My Asian Dumplings cookbook won't be officially released until August 25, but Publisher's Weekly just issued a review today. Here's what they said:
Andrea Nguyen. Ten Speed, $30 (240p) ISBN 978-1-580-08975-3
Nguyen, author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, celebrates a wide array of dough-wrapped treats from China, Vietnam, Japan, Philippines, India and Korea in this lavishly photographed homage to the not-so-humble dumpling. She divides her treasure trove of recipes by dough type, including filled pastas, thin skins, stuffed buns, rich pastries and more. Japanese pork and shrimp pot stickers, Filipino chicken and egg buns, and spicy potato samosas whet the appetite and show the diversity of the offerings she provides. Line drawings highlight shaping techniques to make half-moons, pea pods, crescents and footballs. Nguyen includes recipes for making dough and wrappers from scratch, including rice sheet batter, wheat starch dough and basic dough, among others. She also showcases dessert dumplings such as fried banana spring rolls, and milk dumplings in cardamom and saffron syrup. Sections on sauces, seasoning and stocks, key ingredients and essential equipment round out a superb collection. This alluring and attractive book will appeal to a wide audience of home cooks and trained chefs. 75 full-color photos.
What is Publisher's Weekly? A weekly trade news magazine whose audience includes publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Publisher's Weekly has been in existence for 137 years -- since 1872.
I'm particularly jazzed about the Publisher's Weekly comment that the book is for both home cooks and trained chefs. Last week, Pim of Chezpim.com and internationally acclaimed Chef David Kinch of Manresa Restaurant came over for dinner and we made onde onde, a Southeast Asian sticky rice dumpling filled with oozy palm sugar. They had lots of fun and got a sneak peek of the book too, peppering me with questions. Pim was delighted to see Thai dumplings in the recipe collection. At one point, David said to Pim, "We're going to use this at the restaurant. Do you have this book yet?" Their enthusiasm was music to my ears. What more can a cookbook author ask for?
GO ANDREA!! Asian Dumplings is going to be a huge success!
Posted by: Gastronomer | 07/20/2009 at 11:09 AM
I need to reserve this now, especially since you mentioned onde onde, sticky rice dumplings. Ohhhh! I have such a soft spot for sticky rice . . . !
Posted by: Tangled Noodle | 07/20/2009 at 11:37 AM
Thanks, you two!!!
Posted by: Andrea Nguyen | 07/20/2009 at 05:29 PM
Congrats, I can't wait for my review copy to arrive!
I think onde-onde is Malaysian, but am not surprise if other SEA countries also have similar offerings, but it might be called something different? Do you know?
Posted by: Rasa Malaysia | 07/20/2009 at 07:58 PM
Congrats Andrea! Can't wait to see it.
BTWW, onde onde is Indonesian as well as a nonya kueh.
Posted by: pat | 07/20/2009 at 08:24 PM
Yep, Bee and Pat, onde onde are found on the Malay Peninsula so that includes Malaysia and Singapore. In Indonesia, they're called klepon. Pim said that the Thai made a similar sweet filled with coconut and sugar. Funny thing is that they're not a Viet thing, though I've seen ones in San Fran Chinese markets that are made by a Vietnamese catering company in Oakland. Go figure!
Posted by: Andrea Nguyen | 07/21/2009 at 10:52 AM
Definitely Nyonya. I ate a lot of onde-onde growing up because my late grandmother was a Nyonya, and a kuih maker! Love it that the palm sugar drips out when they are hot!
Posted by: Bee | 07/21/2009 at 09:16 PM
Funny, Bee. I don't care for American hot dogs or sausages that squirt out cheese, but an Asian dumpling filled with molten palm sugar -- well, bring it on, baby!
Posted by: Andrea Nguyen | 07/22/2009 at 07:32 AM
Can't wait to check out the book, it sounds amazing and I can only imagine what an education it will be based upon what I have already learned by following your site.
Posted by: OysterCulture | 07/22/2009 at 10:30 AM
SO EXCITING!
Posted by: chris | 07/23/2009 at 08:14 PM
My favorite Nyonya dessert is onde onde! Will you make it for me if/when we come by? Oh man, I recently tried to make this dessert quite unsuccessfully so I will have to try again with your recipe! Can't wait to get the book. Hope to find it in Malaysia.
Posted by: annie | 07/23/2009 at 10:57 PM
I can't wait. And while they may not compete with internationally acclaimed chefs, my 7-year-old and 2-year-old are your biggest fans!
Posted by: Mary | 08/04/2009 at 09:16 PM