At Wickedfood Cooking School, Asian cooking classes are our most popular genre. We get numerous requests for recommendations of good Asian cookbooks.  Below is a list of our most favourite Asian cookbooks.

General Asia

The essential Asian cookbook. Published by Murdoch books, who brought us the Food Of series, this book looks at the colourful Cooking of Asia including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, India and Sri Lanka . It has a really good glossary of the Asian ingredients, with photographs, and the majority of recipes are accompanied by a photograph of the finished dish as well as step-by-step photographs in many instances. Best of all this 300-plus page book sells at under R150, a real bargain.

Neil Perry – Simply Asian. If there’s only one Asian cookbook I could have, this would be it. Neil is a renowned Australian chef and TV personality. In this book he has taken a modern light approach to the cooking and food styles of South East Asia and China, creating recipes that underlie the freshness of the cuisine. Dishes are easy to prepare , have a strong flavour and are big on impact, many supported by delicious mouthwatering photographs.

If you have a passion for Asian cooking, or are looking for a really special birthday present for someone who loves Asian food, then Neil Perry’s latest offering, Balance & Harmony, Asian Food has to be a serious contender. It is nearly 600 pages jam packed with scrumptious recipes of dishes inspired from all over Asia, with a strong leaning towards Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food.

In 2003 Alastair Handy was voted the world’s best food journalist and food photographer at the World Media Food Awards for his book Food and travels – Asia. This stunning book, part travelogue, part recipe book, part photographic essay, documents his travels through India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore and Bali. It documents his quest for the best of home cooking in each of the countries.

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey is an epic culinary journey along rivers, through jungles and around coastlines in South East Asia. Along the way, Rick visits traditional family-run restaurants, street vendors, floating markets, night markets, fishing villages, and the local cinnamon and rice farmers to learn about the authentic food of the Far East, and to sample the delicious spectrum of exotic flavours.

Indian

Madhur Jaffrey’s Ultimate Curry Bible. Regarded by many as the world authority on Indian food Madhur Jaffrey has published numerous books on Indian food. With over 200 mouthwatering recipes , this book looks at the very best curry recipes from India and around the world . Included is a yellow lobster curry from Thailand, lamb shanks in yoghurt from Pakistan, red beef curry from Sri Lanka and South Africa’s very own red bean curry, the basis of bunny chow. Apart from the curries there are also great recipes for soups, breads, chutneys and vegetables, as well as a very extensively-researched section on the history of curries from around the world .

The Food of India – part of The Food Of series, this is a spectacular coffee-table book, full of authentic recipes, each accompanied by a beautiful photograph of the finished dish. If you have even the slightest interest in Indian foods, this is a must-have book.

In Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape: 100 of My Favourite Indian Recipes, Gordon embarks on a culinary journey around India, discovering the breadth and depth of cooking of the country. This new cookbook from him is packed with the best recipes from his travels to India, where he had never been to until now.

Thai

David Thompson – Thai Street Food. David is one of Australia’s foremost chefs, restaurateurs and food writers, and widely acclaimed as the western world’s authority on Thai food. His latest offering, Thai Street Food, takes the reader into the busy food streets of Thailand, with stunning location photography, as well as a wide selection of authentic recipes of this unique cuisine that is amazingly complex, spicy and yet humble.  It translates what Thai vendors produce from rickety carts on the side of  busy thoroughfares.

A Passion for Thai Cooking. At Wickedfood Cooking School we think this is one of the best books on Thai cooking and we have specially imported this book, available from  Wickedfood at R150 each. It is filled with over 100 easy-to-follow, authentic recipes, compiled by Sompon Nabnian, internationally recognized TV chef personality and owner of the Chiang Mai Thai Cooking School.  Any student attending a Thai cooking class or interested in Thai food should have a copy of this book.

The Food of Thailand – part of The Food Of series, see above.

Vietnamese and Laos

Ant egg soup – the adventures of the food tourist in Laos by Natacha Du Pont De Brie – although not strictly a recipe book, this delightful travel adventure looks at Laos from a food perspective. The author recounts her travels, the people she meets, the places she visits and above all, the food she tastes along the way. The book does also contain a number of recipes typical of the region.

Secrets of the Red Lantern is much more than a collection of authentic recipes from successful Vietnamese restaurant Red Lantern, located in Sydney. This book is the honest, difficult story of the Nguyen family as told by daughter Pauline. It documents their escape from Vietnam and eventual resettlement in Australia.

The Songs of Sa Pa: Luke Nguyen returns to his roots, travelling on a personal and culinary tour through Vietnam. He visits his family and friends, and is invited into the homes of local Vietnamese food experts and cooks, to learn more about one of the richest, most diverse cuisines in the world.

China

Kylie Kwong – Recipes and stories – Kylie is an accomplished chef and restaurateur hailing from Sydney, she has worked at some of the city’s top restaurants including Neil Perry’s internationally acclaimed Wockpool and Rockpool. Her style of food, as featured in this book, reflects her Chinese heritage, combined with the wash of Asian influences that are prevalent in Australia. This is real no-fuss stylish cooking at its best.

The Food of China – part of The Food Of series, see above.

Visit - Red Pepper Books – The South African online bookshop, they are able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for, and they deliver to your door.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

SUNNINGHILL – Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

We are delighted that there  seem to be so many aspirant cooks out there. Our first 5 individual classes have all been over subscribed.  Classes over the next few weeks are also filling up fast, so book early to avoid disappointment. Also do not forget that Valentine’s day is only two weeks away,  if you have no plans yet, book for our ever popular cooking class, see below. Hope to see you at one of the classes.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Our February individual cooking class programmes is up on the internet.

Johannesburg Cooking School, Wickedfood runs classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 as this gives everyone hands-on experience  and keeps the class small enough for maximum learning.

• Monday 1 February at 6pm – The tastes of Spain (R370 for the class). An introduction to Spanish cuisine including tortilla Espanola, salt cod fritters, gazpacho, paella, and almond tart.
• Monday 8 February at 6pm – Cookbook of the month – Madhur Jaffrey’s Ultimate Curry Bible (R390pp). Billed as the definitive curry book, by arguably the world authority on Indian food, this book looks at the very best curry recipes from India as well as around the world. Students will learn the secrets of cooking 7 of the most interesting dishes from the book, including chicken-coconut soup, squid in a tomato-chilli sauce, red beef curry, mixed vegetable curry, red bean curry and how to make chapattis.
• Saturday 13 February at 6pm or Sunday 14 February at 4pm – Romantic Valentine’s dinner, easy summer entertaining (R720 per couple). Join the staff at the Cooking School with the love of your life for a Valentine’s dinner with a difference. Not only will you get to enjoy a delicious 4-course dinner, but you will learn the secrets of how to cook it. Included in the price is a welcome glass of sparkling wine, house wine while preparing the food, and some specialist wines, complementing the food, with the meal. Space is limited to 30 students per class, so book early.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Looking for info on food?

The Wickedfood blog took off in a big way in 2009, with lots of questions coming in from our readers.  If you have any  food-related question, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Cookbook of the week

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey is an epic culinary journey along rivers, through jungles and around coastlines in South East Asia. Apart from a wide variety of flavours,  what really stands out in the book is the vast array of mouth- watering curries.  Many of these curries will appeal to vegetarians.  We will definitely be using this book at Wickedfood Cooking School as a reference for some exciting new curry cooking classes we are planning for later in the year. Click Here for more on the book.

Click Here to see Wickedfood Cooking School’s top 10 food-related books for 2009.

Food quote of the week:

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” – Julia Child.

Our favourite ingredient:

Watermelon

An unadorned slice of watermelon may rate as a perfect refreshment the world over, but this versatile melon also lends itself to a surprising number of delicious pairings and prepared dishes, both fresh and cooked.

Traditional Thai and Indian culinary repertoires, for example, include a range of curries that unite cooked watermelon with pungent spices. In Mexico, it’s common to find slices sprinkled with a tangy lime–chilli salt called tajín, which boosts the intensity of the fruit’s sweetness.

In Italy and, increasingly, the United States, chefs drizzle aged balsamic vinegar over watermelon and serve it as a simple first course.

Others wrap chunks of the fruit in thin slices of prosciutto or country ham, in another take on the salty-sweet juxtaposition.

Pickled watermelon rinds emerged in various cuisines in eastern Europe.

Centuries later, Mennonite émigrés from the Ukraine, among others, brought pickled rinds to the States, along with another favourite: watermelon syrup; boiled down with a bit of sugar, the melon’s juice becomes thick and lustrous, perfect for drizzling over pancakes or ice cream.

Oil-rich watermelon seeds are prized in many parts of the world: Nigerians ferment them to make a seasoning called ogiri, and throughout Asia and the Middle East they’re hulled, toasted, and eaten as a snack. In India, as in parts of Africa, the seeds are dried and then ground into a flour for baking.

Watermelon is also puréed and strained to make drinks, like Mexico’s popular agua fresca de sandía, a cooling combination of watermelon, lime juice, sugar, and water.

In the southern African nation of Namibia and in parts of the U.S., watermelon juice is fermented for making watermelon wine, and watermelon beer has become a cult favourite of some American craft brewers.

Click here for a recipe for a delicious watermelon Margarita.

Recipe of the week

Shawkats steamed fish with mustard masala

The Wickedfood Team

Johannesburg Cooking School, Wickedfood runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons s are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients. Great teambuilding ideas.

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey is an epic culinary journey along rivers, through jungles and around coastlines in South East Asia. Along the way, Rick visits traditional family-run restaurants, street vendors, floating markets, night markets, fishing villages, and the local cinnamon and rice farmers to learn about the authentic food of the Far East, and to sample the delicious spectrum of exotic flavours.

With over 150 new recipes and breathtaking on-location photography, this book evokes the magic of bustling markets, exotic locations and exciting flavours. Apart from a wide variety of flavours,  what really stands out in the book is the vast array of mouth watering curries, especially those from Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.  Many of these curries will appeal to vegetarians.  We will definitely be using this book at Wickedfood Cooking School as a reference for some exciting new curry cooking classes we are planning for later in the year.

The trip was also the basis for a new six part to division series, click here to read more about the series.

Our recipient of  the week  – steamed fish with mustard masala comes from this book .

Interested in buying this book? visit - Red Pepper Books – The South African online bookshop, they will be able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey is our cookbook of the week.  It offers a wide variety of mouth watering dishes from Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. If you want more recipes from this book, click here.

4t black mustard seeds
6T mustard oil
75g onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
40g garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
1t  turmeric powder
2t chilli powder
1t  salt
4 x 175g fish steaks hake, gernard, or cob
50g red onion, peeled, thinly sliced
1 green chilli, thinly sliced

1. Place the mustard seeds into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
2. Heat the mustard oil in a small frying pan, then add the onions, garlic, turmeric powder, chilli powder, mustard seed powder and salt. Gently fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions and garlic are softened and slightly browned.
3. Transfer the mixture into a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Spread half of the paste over one side of each fish steak.
4. Tear off four 30cm squares of aluminium foil and place each fish steak, paste side down, into the centre of each piece. Spread the remaining spice paste over each fish steak.
5. Scatter the sliced red onion over the fish and sprinkle over the green chilli. Fold up the foil and crimp the edges to seal and make four parcels. Place the parcels into a steamer, cover and steam for 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through (the fish should be opaque and flake easily when gently pushed at the thickest part).
6. Unwrap each parcel and lift the fish onto warmed serving plates. Spoon over the juices from the parcels and serve.

Serves 4

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Every year from about September the cookbook shelves start filling with a mouthwatering selection of new titles.  This year is no exception, and all of the big names are there.  What is however pleasing,  is the growing number of superbly produced local cookbooks.  In our top ten for this year  we have three contributions from local authors.  What is also interesting this year is the lack of Asian cookbooks on the shelves. During the course of the next few months we will be doing more in depth reviews on our top ten.   The Wickedfood Cooking School top ten cookbooks  for 2009 are as follows (Click on any of the titles will  take you directly to  Red Pepper Books – The friendliest South African online bookshop, they offer great prices on any book you are looking for).

1. Cooked in Africa by Justin Bonello – If you have been watching any of BBC Lifestyle over the past year, you will have come across this quirky South African who has been traveling the length and breadth of the country cooking for friends.   This book is a reflection of some of the destinations, a great boys’ book. Apart from the delicious recipes, it is also full of colloquial tips, and  classic South African recipes (and some modern takes), from koeksisters to babotie . A must for every red blooded South African who loves their food.
2. The Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal – again a recent regular on BBC Lifestyle, this book  demystifies some of  Heston Blumenthal’s dishes from  The Fat Duck restaurant, birthplace of snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream. In the book we  encounter the passion, perfection and weird science behind the man and the restaurant. This is not a book for amateur chefs, but a fascinating insight to the intricacies of some of the dishes, up to four pages for one dish.
3. Jamie’s America by Jamie Oliver – Every year JO managers to bring out a new book.  He bill’s this one as the “ultimate food trip to explore places, ingredients, food culture  and traditions. I wanted to get to the heart of great American food, to get past the junk and super-sized portions …. I found what I was looking for: some of the most diverse and delicious recipes I’ve ever come across! “
4. A farm In My Heart by Emilia le Roux and Francois Smuts – To my mind, one of the best books to come out of South Africa, it is written in a story form, and account of daily life  on the farm with a wide selection of classic farm recipes, home remedies and preserving.
5. The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Grayand  Ruth Rogers – Over the last twenty years, Rose and Ruth have been at the helm of one of the iconic London restaurants, where a variety of the world’s top chefs and TV personalities have cut their teeth, including  Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, both featured here.  This book is Rose and Ruth’s personal interpretation of Italian home recipes, supported by some beautiful photography.
6. Franchhoek Food by Myrna Robins – Franchhoek has more good restaurants than any other town in south Africa, and some of our top chefs live here.  This book features 18 of the Valley’s best chefs, including Matthew Gordon, Rubin Ruffel and Margot Janse. This is haute cuisine cooking, with a touch of  history and some great photography of the finished dishes.
7. The Italian Cookery Course by Kalie Caldesi – you may remember Kalie from the TV series which chronicled the couple’s trip to Tuscany to rediscover Giancarlo’s culinary roots, and set up a cooking school.  In this book she has collated recipes, techniques and ingredients to create a unique compendium of Italian food.The book will guide you through the vast collection of famous recipes and lesser-known regional dishes, with clear instruction on how to replicate them at home. Each chapter contains ‘masterclasses’ on technique, revealing the practical secrets of Italian cooking and giving the reader new confidence in the kitchen.
8. River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall – Hugh  is one of Wickedfood cooking school’s favourite chefs . His vision that all food should be free of pesticides, growth hormones and additives  that gets pumped into our food. Food should be eaten when in season and sourced locally. Hugh shows you how easy it is to make fresh healthy meals daily. To see o full review of the book, click here
9. Far Eastern Odyssey by Rick Stein – An epic culinary journey along rivers, through jungles and around the coastlines of Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Thailand,  Sri Lanka,  Malaysia and Indonesia. Along the way, Rick visits traditional family-run restaurants, street vendors, floating markets, night markets, fishing villages, and the local farmers to learn about the authentic food of the Far East, and to sample the delicious spectrum of exotic flavours.
10. Tender: v. 1: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater – many consider Nigel as one of the top cookbook writers in the world.  With over 400 recipe ideas and many wonderful stories from the cook’s garden, this book  is the definitive guide to cooking with vegetables.

Apart from these great cookery books, there are also some great new books on growing food, sustainability and self sufficiency the best of these include:

1. Grow to live by Pat Featherstone – a local book by the founder of Soil for Life.  It takes you on a journey into the field of organic food, a hands-on, no frills guide for the South African organic food gardener  with expounding pencil drawings and stunning photographs.
2. Fruit and Nuts by Susanna Lyle - an informative and comprehensive guide to growing and using more than 300 species of fruits and nuts. Each entry includes a brief history, detailed description, and authoritative information on propagation, as well as helpful advice about harvesting times and methods, cultivation, pruning, pests and diseases.  Suitable for home gardeners and professionals.
   
3. The new complete book of Self sufficiency by John Seymour – As with all Dorling Kindersley books this one is not only highly informative, but also beautifully produced.  This new edition of an enduring classic from the founding father of modern self-sufficiency, it is still the key reference to living off the land. Covering all the practicals from ploughing fields to milking cows as well as information on how to create an urban organic garden and harness natural energy, this is perfect for anyone aspiring to the self-sufficient lifestyle.
4. A Greener Life by Clarissa Dickson – You may well remember her from the TV series Two Fat Ladies.  This book  is  packed with information on how to live a more natural and self-sufficient life. Clarissa, together with co-author Johnny, explores the relevant issues-from growing your own vegetables to using alternative energies, from keeping livestock to mending your own socks-so that you have the knowledge to start living the good life.