Asian Ingredients: A Guide to the Foodstuffs of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam

First published in 1988, Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients was immediately hailed as one of the most comprehensive and fascinating books on Asian foodstuffs ever written. Now fully revised and updated, Asian Ingredients offers a wealth of information on identifying and using the often unfamiliar ingredients in traditional bottled condiments. This book's clear black-and-white photographs make it easy to identify ingredients in your local supermarkets or Asian grocery, while Cost's carefully researched notes explain how to select, store, and cook with these wonderful foods. Cost also includes more than 130 simple recipes for sumptuous Asian specialties. Cooks can create the dramatic flavors of China, Japan, and southeast Asia in their own kitchens with this indispensable resource. 

Bruce Cost is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading experts on Asian cooking. An award-winning restaurateur and chef, acclaimed cooking teacher, and former food columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, Cost is now a culinary partner in Big Bowl Restaurants, the Chicago-based chain renowned for its innovative pan-Asian food. He is the author of two other books, Ginger East to West and Big Bowl Noodles and Rice, a new collection of recipes from the restaurant.