Here are few great reads to recommend if you would like to begin reading cookbooks for pleasure. “A Mediterranean Feast” by food historian Clifford Wright will give you great background on foods you may think you know. “Marcella Says…” by Marcella Hazan is like taking an informal cooking class with the great master.
Diana Kennedy’s “The Art of Mexican Cooking” was my first exposure to authentic Mexican cuisine. “Hot Sour Salty Sweet” by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid told me the stories of Southeast Asia recipe-by-recipe.
“The New Portuguese Table” by David Leite gave me updated insights to a food culture I only knew from a Rhode Island Portuguese immigrant population, while “Dishing up Maine” by Brooke Dojny taught me more about the culinary roots of an often visited state.
“Pok Pok” by chef Andy Ricker is in my ebook collection. That makes it handy when I visit a Thai restaurant and want to remember details of some tidbit he taught me about this cuisine in its pages.
If you love food culture, add a few cookbooks to your reading list. They are relaxing and educational. Audition before you buy and add to your collection by borrowing, either in physical or ebook format. And don’t forget Boston’s great used bookstores and library book sales. I check out the cookbook section every time I visit one.
Do you think cool, crisp, and refreshing when you think of Asian food? If not, it’s time to begin exploring the food of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. When dining out, we’ve even surprised some of our dedicated ethnic-food-loving friends when we add a selection of refreshing summer items to our table’s order.
Here's one of our favorite versions of Bun Thit Nuong from Pho Basil. We opted for grilled lemongrass chicken as our protein addition to this lovely noodle salad.
“Salads are such a basic part of eating along the Mekong that they can almost be considered a staple food. They can be as simple as a wedge of parboiled cabbage and a plate of fresh cucumber slices or as elaborate as a mixed array of greens and herbs flavored with a dressing of succulent fried minced pork and a hot-sour-salty fresh dressing …”
Here's the take out version from Pho Basil. However, if you are not near their Back Bay/Symphony location, you can find a food truck take on this dish from Bon Me.
Do you think cool, crisp, and refreshing when you think of Asian food? If not, it’s time to begin exploring the food of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. When dining out, we’ve even surprised some of our dedicated ethnic-food-loving friends when we add a selection of refreshing summer items to our table’s order.
Here's one of our favorite versions of Bun Thit Nuong from Pho Basil. We opted for grilled lemongrass chicken as our protein addition to this lovely noodle salad.
“Salads are such a basic part of eating along the Mekong that they can almost be considered a staple food. They can be as simple as a wedge of parboiled cabbage and a plate of fresh cucumber slices or as elaborate as a mixed array of greens and herbs flavored with a dressing of succulent fried minced pork and a hot-sour-salty fresh dressing …”
Here's the take out version from Pho Basil. However, if you are not near their Back Bay/Symphony location, you can find a food truck take on this dish from Bon Me.
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