I am someone who enjoys reading introductions, acknowledgements, reader's pages & etc, but I was somewhat put off by the intro for "Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes" by Peter Meehan. However, the content overcame any confusion created by the introduction. While the book is a somewhat rambling and random collection of recipes and food ideas, it is actually quite varied and informative in its offerings. The format and photography in the book are reminiscent of older cookbooks from the 80's and further back, which is fine by me since I still value and collect those books. Peter Meehan states that "101 is a project where simple and flavorful recipes could be published with the home cook in mind". Many of the Asian dishes that I prefer are fried, but there is a "no frying" rule for these recipes. The "pantry" section is well-stocked and useful. The collection of sides, soups, and main dishes is expansive. Desserts are ultra-simple: either unadorned fresh oranges or "Egg Custard Tarts". "Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes" gives you advice on how to fill your pantry shelves and how to prepare delicious dishes through three levels: Basic, Intermediate, and Champion. What tasty fun while you work your way up to the championship top shelf. LUCKY PEACH is a New York Times bestselling quarterly journal of food and writing that has won multiple James Beard Awards. Each issue focuses on a single theme, exploring it through essays, art, photography, and recipes. PETER MEEHAN is the editor and co-founder of Lucky Peach. A former columnist for the New York Times, he is also the coauthor of numerous cookbooks. He resides in Manhattan with his wife and their two daughters.

Book Copy Gratis Clarkson Potter Publishers via Blogging for Books ( )

I picked this book up from the library a week or two ago. I've only made one recipe out of it so far, the cumin lamb, and it was awesome. Took me right back to western China. I will probably be trying more of these in the near future. ( )

Basic and 100% inauthentic as the back cover proudly mentions the recipes are nevertheless very tasty and they offer many new ways of preparing things. Recommended. ( )