Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe. This book builds on her breakout debut Indonesian cookbook, Coconut and Sambal, to explore the incredible contrast of sweet, salty, umami, sour and spicy flavours across Asia.

Warm the oil in a wok or wide, shallow pan. Add the ginger, garlic, lemongrass, chillies and spring onions and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until the garlic starts to colour. Take care not to let it burn. Keeping the heat high, introduce the prawns. As they turn opaque and colour slightly add the lime juice, nam pla and sugar. When all is sizzling, add the shredded cabbage, turning the leaves over as they start to darken and wilt. Also included in this cookbook are beautiful, professional photographs of most of the recipes, making it difficult to decide which recipe to prepare next. There are so many good, mouthwatering recipes that cooks who have a taste for Asian dishes will stay busy cooking for months. The first bite of this banana pudding may well result in an exuberant ‘aaah’ moment, such is the beauty of the golden crumb of this magnificent cake. Soy sauce caramel soaks deep inside the banana sponge, adding moisture and soy’s savoury complexity. It’s a dessert worthy of a celebration, and lasts for several days in the fridge, magically reborn in just a few seconds in the microwave (or a few minutes in the oven, covered in foil). Here you'll find inventive brunch ideas like a Tom Yum Bloody Mary, spicy sides like Sambal Patatas Bravas, easy noodles like Cheesy Kimchi Linguine with Gochujang Butter and many more punchy curries, stir-fries and rice recipes from glazed meat to fragrant veg.

Splash of soy

Stir in most of the toasted coconut and cashews, reserving a little of each for garnish, and return the prawns to the pan. Toss everything together. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cashews. A Splash of Soy is full of everyday family recipes you'll love to eat. It is the simplicity and usefulness of soy that this book is named after, an ingredient so impressive it can transform a meal with just a splash.

Sprinkle with the ginger, if using, and leave for 10 minutes to soak up the sauce. Carefully lift the cake out of the tin and cut it into squares. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and an extra drizzle of the remaining Soy Sauce Caramel. Lara Lee is a rising star of the international food scene. This book builds on her breakout debut Indonesian cookbook, Coconut and Sambal, to explore the incredible contrast of sweet, salty, umami, sour and spicy flavours across Asia. This cookbook has the worst structure I have ever encountered. Bizarrely, the ingredients list rarely comes at the beginning of a recipe, but things get worse. For example, this is the sequence for Kimchee Pancakes with Sriracha Bacon: first an introduction (there is one for each recipe), then a list of ingredients for the bacon, then instructions for mixing a dipping sauce, instructions for mixing the pancakes, how to make it vegan (omit bacon and eggs), cooking time, ingredients for the dipping sauce, ingredients for the pancakes, instructions for cooking the pancakes, instructions for cooking the bacon, instructions for cooking eggs (note that the eggs are listed with the pancake ingredients, so it looks like they are part of the batter), assembly instructions. Who has the patience to try to cook from that? Maybe read this book for the descriptions, and then if anything really appeals to you write out the recipe yourself. Make the marinade by mixing the softened butter, miso, 1 tablespoon of the gochujang, garlic, chilli flakes, vinegar and 1 tablespoon honey together in a bowl with a pinch of salt.

Publishers Text

There is an excellent list of suggested pantry items which helps when shopping at an Asian grocery store. Many of the recipes, however, call for ingredients that most already have in or fridge, freezer, or on our pantry shelves. The recipes are preceded by a paragraph or two with information, notes and tips, giving readers insight on the culture connected with the recipes. This is not only helpful, but also fascinating. The cookbook is well-written and the recipes are laid out in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first followed by step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. I like how you can choose how long the cooking time you have for many of the recipes and that some only require a kettle: that would be perfect for university students in residence trying to save money on a food plan. (I know of big eaters that have gone through their entire food plan’s money in a month and still have a long way to go to December…when it’s a card that you swipe, it doesn’t seem like real money until the account is empty and they show up at our library food bank!) For the gooseberry compote, top and tail the gooseberries, then put them into a stainless-steel saucepan with the honey. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the berries are soft and swollen. Written in Lara Lee's signature voice and style, with gorgeous color photographs of her life and her food, A Splash of Soy is the must-have guide to easy, mouthwatering Asian-inspired cooking.