Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia

by James Oseland

Overview

The first book to reveal the undiscovered jewels of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Just when you thought you knew everything about Asian food, along comes James Oseland’s Cradle of Flavor. Oseland has spent two decades exploring the foods of the Spice Islands. Few can introduce us to the birthplace of spice as he does. He brings us the Nyonya dishes of Singapore and Malaysia, the fiery specialties of West Sumatra, and the spicy-aromatic stews of Java. Oseland culled his recipes from twenty years of intimate contact with home cooks and diverse markets. He presents them here in easily made, accessible recipes, perfect for today’s home cook. Included is a helpful glossary (illustrated in color in one of the picture sections) of all the ingredients you need to make the dishes and where and how to buy them. With Cradle of Flavor, fans of Javanese Satay, Singaporean Stir-Fried Noodles, and Indonesian curries can finally make them in their own kitchen.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393054774
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	08/17/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

James Oseland’s writing has appeared in Gourmet, Saveur, and Vogue. He has been traveling to Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia for twenty years. He lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

In the past few decades, even mainstream Americans have "widened their palate" to include other cuisines. But, according to chef James Oseland, one region has escaped our notice: the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Oseland now lives in New York City, but he spent 20 years mastering the subtleties of recipes of exotic locales like West Sumatra and Java. Cradle of Flavor introduces Western readers to tasty, accessible, healthy dishes from places so special they seem enchanted.

Oseland, who has lived in Singapore for 20 years, hopes to help people who haven't had the benefit of a trip to West Sumatra or Kuala Lumpur to discover those places' scents and tastes. Oseland devotes close to half the book to explaining ingredients, techniques and eating traditions as well as relating anecdotes from 20 years of roaming the islands and picking up the natives' cooking wisdom. Many ingredients will require special trips to ethnic markets, though Oseland allows for some substitution or omission of difficult-to-find items like fresh galangal or daun salam leaves. The first chapter covers sambals, every meal's essential spicy accompaniment, as well as other small dishes like the fiery Sweet-Sour Cucumber and Carrot Pickle with Turmeric; he follows with slightly more familiar street foods and snacks such as satays and gado-gado, then rice and noodles in all their guises, from simple, heavenly steamed rice to the zingy Malaysian Penang-Style Stir-Fried Kuey Teow Noodles. Oseland's instructions are detailed, and he makes a convincing case that with a little time and care, the best of these complex, interrelated cuisines can be enjoyed thousands of miles from their origin. Maps and color photos not seen by PW. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly