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toad_maiden's review against another edition
5.0
This book is absolutely worth all the hype it's gotten the past couple of years. These recipes are bold and fresh, without gimmick, and packaged with infectious dry wit. I can't wait to try out many of these recipes.
looseleafmusings's review against another edition
4.0
Straight-forward delectable collection of Asian and Indian recipes!
nerdybookies's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
tinaathena's review against another edition
4.0
I am cooking my way through this and so far the 10+ recipes I've made have all been excellent.
It's exciting and delicious to see the uptick in plant-based diets, but especially in terms of a global palate. East and south Asian cuisine has always readily lent itself to a plant-based diet and books like these are great examples that moving away from meat isn't necessarily a loss, but an opportunity to diversify your range of cooking. Lots of beautiful pictures and Meera Sodha is a great recipe writer, keeping things accessible and doable. I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much I ordered the UK version, as I didn't want to wait for the N. American publish date later this autumn.
It's exciting and delicious to see the uptick in plant-based diets, but especially in terms of a global palate. East and south Asian cuisine has always readily lent itself to a plant-based diet and books like these are great examples that moving away from meat isn't necessarily a loss, but an opportunity to diversify your range of cooking. Lots of beautiful pictures and Meera Sodha is a great recipe writer, keeping things accessible and doable. I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much I ordered the UK version, as I didn't want to wait for the N. American publish date later this autumn.
kabrahams's review against another edition
The pad Thai recipe is amazing!! Can’t wait to try more.
sarahbowman101's review against another edition
3.0
It doesn't feel very fair to rate a cookbook before I've made anything from it, so the rating is based on the cookbook and not the recipes.
Many of the recipes that looked the best like Mushroom Bao and Black Dal need loads of extra prep time that make them unreasonable for a weeknight dinner. And some of the simpler recipes, like Tomato Ponzu Salad didn't have an accompanying photo of the dish, as the artsy pic of tomatoes doesn't count. I know this adds significantly to the production costs of the cookbook, but if you consider something like Paneer, Spinach, and Tomato Salad it sounds boring, but if you look at the photo of the dish, it looks gorgeous.
I think the first dish I'd like to try is Honey, Soy, and Ginger Braised Tofu because I am super curious about the grated pear. I think for an experienced cook, many of the recipes could be adapted or used as guidelines which I appreciate.
Many of the recipes that looked the best like Mushroom Bao and Black Dal need loads of extra prep time that make them unreasonable for a weeknight dinner. And some of the simpler recipes, like Tomato Ponzu Salad didn't have an accompanying photo of the dish, as the artsy pic of tomatoes doesn't count. I know this adds significantly to the production costs of the cookbook, but if you consider something like Paneer, Spinach, and Tomato Salad it sounds boring, but if you look at the photo of the dish, it looks gorgeous.
I think the first dish I'd like to try is Honey, Soy, and Ginger Braised Tofu because I am super curious about the grated pear. I think for an experienced cook, many of the recipes could be adapted or used as guidelines which I appreciate.
lucyreading's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Tried one recipe - Korean Egg Bread. Really easy & tasty once cooked. Looking forward to cooking more.
tresgrumpy's review against another edition
2.0
I found the recipes in this book tended towards being under seasoned and under spiced. I have made a few recipes from this book, none that I would make again without dramatic revisions. I think the broadness of the theme (“east”) means a lack of specificity in a lot of the recipes that makes them feel very indistinct.
Readers advisory note: this is probably a really good cookbook for someone who is looking for vegetarian recipes with limited access to ingredients. This would probably appeal to people who are looking to branch out from more traditional western cooking. The techniques and flavors in this are definitely very approachable to a cook who feels apprehensive about trying “Asian” cooking. The broad spectrum might allow newer cooks to get a general sense of what specific cuisines they like. A more experienced cook might not get as much from this.
Readers advisory note: this is probably a really good cookbook for someone who is looking for vegetarian recipes with limited access to ingredients. This would probably appeal to people who are looking to branch out from more traditional western cooking. The techniques and flavors in this are definitely very approachable to a cook who feels apprehensive about trying “Asian” cooking. The broad spectrum might allow newer cooks to get a general sense of what specific cuisines they like. A more experienced cook might not get as much from this.