Customer Reviews

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I too, am a cookbook collector. My shelves are so crowded now that I have to think very carefully about any new additions. Hot Sour Salty Sweet has exceeded all expectations. It is beautiful, educational, entertaining, not to mention that it has wonderful, accessible recipes that taste authentic. Overall, it is the single best cookbook that I have purchased in the last few years and I have gotten many good ones.

My copy had at least a chapter upside down. That's unfortunate as it makes it difficult to use. Having said that, I've cooked 2 recipies so far and they've both been good. I would write in and ask about the chapter being upside down before ordering this book though.

I bought this book after being at a friend's place a few times for dinner. I asked about the recipes that she used and each time it was from this book. The book is more than just a cookbook of fantastic, authentic food. It is also a photo essay of Southeast Asia. The authors have spent much time traveling the area and add gorgeous photos and tales of their experiences. I highly recommend this book for food lovers.

Alford and Duguid's book is beautiful, interesting, and the recipes are fantastic. Many of their recipes have become weekly standbys in my house. Their commentary is down to earth and helpful. I couldn't recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in learning about or building a library in southeast asian cooking.

Wonderful combination of travelogue and cookbook.

Incidentally as a note to one of the other reviewers, the coriander plant is known as cilantro in the US. Coriander root is simply the root part of cilantro or coriander - just buy cilantro with the roots left on.

I can't cook because I can't quit looking at this book long enough to do so. Gorgeous print and photos. Bravo to the authors. Thank you for sharing your journey.

I am, admittedly, a coockbook hoarder. I have them everywhere -- even in the drawers of my nightstand and tucked under the bed. I read them cover-to-cover like other people read novels.

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet is, without a doubt, the best cookbook I have ever read. It is part travel novel, part anthropology lesson, and -- in large part -- a primer for westerners in Southeast Asian cuisine.

Easy to read, straightforward in instruction, its' only flaw is that -- in rare instances -- recipes may include items not available in even a metropolitan Asian market. (I have been to all of the Asian markets in Little Chinatown in Chicago and have yet to find coriander root!) But the ingredients are largely available at most Asian markets and even some larger supermarkets, and substitutions are often recommended.

The grilled chicken with hot and sweet dipping sauce has become a family favorite. The dipping sauce was so flavorful, so simple yet so complex in flavor -- I was surprised that I had made something so delicious.

Buy the book -- you won't be sorry!

I usually pick my cookbooks by number of recipes and quality of instruction. It is seldom I buy a cookbook that has lots of pictures and non-recipe discourse. However, this is probably one of the best cookbooks I have purchased in the last 2 years. It has clear, concise recipes from my favorite region for food - practically fool-proof (my husband even made the bok choi successfully!).
And adding to the food quality is the need to curl up with this cookbook as if it were a novel - wonderful descriptions of a facinating part of the world, and expressive and intriguing pictures to fire the imagination. I only regret that I have to get it dirty - I'll have to buy a 2nd copy for my coffee table!
A must have for anyone who loves to have fun with food!

This is the most compelling cookbook I have ever had in the more than 50 years I've been cooking (and eating). Usually I skim cookbooks, just picking out the best sounding recipes. But, in this book, I read (and salivated over) every word. Upon finishing, I immediately ordered another copy to be sent to one of my brothers and his wife who also love to travel and cook. All of the recipes I've tried so far have been fabulous.

If anyone out there is looking for quality and exquisite taste in Southeast Asian cooking, this is the book for you. Excellent instructions, very flavorful recipes and beautiful photographs. This book has it all. A must have in your kitchen. The experience in cooking these recipes is outstanding. A remarkable book. Buy it and see for yourselves what this book has to offer. AMAZING!!!