The Asian Home Kitchen: Fresh, Vibrant Dishes from Kuala Lumpur to Kyoto

Hong Kong–based and Malaysian-born Tan-Boisgillot, of the My Cooking Hut food and travel blog, offers a delicious tour through Asia with modern recipes inspired by her adventures. Tan-Boisgillot asserts the best Asian dishes have a “harmony of flavors,” which is evidenced in every offering—from a Thai fried rice that offsets savory pork with a bright mango salad to a Malaysian chicken red curry that derives its fragrant flavor from the “four buddies”: star anise, green cardamom, clove, and cinnamon. Inspired by the Kedah markets that she frequented with her mother as a girl, Tan-Boisgillot employs fresh herbs and ingredients to amp up flavor; a Filipino-inspired citrus-cured tuna and tomato salad is strewn with chopped coriander, while lemongrass stretches its way across borders in, among dozens of dishes, a Khmer Yellow Chicken Curry and Balinese roast duck. In addition to the fascinating cultural tidbits tucked into each chapter’s introduction— Tan-Boisgillot’s native Kedah, for instance, produces more than half of Malaysia’s rice supply (hence its nickname “The Rice Bowl of Malaysia”)—recipes for vibrant spice pastes and snappy instructions on basic techniques, from deboning a chicken to making coconut milk from scratch, make this comprehensive guide one to savor. The result is a collection of diverse delights united by excellent flavors. (June)