Thai Food

This book is almost 700 pages long and goes into detail about every aspect of Thai cooking. I haven't finished reading it yet -- that may be a few years away! -- but I have read enough to see that it is solid and extremely well-informed. This is NOT an amateur effort.For example, one thing that may seem "backwards" to foreigners is the very idea that when you are eating, you are eating RICE. Those other dishes that go with the rice -- the curries, soups and salads that people rave about -- are generically known as "kab khaaw" -- "with rice." The author gets this point absolutely right.Another point of distinction: where other books may mention sticky rice and jasmine rice, this book has a CHAPTER devoted to the history and cultivation of rice.The only downside is that the recipes can be extraordinarily complex and time-consuming, not such a swell idea if you are cooking for one. On the other hand, if you're a member of the royal family, or simply very rich, you can have it all done for you. It's one of the reasons food is getting simpler these days: you have to do it yourself or pay someone else to do it for you. And is it worth working ten hours to enjoy ten minutes of wonderful food?Still, all this says nothing against this book, which is a flat-out masterpiece. And some of the recipes are so tempting that I'll probably give them a go, sooner or later. At the very least, the author has written down true Thai recipes for future generations, and deserves huge credit for that.The photographs are superb as well.For those who only occasionally aspire to the summit, I still recommend Real Thai: The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking for everyday use. This would be for people who actually buy their curry pastes ready-made at the market, rather then whomping them up at home. In any case, if you have these two books, it's very hard to go wrong.Highest possible recommendation!

When I first came across this book in the stores, I have to admit I was highly skeptical about the authenticity of the recipes contained in this book....was it by another Westerner who declared himself an expert on Thai food after one or two short vacations to the country? An Australian restaurateur you say? With an award-winning restaurant in London? Was the award judged by Thai people?Thailand has a rich culinary heritage which has, in part, been shaped by foreign influences. Thai food in turn is a highly complex intermingling of tastes: salty, sour, sweet, spicy and umami (a Japanese term to indentify the 5th 'taste'). Furthermore it is a fairly impenetrable cuisine least of all because of the language barrier and the mysterious ingredients. To top things off this book was written by a non-Thai. That said, my initial concerns turned out to be completely unfounded and I am happy to say that this is one book that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who is serious about real Thai food. Needless to say, the book extends far beyond just Tom Yum Kung and Pad Thai!At the beginning of the book, Thompson gives a brief (but highly informative)introduction to Thailand and its history, religion and regional cuisine which sets the tone for the rest of the book. There is also a whole chapter about the most common cooking techniques as well as ingredients. His recipes are written in a fairly conversational manner, which I really like, and, most importantly, he does not advocate taking shortcuts or making substitutions which the Thais wouldn't normally make/take themselves. Thompson clearly explains in his introduction that his reason for doing this is so that he doesn't compromise his goal of accurately capturing the Thai cuisine. Personally I don't understand the other reviewer's gripes about ingredients being hard to find! Don't bother cooking those recipes then!?! Anyway I digress....the recipes produce highly authentic and tasty results. I have travelled extensively in Thailand and the results I've had with this book match my wonderul dining experiences there.One final point to bear in mind: some recipes are laborious, others less so. However, that is keeping with the true spirit of the Thai cuisine!In short, this is an excellent book well worth the space on your bookshelf. I'll even add that it'll probably become a classic cookbook!

Extensive detail (which I appreciate) and many, many wonderful traditional recipes. Despite it being a couple decades old, it is refreshingly current. Authentic Thai from a celebrated Aussie chef who "accidentally" landed in Bangkok. I understand why this work is considered a "Bible" of Thai cuisine.

I am Thai but I learn so much from reading the book I especially love the in-depth break down of the spices and herbs. It is very unique book fill with exotic recipes I have tried to cook a few recipe and it turn out really well.

The book gives a brief history of Thailand(formerly Siam) and how different foreign influences affected the development of Thai cuisine. Very interesting. The author was taught by older Thai women cooks who rarely followed recipes, but rather went by taste, texture, colour, so the author attempted to dissect what they did and formalize the various nuances.I bought this book to help my Thai daughter-in-law with Thai cooking after her mother goes back to Thailand.

Literalmente es la biblia de la cocina Thai, no tiene demasiadas fotos, pero si muchisima información y recetas bien documentadas.Muy interesante si te gustan los libros de cocina tipo enciclopedia.

This book is a classic. Well researched, extensive background information and full of excellent original recipes.

I love Thai food. A lot of recipes are good. Made soup last week. Tasty. Will be doing the recipes described in the book.

O livro apresenta uma parte histórica, aonde o autor destaca alguns pontos da cultura tailandesa. Também, existe uma parte do livro que fala sobre os utensílios, etc. As receitas estão divididas por tópicos e são em grande número. Só não dei 5 estrelas pois o livro poderia ter um número maior de fotos.