Asian Grilling: 85 Satay, Kebabs, Skewers and Other Asian-Inspired Recipes for Your Barbecue

In her award-winning Cracking the Coconut, Su-Mei Yu offered one of the best introductions to "cooking Thai" we have. Her Asian Grilling moves beyond Thailand to include the mouthwatering satays, kebabs, skewers, and other tempting grilled dishes from that country plus Vietnam, Korea, India, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. With Su-Mei's help, and an outdoor grill, this intensely flavored food is easy to prepare; readers should waste no time in trying any of her 85 recipes, including super versions of more "familiar" fare, like Mongolian-Chinese-Style Lamb Kebabs, as well as "newer" recipes such as Garlic-and-Pepper Shrimp and Kumquats, spicy Myanmar-Style Grilled Duck, and Grilled Scallops with Pineapple-Chile Glaze in Endive.

After providing key technical info (for authentic taste, Su-Mei champions use of the traditional mortar and pestle, though she also endorses the blender with a few procedural adjustments), she then offers her skewer repertoire, which can be matched with zesty dipping sauces and flavorful relishes like Tomato and Chile Sambal or Indonesian Peanut Sauce. Companion chapters, "Wrapped and Grilled" and "Grilled and Wrapped," present alternative versions of traditional case-cooking in dishes like Grilled Marinated Catfish in Banana Leaves and Korean-Style Grilled Beef in Lettuce. Equally tempting are recipes for grilled salads like the feasible-to-fix-after-work Thai-Style Grilled Eggplant Salad; noodle and rice dishes, including Soba Noodles with Grilled Vegetables and Sesame-Ginger Dressing; and grilled desserts, such as Grilled Mangoes with Ginger Syrup. With a separate section on making the required spice blends and pastes, tips on shopping, and color photos throughout, the book opens grilling vistas to those of us inclined to simply throw some hamburger on the barbie again, for want of a better way. The dishes are also just plain fun to prepare. --Arthur Boehm