Asian Grilling: 85 Satay, Kebabs, Skewers and Other Asian-Inspired Recipes for Your... at Chef2Chef

After providing key technical info (for authentic taste, Su-Mei champions use of the traditional mortar and pestle, though she also endorses the blender with a few procedural adjustments), she then offers her skewer repertoire, which can be matched with zesty dipping sauces and flavorful relishes like Tomato and Chile Sambal or Indonesian Peanut Sauce. Companion chapters, "Wrapped and Grilled" and "Grilled and Wrapped," present alternative versions of traditional case-cooking in dishes like Grilled Marinated Catfish in Banana Leaves and Korean-Style Grilled Beef in Lettuce. Equally tempting are recipes for grilled salads like the feasible-to-fix-after-work Thai-Style Grilled Eggplant Salad; noodle and rice dishes, including Soba Noodles with Grilled Vegetables and Sesame-Ginger Dressing; and grilled desserts, such as Grilled Mangoes with Ginger Syrup. With a separate section on making the required spice blends and pastes, tips on shopping, and color photos throughout, the book opens grilling vistas to those of us inclined to simply throw some hamburger on the barbie again, for want of a better way. The dishes are also just plain fun to prepare. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly
Yu, owner of the restaurant Saffron in San Diego, Calif., here presents sophisticated grilled entrees and salads from Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere. Cooks used to combining spices, a process more thoroughly explained in Yu's first book, Cracking the Coconut, will benefit from meals flavored by, for example, dry roasted white peppercorns and cumin seeds. In Savory Mushrooms in Banana Leaves, there are no fewer than 17 ingredients; however, most of them are for the spice paste. Making things easier, several marinades for example the coriander-and-lemongrass-infused Nonya-Style Chicken or Pork Satay can sit overnight. Meat and fish entrees meant for entertaining, such as Salt-Grilled Yellowtail Tuna and Grilled Duck, Pineapple and Bitter Greens Salad are balanced by quick vegetarian recipes, such as Indonesian-Style Grilled Vegetables with Peanut Dressing and Grilled Vegetables in Rice Paper. Grilled Curried Lamb Wrapped in Radicchio and Garlic-and-Pepper Shrimp and Kumquats are standouts. Those who want to add special condiments to simply grilled food will appreciate the sauces chapter (there is also a short chapter on grilling fruits). Overall, Asian-food lovers will appreciate Yu's undiluted approach and creative exuberance.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Reader Reviews
This book is different from many Asian cookbooks in that its primary focus is on grilling techniques as they apply to Asian foods. The result is a scrumptious wealth of recipes which are truly a delight to prepare and eat. The only reason I didn't give the review 5 stars is that I found that many of the recipes were a little more time-consuming than I prefer, taking 45 minutes minimum to prepare. However, the result is food that is truly authentic Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Laotian, and so on. This book really delivers on the flavors of South East Asia. Most recipes call for ingredients which can be found in any grocery store, but there will be times you'll have to make a trip to your neighborhood Asian mart to discover the delight of cooking with real banana leaves, palm sugar or some of the more unusual ingredients. I would say that if you love cooking, especially on the grill, and enjoy flavorful food, you'll really get a lot out of this book.