BOOK REVIEW

A new cookbook that includes recipes based on the New Asian Food Pyramid to launch in February 2006

New Asian Cuisine Fabulous Recipes from Celebrity Chefs

ew Asian Cuisine; Fabulous Recipes from Celebrity Chefs , a new cookbook featuring more than 200 recipes from over 100 celebrity chefs, Asian and non-Asian, will feature the Asian version of the new USFA food pyramid that presents the food groups with Asian ingredients. Recipes that follow the new food pyramid guidelines in the book are labeled with the pyramid logo. Participating celebrity chefs from around the world include Nobu Matsuhisa, MingTsai, Martin Yan, Norman Van Aken, Roy Yamaguchi, Ian Chalermkittichai, Anita Lo, Todd English, Sanjeev Kapoor ( India ), Tseng Hsiu-pao (Taiwan), Carol Selva Rajah (Sydney), Paul Rankin (Ireland), Pauline Loh (Singapore), Kwong Wai Keung ( Hongkong ), An JungHyun (korea), Didier Corlou (Vietnam), Mri Fuji (Japan), Susur Lee (Canada) as well as members of the Asian Chefs Association. The cookbook will be available for purchase this winter. The foods listed within each pyramid are representative of the common foods found in the local markets and eaten daily by the

Cuisine is published by International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, a nonprofit organization of food, wine and travel writers, established in 1956, and was edited by Vice President and Culinary Division Director, Andrea Rademan. The new food pyramid reflects the suggested proportions for the five food groups to achieve a healthy, balanced diet, but most people cannot translate the guidelines into practical everyday use, said Lillian Africano, provides lovers of Asian cuisine with recipes that follow the new food pyramid guidelines, as well as signature recipes from our celebrity chefs. An important book on a fascinating subject said Anthony Bourdain , Bestselling author and chef. Traveling and eating through Asia has been my greatest joy- and anyone who can do the same should. Reading this book first would be a great idea. New Asian Cuisine will be available nationally for $14.95 early February 2006. call 1-800-431-1579 for advanced orders. For more information, please go to www. newasiancuisine.com or contact info@ savoryproductions.com

people of that locale, said Professor Michael Pardus , Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), The Culinary Institute of America. Commentaries from award winning cookbook author, Joyce Jue , include descriptions of Asian dining traditions as well as the healthful benefits of Asian teas, produce, sake, soy and grains. This is the first cookbook produced and conceptualized by Savory Productions, Inc., a food, beverage and travel. New Asian

A-R-N.net

February 2006

Asian Restaurant News 21

BOOK REVIEW

About Savory Productions, Inc

NEW ASIAN CUISINE FACT SHEET
TITLE COST New Asian Cuisine; Fabulous Recipes from Celebrity Chefs $14.95

CREATED & PRODUCED BY Wendy Chan & Grace Niwa Principals, Savory Productions, Inc. COMMENTARIES BY EDITED BY CHEFS Joyce Jue, award winning cookbook author Andrea Rademan, Vice-President, IFW&TWA Over 100 celebrity chefs, Asian and non-Asian from the U.S., India, Taiwan, Vietnam, Sydney, Ireland, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Canada

RECIPES

Over 200 recipes featuring an Asian version of the new USDA food pyramid that presents the food groups with Asian ingredients and recipes, labeled with the food pyramid logo, that follow the new food pyramid guidelines. www.newasiancuisine.com
Culinary Division, International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFW&TWA) www.ifwtwa.org Michael Pardus, Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), The Culinary Institute of America Asian Chefs Association (ACA) www.acasf.com H Mart Nestle Phillips Foods Inc. Roxy Trading South East Produce, Ltd. (USA) Vasinee Food Corp Zespri International

Based in New York, Savory Productions, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary production company, established in 2005 by Wendy Chan and Grace E. Niwa in the areas of food, beverage and travel. The company is focused on strategic marketing campaigns for brands tied to both image building and sales goals, high profile events and launches, publicity programs, innovative and quality content productions, including book-publishing projects, websites, events, culinary tours, and audio/visual programs for television as well as other broadcast channels. About the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association In 1956, a group of professional food, wine and travel writers founded the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) in Paris to critique restaurants, wines and hotels in France. The IFWTWAs headquarters was moved to the United States in 1981 and by 1991 had grown to include writers, authors, photographers and broadcasters (domestic and international). Members cover a broad spectrum of travel attractions, as well as food A and wine related themes.

WEBSITE
PUBLISHER

CULINARY CONSULTANT PRESENTING PARTNER SPONSORS

A-R-N.net

February 2006

Asian Restaurant News 23

On the Cover

On the Menu - Award-Wining Dessert Recipe by Chef Pichet Ong

Almond Tofu with Kiwi in Rock Sugar Syrup

Sweet Dates

Pichet Ong, P*ONG New York, NY

Almond Tofu Base 1 tablespoon gelatin powder 1 cup almond milk 1 cup soymilk cup sugar 1 teaspoon almond oil pinch of salt Kiwi in Rock Sugar Syrup 4 ripe kiwis cup Chinese yellow rock sugar (2 ounces) cup water Sprinkle gelatin over almond milk in a large cup and let sit for a minute. In the meantime, bring soymilk and sugar to a scald in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin and almond milk mixture. Add almond extract and stir to blend. Pour into 8 glasses or molds and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours. Bring sugar and water to a boil. Let sit until all the sugar melts. In the meantime, peel and cut kiwis in half. Cut each half into 4 wedges and place in a bowl. Pour the sugar syrup mixture onto the kiwis and refrigerate the mixture completely before use. Assembly For each portion, serve almond tofu with 4 pieces of kiwi and about 4 tablespoons of syrup. Serves 8

The Secret Ingredient for Desserts

ates have a natural sweetness and smooth richness that makes them a great fit for desserts. Their mild but distinctive flavor lends itself to sweet and savory formulations, strengthening and complementing other ingredients. Dates go well with many other fruits, and are compatible in compotes, salads, and desserts. Dates are high in fiber, and contain no fat, cholesterol or sodiumthey help to build a healthful profile demanded by todays consumer. Due to their natural sugars dates are perfect for desserts and baked goods and allow a reduction in added sugar to make healthier dessert items. Dates are available year-round in a variety of convenient forms, and provide a flavor and texture that chefs find culinary inspiration in no other ingredients. Pictured on the cover is a side dish of simmered dates with chestnuts, tossed in a light honey syrup. The dish could also make a simple and healthy item on your restaurants dessert menu for the Valentines Day. Punching a name for the dish would be more fun -- Sweet Dates or Double Dates with Nuts. For more dates recipes, visit http://www.datesaregreat.com. A

24 Asian Restaurant News February 2006

A-R-N.net

Interview with Award-Wining Dessert Chef Pichet Ong

Interview with Dessert Chef - Pichet Ong

Named as one of the2005 Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America, Pichet Ong is well known for his innovative and delicious desserts that are both appealing to the eyes and the palate. Also an architect, Pichet Ong embraces authentic flavors of Asian ingredients into his exotic creations.
NAC (New Asian Cuisine): How would you describe your approach from architecture to cooking? Has your degree in Architecture helped you in your present career?
Chef Ong: I come from a family where education is very important. My father always used to say, You can do anything as long as you have a degree. Though I had a passion for cooking, going to school for a Masters in Architecture made more sense to me than going to Culinary school. The way I see it, a lot of what you do, you learn it from your job. Its obvious that there arent a lot of similarities between architecture and cooking but the concept of the creative process is very much complementary. Being an architect requires creativity and focus on context of design and construction; on the same hand, being a chef requires creativity and focus on context as to who and what you are serving. I learned the fundamentals of cooking from my mother and aunt as I grew up in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. I like food, I like eating a lot, and I wanted to make it my world, so finally, I ventured into cooking. I think education is really important. When I studied at Brandeis University in Boston, I had Mathematics and English literature as my major courses. I always felt Mathematics was my ticket to getting good grades- it just came to me! I dont think I have applied anything directly to cooking but the concept of Mathematics, English literature, and Architecture has helped me in more ways than I know.

Sweet Success:

NAC: How did you enter the world of desserts? And what inspires you to create your desserts?
I love dessert. It is always my favorite part of a meal. I started my cooking career with desserts. Later, I moved on to cook savory foods, pasta, salads, meat and fish. I am back to dessert-making now. I was sick of the smell of meat and fish; Dessert making is a lot better! Basically, its a professional choice and I see a lot of potential in incorporating interesting Asian ingredients into American desserts. The seasonal produce is the biggest inspiration when I create my desserts. I start off with the seasonal produce and I create a recipe around it.

NAC: So, what do you think is the most popular dessert of your creations?
Kulfi (Indian Ice cream) with Ovaltine is really popular and is also one of my favorites. I was allergic to milk when I was younger, so the only thing that I had for an alternative was Ovaltine. I really like the flavor and now I enjoy it with Kulfi.

NAC: Tell us about the restaurants you have worked in and how it has honed in your skills?
After working as an architect for a couple of years, I have worked for a variety of cuisines and restaurants, a majority of them are French based. I began working at local bakeries and restaurants in the Bay Area, including Chez Panisse. I served as pastry chef at La Folie, where I also ventured into savory cooking. I also worked in the kitchens of Olives in Boston

A-R-N.net

February 2006

Asian Restaurant News 25

Award-Wining Dessert Recipe by Chef Pichet Ong

and Jean Georges in New York City. I work in many seafood restaurants in New York. As a chef, I have gained a lot of fame and notoriety at the same time. Ive had a lot of people come for Asian flavors like Thai juice and also get a lot of people whove never tried Asian flavors. Many Asians who come in enjoy the desserts as they get a taste similar to that at home. Reviews have been tremendously good, but some are skeptical as they dont believe theres anything like Asian desserts!

NAC: Weve been told you help organizations that help AIDS victims? Can you tell me a bit about this?
I joined Project Open Hand in San Francisco in the early 90s. I had friends who were AIDS victims, so I had an attachment to the project. I volunteered and got my first job as a cook. I was in charge of cooking special meals for dietary restricted meals as well as Asian meals.

NAC: Can you tell us why and how you started your monthly dinner gathering of pastry chef community, "Pastry Chefs Night out"?
These gatherings are more like a social gettogether than a business meeting. I wanted to open up a network to know and build up relations with pastry chefs. There arent a lot of pastry chefs and this dinner gathering creates an open forum for pastry chefs to make friends, discuss problems and enjoy each others company.

Sesame Balls
Pichet Ong, P*ONG New York, NY
Sesame Ball Dough 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 5 1/4 ounces of taro, generously peeled and cut into inch slices crosswise one 1-pound bag glutinous rice flour grapeseed, corn, or canola oil for deep-frying 1 cup white sesame seeds Date Filling 1 pound dried dates cup maltose sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt To prepare date filling, puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping bowl as necessary. Refrigerate until use. Put the sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix well and set aside. Prepare a steamer with the water at a rolling boil. Add the taro and steam until very soft, 10 minutes. It should be soft enough so that if poked with a knife, it will fall apart. Immediately transfer the taro to the electric mixer bowl with the sugar mixture and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pasty. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Turn the mixer speed to low and add the glutinous rice flour. When the mixture is crumbly, add the boiling water all at once. Continue beating the dough until it is soft and only slightly sticky. Squeeze the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and then refrigerate until completely cooled. When cool, shape the dough into a log 1-inch in diameter and cut the log into 2-inch lengths. Flatten each piece of dough with your palm into a circle, 4-inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Put 1 tablespoon of the date filling into the center of a circle, then bring the edges together and pinch shut. Pinch off the excess dough at the two end points then roll the filled dumpling into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough circles and filling. Fill a deep, heavy saucepan (at least 6 wide) with oil to a depth of at least 4-inches. Bring to 300 degrees. Fill a shallow dish with water. Roll sesame balls in the water, just enough to moisten then roll in the sesame seeds. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower half of the coated balls into the oil and cook until they float, about 5 minutes. Do not disturb the balls at all when they cook. Carefully remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining balls. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Makes 25 2-inch balls

NAC: Whats the buzz about your new restaurant?

I am looking for a spot in New York for my restaurant P*Ong. Most probably, P*Ong will be set by next fall. I plan to have it as wholesale, retail place as well as a sit down for desserts. P* Ong will focus on puddings, cookies and ice creams with a lot of Asian ingredients. I will also use my architectural skills to design P*ong.

NAC: We hear that you are coming up with a book. What is it about and when will it be released?
The book is called An Exotic Finish and is all about Asian ingredients and techniques you can apply to American desserts. There are many interesting recipes. I plan to release it in the Chinese New year 2007.

NAC: Whats next for you?

I want to open a sandwich shop. I love sandwiches and the shop would be an entry for me to go back to savory foods. A
26 Asian Restaurant News February 2006

A-R-N.net