Martin Yan's Feast : The Best of Yan Can Cook
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (11 December, 1998)
list price: $34.95
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Reviews (13)

Excellent recipes for Asian-American food
In response to previous reviewers, this is not authentic Chinese food that Yan is making. That said, in reading this book I never got the impression from Yan that it was.

Yan includes recipes for many favorites that you would find in Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and other asian restaurants in the US. These are very good. I'm not buying General Tso's chicken or Sweet and Sour chicken again in a restaurant because these recipes were so much better and easy to make (it's amazing what lychees and chili-garlic sauce add to sweet and sour chicken). There are also cute anecdotes and nice pictures for almost every dish.

If you are interested in more authentic Chinese cooking, I've found that "Chinese Cooking Made Easy: With Simple Sauces and Dressings (Wei-chuan°s cookbook)" is indispensible and I use it all the time. If you want a good cookbook for restaurant style asian food, try Martin Yan's Feast.

I haven't tried his recipes for Thai food, as I'm half-Thai and probably I wouldn't like them (too americanized), but Wei-chuan's Thai Cooking Made Easy is also really good and I've used it quite a bit.

I am so sad that people think this is Chinese food!
I just watched yet another Martin Yan show on TV.Being a Chinese who has lived in the U.S. for 10 years, I am ever so saddened by the fact that people really think this guy is cooking the "real" stuff.My friends and I just think that he puts on a good show.If you enjoy his food, please do not get the wrong impression that it is Chinese.He has substantially modified many of the dishes to fit American taste, just as many western restaurants in the Orient would make western food which have been changed to fit the Asian taste buds.I have seen westerners making faces in western restaurants in the Orient exclaiming, is this what you called a hamburger?(you can substitute "hamburger with the name of any other dishes)The reaction of Chinese towards Yan's cooking is the same!

excellent presentation, recipes packed,
This book is very well presented with a nice matte finish.The book is good if you are looking for easy home made dishes that are not too fancy.The ingredients asked for are not too demanding, easy to obtain, a plus if you don't live close to Chinatown.

I would recommend this book because it's packed with recipes with pictures accompanying some of them.Variety also give this book a boost on the shopping list.

I gave this book 4 stars because I was looking for recipes that are regionally famous throughout China,Most of the dishes are more of a homestyle dinner rather than restaurant gourment. ... Read more

Isbn: 0912333316
Sales Rank: 294934
Subjects:  1. Chinese cooking    2. Cookery, Chinese    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Regional & Ethnic - Asian    6. Regional & Ethnic - Chinese   

Sushi: Making at Home
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 1997)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (10)

Very decorative sushi ideas!
After taking a class on how to make basic sushi I bought this book for some new ideas. I love the colorful decorative Maki-Zushi recipe! They also have very good visual layouts for how to make thick sushi rolls, hors d'oeuvres sushi, Ichimatsu Oshi-Zushi & other great meal ideas. Lots of pictures, colorful illustrations, decorative sushi & meals prepared which is great for those of us who are visual people! I recommend this book as a great way to create great looking as well as tasting sushi! :)

Great Sushi book!
For quite some time now I have loved going to various sushi places and trying out all different types of Sushi.One day I decided I wanted to make my own, so I picked up this book at a local store, and I must say I am completly satisfied.this book is a great refrence guide on how to make many different types of sushi.It aslo shows you how to prepare the basic ingredients such as the rice.I can recomend this book for a newbie interested in making their own sushi.

Neat tricks!
This is NOT a book for those hoping to learn how to make restaurant-style nigiri-zushi. Instead it's filled withfull of pictorial step-by-step directions and color photos for making the kinds of easy-to-do sushi Japanese friends might make at home and serve as party fare. You'll find recipes for chirashi-zushi (a bowl of rice with ingredients scattered over the top), maki-zushi (rolled sushi), inari-zushi (sushi rice in fried tofu bags) and oshi-zushi (pressed sushi). Included are a lot of simple but decorative tricks, such as turning fried tofu pockets inside-out for visual variety... and, yes, a sushi "birthday cake." ... Read more

Isbn: 0870409921
Sales Rank: 402382
Subjects:  1. Cookery (Fish)    2. Cookery, Japanese    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Regional & Ethnic - Japanese    6. Sushi   

True Thai: The Modern Art of Thai Cooking
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (21 June, 1995)
list price: $32.50 -- our price: $20.47
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Reviews (12)

May Be Authentic, but many recipies are AWFUL
I have used many thai cookbooks over the years, and this one was absolutly the worst. Most of the recipies are rather bland in flavor or way overdone in spices.

If you are someone that is looking to make the flavers you find in thai restaurants....this is NOT the book for you.

Because of the other reviews I bought this book, but apparently it's recipies are VERY authentic thai.....and what is served in restaurants isn't.

My advice.....check the book out at the library and TRY it. Then if you like it, buy one.

IT NEEDS PHOTOS DESPERATELY
I got really disappointed upon receiving this book.I'm not saying that it is no good, I agree with all the other reviewers on the recipies and the information of the book.The thing that really annoyes me is that in this great effort of a book ,to exhibit the Thai cuisine, there is not a single coloured photograph in the book.In fact the only photos there are are black and white ,tiny and have nothing to do with the recipies or Thailand to that matter.Not everybody is familiar with Thai cuisine and pictures of the ingredients and the methods of cooking would have been very helpful.If you are one of those people that like to be challenged by a photograph of a dish so as to try it then this book is not for you.

Great Thai Cookbook!
This book has great Thai recipes.

I went to Thailand for a month and came back looking for authentic recipes.THIS IS THE BOOK TO BUY!The sections are clearly laid out (everything from street vendor food to Royal recipes!) and the instructions are clear.(Attention vegetarians: there is a section for you, too.)The glossary of ingredients is very helpful, as is the section is the back on where to get hard-to-find items.

I highly recommend this book, if you are looking for authentic Thai recipes.

Small potential "downsides": no photos (but the recipes come out flawless anyway) and they are REAL recipes, not simplified versions for crock-pot cooking - in other words be prepared to COOK.It also would be helpful if you lived near an Asian grocery store.

Don't let this scare you off - this cookbook is true to its title! ... Read more

Isbn: 0688099173
Sales Rank: 165751
Subjects:  1. Cookery, Thai    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Regional & Ethnic - Asian    5. Regional & Ethnic - Thai    6. Thai cooking    7. Cooking / Thai   

Joyce Chen 14-Inch Flat Bottom Carbon Steel Wok
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $21.99
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Editorial Review

Stir-fry fanatics, step right up! With its stout material and flatbottom, Joyce Chen's 14-inch carbon steel wok is compatible with electric or gasstoves and doesn't require a wok ring. The reinforced blond wood handle, whilenot traditional on woks, stays cool for better control during cooking andserving and has a stout ring for hanging. The wide comfortable helper handleallows you to pick up the wok with both hands for easier balance. Large enoughfor a heap of bok choy, this deep pan helps keep oil splatters inside thewok--even at the high heats preferred by wok users. Not intended for thedishwasher, this wok delivers the best results with attentive seasoning andcare. Care instructions are included. --Emily Bedard ... Read more

Features

• Carbon steel, great for high-heat cooking
• Wooden skillet handle doesn't conduct heat
• Helper handle makes it easier to carry
• Versatile flat bottom works over either gas or electric heat
• Lifetime warranty

Reviews (16)

Not for serious Chinese cook!
I bought this wok 6 months ago. I seasoned it very well and started to use it. But I noticed the seasoning was easily peeled off when I cooked the dish with a lot of sauce. It meant I couldn't use it for steaming. When I made a fried rice, I had a hard time to clean it and re-season it. Most Chinese use a wok to cook everything, so I expected I could do that, too. But I was wrong. This wok is only good when you make a vegitable stir fry. That's all.

Solid product, inadequate seasoning instructions
This product (the wok I own is a Joyce Chen from Target - identical except that it has bakelite instead of wood handles) seems solidly made and generally works well; the carbon-steel body is thick enough to be strong yet light enough to be comfortable, the handles seem to be securely riveted in place, and the helper handle is a useful touch.

It transmits heat very well, browns meat rapidly, and can be run hot enough to properly stir-fry; prior to this wok I had a 12" non-stick and the non-stick coating self-destructed after one or two uses.A non-stick wok is a rather pointless exercise.

However, the seasoning instructions did not work adequately on my electric range; while I was able to get the very bottom to season properly, the sides refused to turn colors and after using the wok for a while a thin film of rust developed about 1/3 of the way up the sides.I scrubbed it off with 0000 steel wool and re-seasoned.

I found the following procedure, modified from one on a website, to work well, but take NO responsibility if you happen to destroy the small handle on your wok trying it.Mine survived fine.

First, stove-season the wok per the instructions, concentrating on the bottom.Trying to heat the sides over an electric range was ineffective; that's what the next step is for.

I found it works best to pre-heat the wok on medium to medium-high heat, THEN wipe oil onto the inside surfaces with a repeatedly-folded paper towel.Take care that your hand does not contact the pan or the hot oil in the towel; use the paper towel in such a way that your fingers are several inches from the hot surface.BE CAREFUL!This will require wiping more oil onto the pan fairly frequently, but has the added advantage (over pouring, then spreading) of limiting the amount of oil in the pan, so if you over-heat it the flames will be inches rather than feet high and quickly go out.

After stove-seasoning, let cool and remove the long handle by unscrewing the hanging eye.Wrap the small handle in a wet dishcloth or wet paper towels, then wrap the wet cloth completely in aluminum foil.This will keep the handle below 250 degrees F or so as long as there's water left.

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Heat the wok on a burner at medium heat to heat the bottom.

Wipe the entire inner surface with oil, then (USING TWO OVEN MITTS!) put the wok in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove (REMEMBER THE OVEN MITTS!), let the wok cool, rinse the oil out with hot water, and lightly scour the inside with a fine nylon mesh (I used the bag some onions came in) to smooth the rough spots.Re-wet and re-wrap the cloth keeping the handle cool.Dry with a paper towel and heat briefly over medium to medium-high heat to remove any remaining moisture.Repeat the oven-seasoning procedure at least 2 or 3 times.

Yes, it's a bit of a pain in the posterior, but at this point the entire inside of your wok should be a rich brown color, darkening to black near the bottom.NOW you're ready to cook!

Even When Seasoned, Not as Good as Non-Stick
Even when the carbon steel is impeccably seasoned, it still requires much more oil to cook than a non-stick stir fry/wok pan. With very good, baked-on seasoning after each use, the finish on seasoned carbon steel does not get as non-stick as a highly seasoned cast iron pan does. You use several times more oil than non-stick stir fry pans require, and you end up with the greasy stir fries reminiscent of the greasy carry-out cartons of chinese take-out. With this carbon steel wok, even if you season it expertly over a long period of time, you still need ladlefuls of oil to cook, for example, white cloud chinese egg white souffles.Non-stick stir fry pans/woks open up the world of not-so-greasy chinese and other stir fry cuisines. The superiority of non-stick for light stir-fry cooking aside, this carbon steel wok has good weight, good thermal performance, and is especially authentic for the price. ... Read more

Asin: B00004RBTK
Subjects:  1. Cookware    2. (Cook Ware)   

West Bend 79566 6-Quart Electric Wok
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $53.99
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Features

• Measures 17.2 by 14 by 8-1/2 inches
• Wok is nonstick inside and out
• Steaming rack is included
• Uses 1,500 watts of power
• 90-day warranty

Reviews (3)

Awful!This doesn't keep high enough heat
For being a WOK, this should be able to keep high enough temperature.It doesn't.I love making Asian food & this just does not heat the dish.Mongolian beef...it stinks with this appliance. The veggies end up getting too cooked, while trying to compensate all ying and yang.All it's good for are pot stickers & egg rolls...and even then they don't turn out as well.

I will stay with my traditional wok for the gas stove...nothing else beats the heat & flavors with cooking Asian.

great item
I use the elec wok for all kinds of cooking. Its not just for stir fry. I have done roasts/turkey and other meats plus potatoes and veagies. The one I have is 17 years old and well used. I am looking to buy another one as soon as I can find one close to home. I would recomend this product to any one who loves to cook and eat great food.

The Best Electric Wok Ever Made!
I have had this wok for a few years. It continues to perform in the best quality!

I prefer an electric wok because I prefer to cook on a surfacelarger than my stove.I use this wok to cook at the table - the wokstir-fries vegetables hot and fresh and crisp-tender.Anyone who has beento a restaurant like Benihana appreciates an at-table cooking experience! The wok has a temperature range from 150 to 400 degrees and it adjuststemperature quickly, heating and cooling very fast. It cooks beef, fish,and chicken to tender perfection. The handles of the wok are cool-touch/nopotholders needed!

The non-stick surface is a definite bonus.You canstir-fry vegetables with no fat, or a light coating of a butter flavorspray, or a misting of olive oil.It also enables you to add a minimumamount of more expensive oils like sesame.You get that tremendous flavorwithout excessive oiliness!

Think you will only use this wok for Asiancuisine? Think again! I have used this wok to make scrambled eggs for acrowd (it heats them quickly and they are so moist and tender), beefstroganoff, and a multitude of vegetarian dishes. The only thing I don'trecommend it for is deep-fat frying. The wok is made of a thin layer ofmetal that is great for stir fry cooking but I find a chicken fryer with aheavier layer of steel is more suitable for deep-fat frying.

The steamerrack is great for making chinese dumplings.I've also used it to moistenday-old rolls!

I've taken this wok to church suppers and work potlucklunches.You can plug it in like a crock pot on the lowest setting(Warm/Simmer) and it will keep your food at an even temperature.I've madeBarbecue Butterflied Mini Smoked Sausages in it and everyone raves abouthow good they taste and that they're nice and warm.The lid makes anattractive presentation, and has a cool-touch handle.The best featureabout this wok is that it is fully immersible.Just remove the heatingplug (the whole unit unplugs with one pull) and immerse and wash.The lidand the wok can both go into the dishwasher, but since it's nonstick itcleans up easily with a sponge and soapy water. It's a bit big to fullyimmerse in a small kitchen sink, but you can wipe it down quickly.

I lovethis wok.Do yourself a favor and buy it-it's well worth the price! ... Read more

Asin: B00004RC6V
Sales Rank: 53673
Subjects:  1. Cookware    2. (Cook Ware)    3. Small Appliances    4. Electrics   

Zojirushi NS-JCC10 Neuro Fuzzy 5-Cup Rice Cooker
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $239.99
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Editorial Review

"Neuro Fuzzy" doesn't refer to rice texture. It means this sleek rice cooker is computer-controlled and ultra high-tech, from its spherical, nonstick pan to its "surround heating" system to its LCD clock and timer. (Program the cooker in the morning and have hot rice available immediately after work.) Not only does it cook up to 5-1/2 cups of dry rice, it also offers a choice of four textures: regular, soft, hard, and porridge. A quick-cooking option cuts regular-texture time by 20 minutes. Rice is automatically kept at serving temperature for hours, but an "extended keep-warm" feature allows it to be held at a lower temperature indefinitely without deterioration and then reheated to serving temperature at a chosen time. Instructions and a cooking chart explain everything. At 14-1/4 by 10-1/2 by 9 inches, it's remarkably compact and also lightweight. Transport it by its handle. Cord retracts for storage. --Fred Brack ... Read more

Features

• Uses 650 watts of power
• Programmable with clock and timer to cook rice, keep it warm, and reheat it
• Cooks rice four ways: regular, soft, hard, and porridge
• Quick-cooking feature cuts time by 20 minutes
• Measuring cup, serving spatula and holder, and 12 recipes included

Reviews (32)

Awesome appliance
I bought this little beauty almost a year ago and at first balked at the price, but it has more than proven itself.We make rice almost every night and this is so convenient. I especially love the easy clean-up (compared to stovetop rice pot). I usually use the "quick cook" feature as I'm cooking after work, and that works fine, too> We've tried all kinds of rice, and even steel-cut oats.I have not had a single complaint about this great machine.Pay attention to the size you buy, though.The 5-cup doesn't make a lot, probably only enough for two people.

Great product but Amazon.com is way over-priced
It is a great product but way over-price at amazon.com.You can get a much better deal at [another website]...

wow!
awesome buy!!! I got this off a Gold Box for $145 and change and even got a promo $25 certificate out of it! This is one of the best cookers I've used better then the previous "tiger" brand that broke down!Timer's userful, cooks brown as well as white rice and it does not stick! Furthermore, the pot is removable making rice washing easier!So far, definite buy even if it's a discontinued model! ... Read more

Asin: B00004S57A
Subjects:  1. Small Appliances    2. Electrics    3. Steamers    4. Rice Cookers   

Sabatier Provence 7-Inch Stainless-Steel Santuko Knife
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $135.00
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Editorial Review

If you've never used a Santuko knife, prepare yourself for a new favorite. Its versatile 7-inch length is perfect for both delicate mincing and heavy-duty slicing and chopping. It's lightweight for its size, and only minimally flexible. The delight comes from its unusual shape: the bottom edge is flat, while the top edge curves down toward the tip in a manner similar to that of a bread knife. This is absolutely the best shape possible for the two-handed rocking motion that makes rapid work of all chopping, and the balance is superb. The knife's chunky wood-laminate handle is comfortable and attractive, while the minimal bolster allows it to be fully sharpened in an electric sharpener. Don't be surprised if this knife is the one that replaces your entire knife collection--it really is that versatile. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Features

• Made in France
• A versatile chef's knife with rounded top edge
• High-carbon stainless-steel blade, full tang
• Riveted wood-laminate handle
• Hand wash

Reviews (10)

good value for a good knife
The Provence line of Sabatier are very good knives. They are well balanced and have great steel. For some reason however, Sabatier knives do not come from the factory sharpened; thus, one must have this done before the knives are used. I have talked to several knife store owners who say this is the case. They sharpen the knives before they sell them, but then you have to pay full retail price, which is a lot more then the sale price on Amazon plus a sharpening charge.This is also a great knife for doing things that a chef's or vegetable knife is supposed to do. It is not, however, a boning knife. If you buy this knife, it will probably become your favorite.

sabatier provence santuko knife
The knife is a great tool for the kitchen, cuts and chops very well. Problem I experienced is, the knife broke at the bolster when attempting to cut thru a chicken breast bone. To date I have not been able to get warranty information from Sabatier as to replacement. Knife was approx. 6 months old.Barb

Dont Buy
When you recieve this product you have to destreoy the apckaging to get it out. If you dont like it you can't return it either. And the factory blade on this is really really dull. You ,will have to spend even more money to get the blade sharpened professionally. Your choice but i would highly recomend not buying it. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SCQH
Subjects:  1. Chef's Knives    2. (Cooks)    3. Knives    4. (Knife)    5. Asian Knives    6. Kitchen Knives    7. Cutlery   

The Asian Grocery Store Demystified (Take It with You Guides)
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1999)
list price: $16.95 -- our price: $11.53
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (17)

Decent to Good Guide to Eastern Oriental Groceries
`The Asian Grocery Store Demystified' by book designer and illustrator, Linda Bladholm is an exposition of Oriental ingredients with a very nice little twist which saves it from being a poor man's `Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients'. While Cost's classic book deals with the serious culinary details of a great many basic ingredients, Ms. Bladholm's book, as suggested by her title, is much more pointedly directed at the shopper's experience in your typical strip mall Oriental market.

The author adds appeal and charm to her book by opening it with a visit to her own local mom and pop run Oriental grocery store. The store in question was just a bit better organized and stocked than my own favorite Filipino run store in southern New Jersey, but all the familiar staples were there, if not in all the familiar places.

The device of providing a guided tour of an Asian market is reinforced by mentioning all the major brand names for staples such as rice, noodles, sauces, oils, and spice mixes, with opinions by the author of which may be the preferred brands. While I found a few misstatements, such as describing a gluten free flour as `general purpose' (general purpose flours by definition have 10% to 12% gluten producing proteins), and I missed some possible warnings against Texmati rice as a less than useful substitute for Basmati rice, I believe the advice and information in this book is a really great supplement to other books on Asian ingredients with a more scholarly bent.

By far the biggest weakness of the book is the difference in quality between the promise of `over 400 illustrations of ingredients' and the quality of those illustrations. The illustrations in the book are all small black and white line drawings easily fitting into an inch square area with lots of the pictures giving no sense of the kind of thing they are depicting. The little picture of ginger certainly looks like the ginger with which I am familiar, but the picture of the related galangal rhizome does little to assure me that I would be able to use that picture to pick it out from bins of produce labeled in Chinese characters. These poor illustrations give the lie to the claim that this is a `Take It With You' guide, in that it is dealing with a guide to items which may all be labeled in not only a foreign language, but in a script we are simply not used to interpreting. The very clever chapter headings of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Tagalong and Korean ideograms for food categories (with English translations) do nothing to help the situation.

Note that unlike many other books on Asian ingredients, this book has few recipes using these ingredients. This is not necessarily a weakness, as it means that almost all the space in the book is dedicated to the book's principle topic, the groceries. And, much of this space is dedicated to subjects which purely culinary books may not touch such as teas and medicinal herbs and spices. This is probably not the best book on these subjects, but treating these topics enhances the treatment of the book's primary metaphor, the Asian grocery store,, as they do, in fact, appear in Asian grocery stores. My most satisfying discovery was the appearance of classic frozen `fast foods' such as potstickers and Chinese dumplings. After our 25 pound sacks of rice, the primary reason for going to our favorite Asian market was to pick up a supply of frozen pork dumplings.

The book also does a nice job of featuring those things that are uniquely Chinese or Japanese. The short appendix on oriental cooking methods and utensils is not too helpful. These will be of little value if your Asian store has a good selection of cooking utensils. It does not, for example, give any clues about the various styles of woks or the various materials or what makes a good wok. This is especially important, as the criteria for a good wok are almost exactly the opposite of those for a good modern saute pan.

This book is great if you find yourself living within easy shopping distance of a good Oriental market, assuming that market covers all of east Asia and not, for example, just India and Pakistan. The book also useful if you plan to order lots of Asian groceries over the Internet, as the recommended brands gives one some assurance they are not buying sawdust. The book is less valuable for the culinary generalist, who has no special interest in Asian cuisine, especially in that the book includes no bibliography. For those readers, Bruce Cost's book mentioned above is far superior a source.

Excellent Guide
I love interesting ingredients and am fortunate to live near an ethnic grocery.This book helps me figure out what new and interesting dishes I can make with what is available to me.The set up is easy to understand, divided into foods most people should be familiar with, saving the "exotic" ingredients for last.I recommend this book, and if the other ethnic grocer books are anything like this one, I recommend them too.

Serves a purpose, but not the best
Unfortunately I was not as enraptured with this book as most of the other reviewers.I don't feel it would be terribly useful for a beginning Asian cook.
I also found some inaccurate or less familiar descriptions; for instance many recipes call for "thick soy," which in this book is called "dark soy, or superior soy" but a novice wouldn't know those distinctions.
Additionally the book only gives one or maybe two names for the same thing; if you're cooking something from another culture confusion may reign! For instance in this book belacan (spelled blacan in most other Asian cookbooks I own), which is a common Asian ingredient, is the only word used for dried shrimp paste -- it's also known as trasi (Indonesia), kapi (Thailand) and mam tom (Vietnam). In the grocery store I have bought a wonderful paste that is packaged only under the name "trasi." Using this book, who would know?
Among its weaknesses I find the dearth a pictures a detriment.Many shoppers (like me) are quite visual and look for colors or bottle shapes.It would be more helpful to have photos of some ingredients; for instance showing the difference between bean thread noodles and rice sticks, or what a jackfruit looks like.
I found the index difficult to use.Something might be referenced in the text but not found in the index.Drives me nuts.
However, there are some strengths to this book.It's a convenient size to bring to the store and gives a nice overview.It's also helpful for the novice to have brand recommendations, but I can safesly say, having shopped for ingredients in Minnesota and California (and in Australia), that not all the same brands are imported to everywhere and that what she recommends may not be in your market.
If you really want to get serious about Asian ingredients I suggest you check out three books: "Chinese Cooking, Step by Step techniques" by Yan Kit Martin (Random House).This book has photos and Chinese characters for many different ingredients. You can easily take it to the market.Charmaine Solomon's "The Complete Asian Cookbook" (Lansdowne) has a good glossary of ingredients in the back of the cookbook, but it's a big book to heft around (I think the new edition is paperback though). Lastly, if you can find it, "Charmaine Solomon's Encyclopedia of Asian Food" (William Heinemann Australia) is well worth seeking out. It's the best of the bunch.Loads of ingredients listed alphabetically, pictures, a great index, some good recipes -- this weighty book has it all. Worth lugging to the market if you need help. ... Read more

Isbn: 1580630456
Sales Rank: 173208
Subjects:  1. Asian cooking    2. Cookery    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Dictionaries    6. Food    7. Reference    8. Regional & Ethnic - Asian   

Sanctuary: Music from a Zen Garden
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (18 July, 2000)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $16.98
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

As peaceful and enchanting as a sunset's afterglow on a cloudless summer evening, the gentle music of Riley Lee (playing shakuhachi flute, an instrument traditionally used by Japanese monks) and Bert Moon (on koto, a 13-string zither) stirs a warm, caressing breeze that calms the spirit and stills the mind. Lee, an Australian, is one of the few non-Japanese musicians to be acknowledged as a dai shihan (grand master) of the shakuhachi, a fairly primitive flute made from a bamboo root. His talents are artfully displayed on this tranquil assortment of improvisational duets with Moon, recorded in 1984 and first released in 1991 as a meditative cassette titled Evening Mist. Lee's elegant, prolonged tones are gentle to the point of weightlessness, residing in comfortable low and middle ranges without sounding a shrill note. Moon, though not credited on the recording's front cover, admirably handles an egalitarian role throughout the disc's 61 minutes, handsomely complementing Lee's cerebral textures with dignified, unobtrusive accents. Listeners raised on Occidental music will find little alien about Lee and Moon's graceful, unhurried duets, ideal for periods of restfulness or contemplation. --Terry Wood ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Stillness and motion
An interesting series of interpretations; evocative, occasionally and (somewhat ironically) intense; rich with soaring emphasis. A string of adjectives is pointless since this is one of those special collections which has precisely the meaning that you bring to it. The pace and timing is exceptional - most notably the intensity of the silences that have been artfully bracketed in a way that is a wonderful metaphor for the visual textures of the 'Zen Garden' that is the album's namesake. One of the most rewarding aspects of the album is the duality of the listening experience. It lends itself to active listening - if you are in the mood for (say) meditative visualisation, while being equally good for providing a landscape or background for a centring exercise where the goal is stillness.It is HIGHLY recommended that you listen to an original and not an MP3 or some other ersatz reproduction which will lose all spaciousness and simply will not do the work justice. Check out your local library (yay Libraries!). It was a librarian that pointed me to the album 'Rainforest Reverie' - also by Riley Lee - which is much better than the title suggests and is a worthwhile companion to 'Sanctuary'. It is also interesting to note that other reviewers have found this album useful in combination with Yoga. Personally, I'd suggest that unless your Yoga is moderately advanced (in which case why would you need music?) you'll find it a distraction and at best it will detract from the intensity of focus necessary for a truly rewarding Yoga session.

Good stuff!
I love this CD in the background -- it's there when I'm driving the kids, picking up toys, flipping through the newspaper during a free moment. So it isn't music I focus on front and center, but it enhances my life while I'm involved in other activities.It's serene, it's calming without being engaging. Good stuff!

My Favorite "Plinky" Music CD
This is my favorite CD for relaxing, doing yoga, or just playing for background music.As one of my friends say, "It's just about the best plinky music CD around!" ... Read more

Asin: B00004U90V
Subjects:  1. New Age / Meditation    2. Pop    3. Spiritual   

Chinese Bamboo Flute Music [Laserlight]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 July, 1993)
list price: $5.49 -- our price: $5.49
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (12)

A good introductory music collection but poor information
Although the arrangement "The Imperial Officer On Horseback Galloping By" & "The Flower of Hsin-Jang" are too artificial and not stick in Chinese instrument. Most of the songs here are in the most famous arrangement which can be easily heard in China or Taiwan. So this record is a good introductory collection for Chinese Bamboo Flute. However, it lack introductory information about the song and the performer make this album has less collective value. Further more, those who wants to hear authenic Chinese instruments playing may found this disk not a "PURE" Chinese music playing.

Interesting
The music is pure and melodious and mainly involves bamboo flutes although, "in some cases [they are] accompanied by Chinese fiddle, guitar, percussion and synthesizer."

The flute-playing is quite enjoyable; although the number of pieces on the cd are quite small, amounting to a total of about 45 minutes.While THE IMPERIAL OFFICER ON HORSEBACK GALLOPING BY and THE FLOWER OF HSIN-JANG are probably the most complicated pieces, A TAYAL FOLK SONG, with its sharp, clear notes and the more somber and softer MAIDENS OF THE TEA MOUNTAIN & CHATTING WITH AN OLD FRIEND BY THE WINDOW are most enjoyable.

Aside from the brevity of the whole, the main complaint I have is that the producers did not give us any history or context behind the music.I would certainly have been interested in finding out the story behind the Maidens and Tea Mountain or the Tayal folksong.

Still, quite relaxing.

Cheesy title, good music
If, like me, you thought twice about buying this CD because of the cheesy title you won't regret it. The Flower Of Hsin-Jang and The Song Of The Four Seasons are my favourites. ... Read more

Asin: B000001V41
Sales Rank: 29776
Subjects:  1. Asian Folk    2. China    3. China / Japan / Korea    4. Chinese Folk    5. Pop    6. V/a Compilations    7. Worldbeat