Seafood Sensation (Carol Selva Rajah)

Some cookbooks have a very short life. You look at them, thumb through them, and put them away with the intention to bring the book back out when you need it… which alas hardly ever happens as you tend to forget what’s there. Carol’s Seafood Sensation is different: it’s a book that stays splattered and stained in the kitchen. We all eat more seafood and we have all embraced Asian flavours. Carol combines the two, taking us on a journey from Indonesia to Macau, via Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The book mixes a little history with buying and storage tips and most importantly, shows how to prepare simple, but flavour-intensive authentic meals. Recipes like thee Langat na Hipon (Prawns with Sour Starfruit) might sound alien, but once you try them they become part of your repertoire. My favourite has to be the Kathrika Pahi (Dried Fish and Aubergine) a strongly flavoured dish from South India that shows off the pungency of dried fish with the succulent, almost sensual texture of the eggplant.

ISBN 981-232-545-X Published by Times Editions