapters cover everything from stir-frying to tea-smoking. While many of Perry's dishes are inspired by Chinese cookery, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea are here, too. More advanced recipes include Ma Po Tofu, Chinese roast duck, and stir-fried sea scallops with asparagus. Perry also includes menus suitable for entertaining and offers a surprisingly diverse and appealing collection of sweets such as pineapple, line, and ginger granita, white sticky rice, and toasted coconut ice cream. Gorgeous yet practical and versatile enough for cooks at all levels, this book will inspire and delight. (Sept.)