BOOKS ON COOKING MADHUR JAFFREY Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking I *love* Indian food. We eat Indian out quite a bit, and I am hooked on palak paneer, aloo gobi, pakoras, samosas, garlic naan, you name it. We were always a bit afraid to start cooking it in our home, though, because there are so many spices and often hours of cooking involved in these dishes. Then we came across Madhur Jaffrey and her series of books. They are superb!! This one in particular is a staple of our cookbook selection. The first part of the book goes over the spices involved and the different techniques used in cooking, to give you an overview. It even describes the types of equipment you should have. Then ... the recipes!! All of my favorites are in here. Naan, which we cook on a pizza stone. Saag aloo. Aloo ghosht. You just open the book to any page and you hit a delicious dish. There's beef and chicken, completely vegetarian, even a whole section on relishes and chutneys. If I had any complaint it would be that there aren't many pictures at all in here, but the recipes come out so well, and the descriptions are so complete that you rarely need to know what it looks like. It's always delicious! Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian I recommend this book to any cook who enjoys discovering new flavors and new ways to prepare the vegetable portions of their meals rather they are vegetarians or not. The only hurdle to getting started is the requirement to spend some time reading through the book to identify the recipes that get your juices flowing and then making note of the ingredients you need that aren't in your spice cupboards. A trip to one or more local ethnic markets to acquire your new 'basics' and you're ready to enter Madhur's splendid world of vegetarian cuisine. This is my favourite cookbook in my kitchen. I like to pick it up, find a recipe at random and then follow the authors suggestions for constructing a menu from other recipes in the book. I've never had any trouble finding the ingredients and have cooked several meals for entertaining friends and they've always been a hit. The annecdotal stories and background in ingredients is rather fun. My only criticism is the world is a little lopsided on the side of India in this definition of *world* vegetarian. I can't wait for my next opportunity to cook a feast from this book. Divided into sections on beans, grains, and vegetables, and including chapters on vegetables, soups, salads, and sauces, among other topics, the book brilliantly juxtaposes recipes grouped by ingredient to reveal, finally, the way that ingredient is approached globally to make food. Thus, for example, Jaffrey's section on rice offers Persian Pilaf with Lima Beans, Palestinian Rice with Lentils and Browned Onions, and Risotto with Fried Porcini Mushrooms, among other pitch-perfect dish choices in this and other chapters. Less familiar ingredients like spelt, millet, and soybeans are removed from the realm of dubious interest and presented in compelling recipes, such as Spicy Soybean Patties with Mint. Throughout, Jaffrey provides definitive notes on ingredients (her full investigation of couscous types is one of many examples) and techniques, as well as a truly comprehensive glossary. Jaffrey also offers a small but charming section on drinks; her Fresh Lime and Ginger Syrup from India, to be mixed with ice and soda water, is a simple but marvelous summertime treat, and one more example of Jaffrey at excitingly full throttle. A ten-page section of color photos rounds out this expert collection. Madhur Jaffrey's Step-by-Step Cooking: Over 150 Dishes from India and the Far East, Including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia I have used Madhur Jaffrey's other cookbooks with great success. I found that without exception her recipes are foolproof and absolutely delicious. I love the layout of the step-by-step cookbook. Typical of Madhur Jaffrey, she uses no-frills ingredients to great effect and the suggested menus in the back actually look doable. This cookbook is inspiring thanks to the huge color photographs covering almost every other page. I review all new cookbooks from my local library -- religiously -- and this is the only one that I simply had to own. The tantalizing recipes represent the broad spectrum of flavors and cooking techniques found throughout Asia. Hot, sweet, salty, and sour burst in popular dishes like Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup, and the intense flavors of fresh herbs shine in dishes like Vietnamese Aromatic and Spicy Beef Stew. Chicken may be poached, shredded, and tossed with a spicy sesame sauce for Bon Bon Chicken in Hong Kong; sautéed with bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and black beans in Malaysia; or smothered with a heady spice paste of chilies, shallots, and turmeric, and roasted whole wrapped in banana leaves in Indonesia. SANJEEV KAPOOR Khazana of Indian Recipes Sanjeev Kapoor, host of the popular TV show 'Khana Khazana', now brings his priceless khazana of Indian recipes straight into your kitchen. In this book, the Master Chef has laid a feast of traditional and exotic Indian recipes. This is an excellent cookbook that I have been waiting for a long time. It has the most delicious, mouth-watering Indian recipes and written in a manner that makes cooking simple and easy. This is a must-use tool for any man or woman who hopes to win over the heart through the stomach. HOME     NEXT    saslekh@yahoo.com