DiamondDave's Full Review: Ming Tsai et al - Blue Ginger: East Meets West Coo...
(A little note here; I have reservations to eat at Blue Ginger on April 4th 2000, so after I've experienced that, I'll probably add a restaurant opinion to this book opinion here, since Blue Ginger isn't available to be rated in the restaurants section. I am so jazzed to eat there, as I've been eagerly awaiting this since before the restaurant even opened.)
If you've seen Ming Tsai on TV Food Network, you're probably already a fan of his East Meets West school of cooking. It always amazes me, some of the combinations he puts together, and how exciting and appealing they sound. The mark of truly great chef is one who can combine ingredients that common sense would dictate never be used in the same dish, and the result being a flash of synergistic brilliance. Ming Tsai is that kind of chef. This book lets you capture a bit of that energy in your own kitchen, impress your friends, and more importantly, impress yourself.
The book, which is visually very appealing throughout, starts with the East Meets West pantry, and explains the ingredients you may need for his dishes. I found this section informative and very enjoyable reading.
The chapters that follow are: Soups, Dim Sum, Rice and Noodles, Seafood, Birds, Meat, Over the Top, Sides, "Oils, Dips and Seasonings," and Desserts. The book is completed with mail order sources (for those of who whose corner grocery store doesn't carry konbu or truffles,) and an index. The chapters give great overview on the topic, and often step by step directions to tricky things like rolling your own maki sushi rolls.
The hard part may be deciding where to start. After perusing the many color photos, you're going to want to try everything. Its pretty safe to say that you can't go wrong, wherever you start. Plus, the more you make, the more you're going to want to try other things in the book, so be prepared to be on an East/West kick for a while
This first cookbook by Ming Tsai is very impressive. It's educational, informative, and fun. Thanks to Ming Tsai, someday children will ask old people if there really was a time when "East Meets West" wasn't a common type of cuisine.
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