A Taste of Asia recipe book review

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I just  I got the book yesterday arvo, and have had a quick look. I don't have much in the way of Asian ingredients, but thats okay I will pick out something and see how we go. My opinion at the moment is that when putting together a book it is very hard to cater for all. If you did a westernised version, those people that wanted true Asian would be disappointed - and vice versa. I look forward to trying Alvans dumplings and all the recipes that people say are really good. Maybe someone can post some more westernised di shes on the forum? I think that considering Asians generally tend to be nice and slim, I should perhaps cook a liitle more like them (please excuse me, if this sounds like a racist comment - but its intended as more of a compliment if anything).

Oh I love Asian dumplings.  I will be interested to see how they go CP63. I agree that it is hard cater for everyone and you really do need authentic ingredients to make authentic food.  It's just a shame some of us don't have access to them.  I guess also that if we want more westernised Asian food we can always convert woman's weekly asian recipes. 

[Lemongrass]

Thank you very much for the review, JD.
Where did you all order the book from? I can't find it anywhere (apart from eBay Australia, and not shipping to Europe)
France / Germany / UK webistes don't even list it in the cookbook section...

[judydawn]

It has only just been released here in Australia Lemongrass and I purchased mine through my consultant. I notice it has not yet appeared on this link which lists books available for the TMX from our Head Office in Perth. If you are prepared to pay the postage I'm sure someone can organise to have one sent to you.   Perhaps one of the consultants can give you more information as I am not one myself.

[meganjane]

I adore true Asian food having travelled to Thailand, China & Vietnam. Pondering getting this book, but I'd like to see it first.

[Katya]

I contacted the UK Thermomix office to ask if they had this book and the person I spoke to said she hadn't heard of it.... I'll give them another month or so and then try again 

[CarolineW]

I contacted the UK Thermomix office to ask if they had this book and the person I spoke to said she hadn't heard of it.... I'll give them another month or so and then try again 

The info I was given is that they are expecting to get it in a month or so.

[Katya]

Great news Caroline    I guess the person I spoke to wasn't  up to speed.   Thanks for letting me know

[Frozzie]

Thank you very much for the review, JD.
Where did you all order the book from? I can't find it anywhere (apart from eBay Australia, and not shipping to Europe)
France / Germany / UK webistes don't even list it in the cookbook section...

where are you from lemongrass??  as far as im aware it isonly available in oz so you would need to contact HO and ask them... mentioned the book to my consultant (in france) and she had no idea such a book existed but saying that it wouldnt work well here as asian food isnt overly popular and definately not food thats too spicy.  On another hand France and im sure other countries also have their unique cookbooks..we have one called roughly translated 'small plates for big tables' a bread book and a soups for all seasons which i havent seen in other countries..it is a pity that the books arent available worldwide and translated for sales elsewhere.  Ingredients are definately a problem for some countries but then again the travelling with thermomix book has all sorts of ingredients not readily available but states alternatives easier to find (well does in the french version anyway).  Getting back to the main question you can get pretty mucvh any books from other countries if you explain your situation and they are usually very happy to send you whatevedr books you would like...

[Lemongrass]

Thank you very much for your replies. Meagan got in touch with me and suggested to send me a copy of the book, which I gratefully accepted. We're now trying to figure out how much shipping would be, etc... Considering that problem almost solved, I forgot to come back onto this thread 
Frozzie, I also live in France, and I do agree there wouldn't be enough of an audience for the asian cookbook.
Is it "Petits plats pour grandes tablées" you're referring to ? Is it any good? We're only a partyu of two at home, and don't quite qualify for "grandes tablées"
 

[Frozzie]

good to hear lemongrass..so are you from somewhere else orginally or a 'local' here in France and where abouts are you at?? Im in Tours...its good to hear there are more members from France on here though...was feeling quite alone there for some time haha

re the book yes its the petits plats pour grandes tablées and I havent tried anything out of it at yet...been way too busy to try anything new but looking through it I quite like it even though its made for several people either large families or last minute dinner parties etc ...the meals look quite good and you can always divide them by 3 (the meals are for min 6 peoples sometimes 8 but that shows in the ingredients with normally over a kilo of meat, fish or other)...i got mine as a demo gift and i think its the current demo gift at the moment (yep just checked it is as well as the 100 façons book which is also good and the envie de desserts which i wasnt that impressed with)... I love the front of the book also with little basic ideas of making basic ingredients being used in several ways making them go further.  Even though we are only 4 and really only 2 and a half as my kids eat next to nothing...sometimes a couple of spoons at best but i like it as the meals seem tasty but simple yet suitable for guests...a useful book to have around..maybe ask your consultant to show you a copy..the recipes are interesting also like the duck crumble with dried fruit and chestnuts...yum and i have found the french cookbooks to be well tested and i havent had a bad recipe yet from the books...ask you consultant to show you a copy as she would have it with her or him as its the monthly cadeau hotesse!

blab over ..hope this helps! 

[Shazzy]

Frozzie that duck dish sounds great - have you tried it yet? I love duck!

[Frozzie]

no not yet but should do this week so when i do ill let you know if its any good ill send you the recipe or even better post it 

[pinkscrapbooker]

I was really shocked when I opened the book and found very authentic recipes, and like Judy, would have liked to have seen some alternatives. The first recipe I tried was the chili prawns, and they had candlenuts in the ingredient list. When I googled them I found you could use macadamia nuts, or cashews, and find it difficult to understand why they didn't add these substitution ingredients in brackets. The prawns were really good, and tonight I made the spicy shredded chicken and it was delish! I think it was just a little overwhelming at first. I am really keen to try the soup filled dumplings, as we had them in NY and just loved them, I have to say that the 100g of pork fat was a turn off though! I too would have liked some helpful comments like "ask your local butcher to help out here".  Overall a really interesting book though

[Nay-nay]

Here's the contents list

[WenV]

I don't think this book is intended for mainstream Aussies who cook the occasional Asian dish and proclaim their love for Asian food. I think this cookbook has a very specific market. In addition to it being "Asian", it's very Malaysian/Singaporean (what else would anyone expect considering one of the contributors is Singaporean?). My guess is that HO is targeting the Malaysian/Singapoean population in Perth. If anyone were to show this cookbook to say a Hong Kong Chinese person, quite a few of those dishes would be considered quite alien to them as well. Most of the Australian population see mostly Cantonese/Hong Kong style food in the restaurants (and of course, Australian Chinese food), so to most of us, that is Chinese food. The few recipes I like out of the Asian cookbook aren't particularly strange to the Australian palate; they could be something some people haven't tried before, but they are definitely not soya bean milk, which I find quite different.
In all fairness, I view this cookbook as I do any other - if I find a few recipes out of it worthwhile, I'm happy - I have tons of cookbooks I've never cooked out of, so finding a few things I'd like to make is a bonus. I only do the salmon soup out of the seafood cookbook, and I don't think I've ever cooked out of the Indian or vegetarian books - not yet, anyway.

HO is probably trying to address those people who say it can't cook Chinese food. The tm can cook Chinese food, and it can do it very well, but I'd say those people who can't see it cooking Chinese food probably aren't into cooking that much and can't see past the risotto and pasta in the demo. It's a pity HO don't want to show any flexibility with their demo dishes - if they did, I'm sure many more doors would open.

That's my 2c worth.

Hi thermoheaven! I've been searching for an Asian (Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine) TM cookbook after purchasing my TM only very recently, and chicken rice recipe is certainly high on my wish list.  I specifically told my contact consultant (I was a "ripe" buyer) that I was mainly interested in seeing how the TM would be able to cook main meals as I'm quite time-poor.  She followed her instinct and demo'ed the chicken & cashew recipe out of the EDC which is quite Asian (instead of another Italian dish recommended by her group leader), and that essentially helped me to make the decision to purchase it there and then.  I'd say, if I was a consultant, I would tailor my demos to my audience's needs.