Asian Sauces and Marinades

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Mediocrity is hard to achieve in Asian cooking. It is usually either
very good or very bad. Often, the difference between the two is merely
the sauce or marinade the cook used while preparing the meal. This book,
by veteran food/travel writer Wendy Sweetser, reveals the secret of
making 80 different Asian sauces and marinades ranging from old
favorites like plum sauce and teriyaki to exotic fare like Yachaejorim
(soy and ginger glazed pumpkin) and Tak (stir-fried chicken with
shredded omelette). Each recipe is laid out in simple, easy-to-follow
steps. On many pages, Sweetser also includes a sidebar with a cooking
tip or suggested variation on the main recipe. Eighty first-rate color
photographs illustrate the dishes. These not only help the novice chef
understand what the finished product should look like, they have an
irresistible effect on the appetite—a reader can almost hear the
crackle of garlic and scallions hitting hot peanut oil and smell the
heavenly spices. Although the book covers five different national
cuisines (Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese), it is
divided into chapters by cooking technique, not nationality. The main
chapters are “Marinades,” “Stir Fry Sauces,” “Dressings and
Pickling Sauces,” “Dipping Sauces and Relishes,” “Rubs and
Glazes,” “Stews and Braised Dishes,” “Curries,” “Soups,”
“Broths and Stocks,” “Sauces as Accompaniments,” and “Dessert
Sauces.” For readers who do not know a star anise from a Szechwan
pepper, a large illustrated glossary is included.

This fine cookbook is recommended for anyone who has mastered the basic
stir fry and is ready to move on to more authentic and exotic fare. Why
settle for chow mein when you can have Cantonese Duck with Lychees and
Pineapple, Crab with Tamarind Sauce, Vegetable with Chili Peanut
Dressing, or Green Papaya Salad with Pork and Mango?