Singaporean food writer Pamelia Chia's PlantAsia is a sumptuous introduction to Asian vegetarian cuisine. Her aim was to draw on the "deep well of knowledge in Asia on vegetable preparations that yield flavorful, satisfying results." Recipes are grouped by cooking technique: raw, steamed/blanched, simmered, fried, deep-fried, charred/grilled, roasted/baked, and sweetened. Novel textures emerge from out-of-the-ordinary processing--for instance, steaming eggplant turns it "custardy tender." Salads, kimchi, and tofu come in numerous varieties. The recipes can be complicated and often involve specialty ingredients, but the assembly instructions are clear.
Interviews with other chefs reflect the broad range of Asian food, from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tibet, Vietnam, and more. Unexpected East-West fusions arise, such as the fig and brie hotteok and Brussels sprouts with grapefruit, yuba, and Japanese pickled ginger (which won over suspicious relatives at a Christmas party). All the plates are visually attractive; many feature bold contrasting colors, like the black sticky rice pudding with sliced mango. These dishes offer an irresistible initiation into the diversity of Asian vegetarian traditions. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck