Burma: Rivers of Flavor Author: Naomi Duguid | Language: English | ISBN:
B00D7PDDAE | Format: EPUB
Burma: Rivers of Flavor Description
Winner, IACP Cookbook Award for Culinary Travel (2013)
Naomi Duguid’s heralded cookbooks have always transcended the category to become “something larger and more important” (Los Angeles Times). Each in its own way is “a breakthrough book . . . a major contribution” (The New York Times). And as Burma opens up after a half century of seclusion, who better than Duguid—the esteemed author of Hot Sour Salty Sweet—to introduce the country and its food and flavors to the West.
Located at the crossroads between China, India, and the nations of Southeast Asia, Burma has long been a land that absorbed outside influences into its everyday life, from the Buddhist religion to foodstuffs like the potato. In the process, the people of the country now known as Myanmar have developed a rich, complex cuisine that mekes inventive use of easily available ingredients to create exciting flavor combinations.
Salads are one of the best entry points into the glories of this cuisine, with sparkling flavors—crispy fried shallots, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a dash of garlic oil, a pinch of turmeric, some crunchy roast peanuts—balanced with a light hand. The salad tradition is flexible; Burmese cooks transform all kinds of foods into salads, from chicken and roasted eggplant to spinach and tomato. And the enticing Tea-Leaf Salad is a signature dish in central Burma and in the eastern hills that are home to the Shan people.
Mohinga, a delicious blend of rice noodles and fish broth, adds up to comfort food at its best. Wherever you go in Burma, you get a slightly different version because, as Duguid explains, each region layers its own touches into the dish.
Tasty sauces, chutneys, and relishes—essential elements of Burmese cuisine—will become mainstays in your kitchen, as will a chicken roasted with potatoes, turmeric, and lemongrass; a seafood noodle stir-fry with shrimp and mussels; Shan khaut swei, an astonishing noodle dish made with pea tendrils and pork; a hearty chicken-rice soup seasoned with ginger and soy sauce; and a breathtakingly simple dessert composed of just sticky rice, coconut, and palm sugar.
Interspersed throughout the 125 recipes are intriguing tales from the author’s many trips to this fascinating but little-known land. One such captivating essay shows how Burmese women adorn themselves with thanaka, a white paste used to protect and decorate the skin. Buddhism is a central fact of Burmese life: we meet barefoot monks on their morning quest for alms, as well as nuns with shaved heads; and Duguid takes us on tours of Shwedagon, the amazingly grand temple complex on a hill in Rangoon, the former capital. She takes boats up Burma’s huge rivers, highways to places inaccessible by road; spends time in village markets and home kitchens; and takes us to the farthest reaches of the country, along the way introducing us to the fascinating people she encounters on her travels.
The best way to learn about an unfamiliar culture is through its food, and in Burma: Rivers of Flavor, readers will be transfixed by the splendors of an ancient and wonderful country, untouched by the outside world for generations, whose simple recipes delight and satisfy and whose people are among the most gracious on earth.
- File Size: 24811 KB
- Print Length: 384 pages
- Publisher: Artisan (September 25, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00D7PDDAE
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,810 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #3
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Pacific Rim - #14
in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Asian Cooking > Pacific Rim
- #3
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Pacific Rim - #14
in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Asian Cooking > Pacific Rim
I loved what another reviewer said earlier: "Buy shallots." Yes! And you'll be so glad that you did!
First, it's worth noting that this book is gorgeous. Everything about the design--the layout, the photography, the fonts, everything--is just visually stunning and inspiring. It's almost worthy of being a coffee-table travel book. However, that description alone doesn't do the book justice because the recipes are amazing. Granted, I've tried only four of the recipes so far, but every single one is a winner so far. I'll be sure to add a comment to this review if I later try a recipe that isn't great.
I'm a vegetarian. This is not a vegetarian cookbook. However, I really appreciate that the author provided vegetarian options and suggestions wherever possible. Thank you!
What I've made so far:
* Paneer in Tomato Sauce: SO GOOD. I cannot believe how tasty this is. The recipe calls for paneer, but I instead used extra-firm tofu that I pressed the heck out of first. Even my omnivorous husband agreed that this was one of the best tofu dishes I've ever made for him. We both can't wait to eat this again.
* Perfumed Coconut Rice: Quite possibly the most delicious rice I've ever made at home. YUM. I will come back to this recipe again and again, I'm sure.
* Shallot Lime Chutney: Beautiful, light, and vibrant. A clean, bright accompaniment to the heavier main dishes. Next time, I will make this spicier than the recipe called for.
* Semolina Cake: I was surprised by how much this cake really did taste like halvah, even though it contains no sesame. It was unusual and delicious.
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