Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Passmore Asia the Beautiful Cookbook has got a good idea: to tap the popularity of Asian noodle shops and bring those bottomless meal-in-a-bowls into American kitchens. She explains how to make the noodles themselves with a pasta machine, or by hand, then moves on to consider stocks and specialties country by country. A glossary smoothes the way for the uncertain, and Passmore also offers general preparation instructions e.g., on how to store noodles. Sidebars adjacent to recipes give additional background, tell stories and pay homage to the quirks of exotic ingredients. Some of the noodle dishes are vegetarian, but not all; some are spicy, others mild; some served hot, and others chilled. In addition to suggesting regional and authentic mainstays, the writer offers her own experiments in a concluding chapter, ``Noodles My Way,'' that mixes different ethnic ingredients in a multicultural celebration. So many cookbooks repeat each other that it's especially refreshing to find one like this that makes headway with a genre that is healthful, varied, toothsome and contemporary. Nov.
Library Journal
Passmore is the author of several books on Asian cooking; this one grew out of the "noodle withdrawal" she suffered upon leaving Hong Kong for the United States. Noodle shops are beginning to appear in many American cities, and for their increasing number of aficionados, here are many of their traditional specialties. Recipes are arranged by country, along with a chapter of vegetarian dishes and another of the author's own favorite concoctions. For most collections.
