📖 Overview
Family Recipes from the East by Charmaine Solomon presents traditional recipes from multiple Asian cuisines, with a focus on home cooking and family meals. The book incorporates dishes from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other regions Solomon has connections to through her heritage and travels.
The recipes are accompanied by instructions for making spice blends and explanations of cooking techniques specific to Asian kitchens. Solomon provides context for each dish through stories of her family's culinary traditions and her encounters with local cooks across Asia.
Solomon explores how recipes pass through generations and adapt to new locations while maintaining their cultural essence. Her work reflects the role of food in preserving family bonds and cultural identity across borders and time.
👀 Reviews
There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Charmaine Solomon's overall work:
Readers consistently praise Solomon's detailed explanations of Asian cooking techniques and ingredients in The Complete Asian Cookbook. Many note how her precise instructions helped them successfully cook Asian dishes for the first time.
Readers appreciate:
- Clear ingredient descriptions and substitution options
- Step-by-step techniques that work reliably
- Cultural context and background for each recipe
- Comprehensive coverage of multiple Asian cuisines
Common criticisms:
- Some recipes lack photos
- Print size in newer editions is too small
- Certain ingredients can be hard to source
- Some recipes require significant preparation time
Ratings across platforms:
Amazon: 4.7/5 from 1,200+ reviews
Goodreads: 4.4/5 from 800+ ratings
One reader noted: "Her recipes actually work - unlike many other Asian cookbooks that seem to skip crucial steps." Another mentioned: "I've had this book for 30 years and still use it regularly. The binding is falling apart but the recipes are foolproof."
📚 Similar books
The Complete Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon
This comprehensive guide contains recipes from 15 Asian countries with detailed instructions on ingredients and traditional cooking methods.
Land of Fish and Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop The book presents home-style dishes from the Jiangnan region of China with context about cultural practices and local ingredients.
Thai Food by David Thompson This collection documents the traditional recipes and culinary history of Thailand through research in Thai homes and markets.
The Food of Indonesia by Sri Owen The recipes trace Indonesian cooking from street food to royal cuisine with information about indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques.
Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid The book combines Burmese recipes with photographs and stories gathered through extensive travel across Myanmar's culinary regions.
Land of Fish and Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop The book presents home-style dishes from the Jiangnan region of China with context about cultural practices and local ingredients.
Thai Food by David Thompson This collection documents the traditional recipes and culinary history of Thailand through research in Thai homes and markets.
The Food of Indonesia by Sri Owen The recipes trace Indonesian cooking from street food to royal cuisine with information about indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques.
Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid The book combines Burmese recipes with photographs and stories gathered through extensive travel across Myanmar's culinary regions.
🤔 Interesting facts
🍜 Charmaine Solomon is considered one of Australia's most influential cookbook authors, having introduced Asian cuisine to countless Australian households in the 1970s and 80s.
🌏 The author was born in Sri Lanka and worked as a journalist before becoming a food writer, bringing authentic first-hand knowledge of various Asian cuisines to her work.
📚 The book is part of Solomon's extensive culinary collection, which includes the landmark "The Complete Asian Cookbook" that has sold over a million copies and been translated into multiple languages.
🥘 Family Recipes from the East showcases not just restaurant-style dishes but authentic home cooking methods passed down through generations of Asian families.
🏆 Charmaine Solomon was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2007 for her contributions to the food media industry and promotion of Asian cuisine.