Taste of Home, A

by: Sam Leong

Singapore : Marshal Cavendish Cuisine 2009, Paperback
ISBN: 978-981-261-783-5

Reviewed by: Jacqueline M. Newman
Winter Volume: 2010 Issue: 17(4) page(s): 23-24

This book, an imprint of Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, has seventy-six recipes in Soups; Fish & Seafood; Meat & Poultry; Vegetables & Bean curd; Rice & Noodles; Snacks & Desserts; and Basic Recipes chapters, each except the Basic Recipes set with a full-page color photograph of its completed dish. The book begins with a Foreword by Wong Ak Yoke, a restaurant critic of the Straits Times.

Subtitled: Home-cooked Chinese Meals for Sharing with Family and Friends, one undertands the author's purpose. The recipes are worth sharing with the world because he is corporate chef/director of kitchens for Tung Luk Group's twenty restaurants in Singapore, Indonesia, China, Japan, and India; and he is a trendsetter of modern Chinese cuisine. His recipes look gorgeous; they taste even better.

Some are simple, modern, and on target for today's health concerns as is the Steamed Crab with Egg White. Others are more classical and complex, including the Four Treasure Pot with Dried Scallops, Fish Maw, Sea Cucumber & Abalone. Matters not, they are easy to follow and sure to please guests and family members. Every one is worth the few steps needed start to finish, as is the one that follows.

Crispy Cod Fillet with Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
1 seven ounce mango, peeled and diced
3 shallots, peeled and minced
10 mint leaves, minced
3 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce
4 seven-ounce cod fillets
1 cup vegetable oil for deep frying
extra sweet chili sauce for those who might want it
Preparation:
1. Mix minced mango, shallots, minced mint leaves, and the sweet chili sauce, and refrigerate, and plan to use it within hours.
2. Cut every fish fillet in half, then make cross-cuts on each of them, but do not cut through, so they will curl up when fried.
3. Heat the oil and deep fry the pieces of fish until brown and crisp.
4. Remove the mango salsa from the refrigerator and put it on a serving plate. Put the fish on top, and serve with a side dish of the extra salsa.

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