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The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen

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Author: Christina Arokiasamy
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$29.95~~
Buy New: $17.77
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Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

11 reviews
Sales Rank: 11158

Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 6.7 x 0.9

ISBN: 0307396282
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.6383
EAN: 9780307396280
ASIN: 0307396282

Publication Date: August 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
It was the aroma. The exotic scent of spices: rich, alluring, and almost magical. A scent that would sometimes overpower the freshness in the air and sometimes subtly mingle with it to create a tantalizing bouquet. A scent that would always bring me back to my childhood.

Growing up enveloped in the aromas of her mother’s spice stall in Kuala Lumpur, Christina Arokiasamy developed an artist’s sense of how to combine and use spices in traditional and innovative ways. In The Spice Merchant’s Daughter, she shares her family’s spice secrets, expertly guiding and enticing home cooks to enliven their repertoires.

Christina weaves evocative stories of cooking at her mother’s side with real-world practical advice gleaned not only from working in professional kitchens but also from tackling the nightly task of getting a home-cooked dinner on the table for her family of four using American ingredients. She shows how easy it is to build layers of complex flavor to create 100 tempting Southeast Asian–inspired recipes, including Lemon Pepper Wings, Spicy Beef Salad, Steamed Snapper with Tamarind-Ginger Sauce, Cardamom Butter Rice with Sultanas, and Coconut Flan Infused with Star Anise. She unlocks the transformative power of homemade spice rubs, curry pastes, and sauces, as well as chutneys and pickles, enabling home cooks to bring new depth and dimension to their favorite dishes.

With lush photography and a chapter identifying and defining key pantry ingredients and aromatics, The Spice Merchant’s Daughter both inspires and empowers, awakening the senses and unlocking the alluring world of spices.

Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

The Spice Merchant's Daughter November 25, 2008
Kate Runyan (Santa Monica, CA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a very unique book, and it should be part of every serious cook's library. The book is loaded with wonderful recipes that my husband and I love.

5 out of 5 stars

I do not know the author nor have taken her cooking class. October 20, 2008
kiwanissandy (Heart of Ohio)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

If you notice the other reviews I think they all know the author personally or have taken her cooking classes at some point. Most of them have only written one review for Amazon and that being this book. A couple of them have written 2 so that leads me to believe that the other reviews while well meaning aren't necessarily unbiased. I would like to offer that review as I do not know the author, have never taken a cooking class nor have been paid by her to review the book.

This is it.

I enjoyed reading the book. While it is a cookbook it is also almost a diary. I enjoyed the first chapter where the author describes her childhood and growing enchantment with spices. I too have a similar memory but in rural Kentucky our smells were fat back and chitlins. Everyone remembers their own sweet smells from childhood. Ms. Arokiasamy does a wonderful job of leading us to hers.

One of my pet peeves is people describing most asian cooking as Thai cooking when in fact it is not. And the author knows that and shows us the differences between broad southeast asian cooking and its traditions. The author suggests introducing these spices slowly so that your family will become accustomed to their taste. I think I've heard you need to expose a child 10 times to a new food before they can truly decide if they like it or not.

She as many recipes for making your own spice blends and suggests adding the spice at the beginning of the cooking process if you want it milder in flavor and at the end if you want it strong. Helpful information to know about any spices.

There are recipes for curry powder, garam masala, fiery curry powder, lemon pepper rub, steak and chop rub. The steak and chop rub was delish. I used it over t-bones and the whole family loved it, even the kids. It was not too harsh and added a different flair. I made mine with Worcestershire but you could use soy as well.

The official review by Amazon included words like luscious photography...that is not so. The book is printed on recycled paper so the pictures look like they've been printed on recycled matte paper. They are not beautiful and not really appealing. There are only a few pictures anyway so it doesn't really add anything.

I would have liked more white space in the book to add my own notes and my own takes on the different spice combinations. But I can still do that if I want.

I hope this provided an unbiased review of the book if you were considering getting it I would suggest you do so. And if I'm ever in the Pacific Northwest I'll have to make a point of meeting Ms. Arokiasamy and taking one of her cooking classes.

5 out of 5 stars

The spice merchants daughter- an amazing cookbook October 17, 2008
B. Pollard
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This is a world class cookbook. It is sure to be a favorite used regularly. A culinary treasure and a guaranteed heirloom. The recipes are easy to follow and the flavors are out of this world. My family and I can't get enough of such wonderful food. I have made many of the recipes. One night my husband and I suggested we go to an Asian restaurant. My children said they did not want to go out to dinner because Mom can make better food at home. Many thanks to Author Christina Arokiasamy for sharing.

5 out of 5 stars

Love it! October 14, 2008
C. L. Service (Pearl City, HI USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book is great!

After YEARS of trying to find the perfect Malaysian curry powder, I now make my own, thanks to Christina's curry powder recipe. Can't wait to try more and I wish I lived close enough to attend one (or more) of her cooking classes.

5 out of 5 stars

The interesting stories added intensity to the recipes September 13, 2008
Francis SB
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

An excellent and wonderfull cookbook! I really enjoyed the stories associated with the recipes. As the recipes involved some spices which I had not used before, I was initially a bit sceptical but was pleasantly amazed on how fantastic the food turned out. My favorites recipes were the chicken and tender beef curry as well as the meatballs wrapped in Lettuce which were simply mouth watering. Christina has made the art of cooking with spices a delight to the senses.

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