Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes: The First Cookbook from the Cult Food Magazine

by Peter Meehan

“ Delicious, straightforward recipes ... fill  Lucky 101 Easy Asian Recipes,  along with romping commentary that makes the book fun to read as well as to cook from.”  —Associated Press

Beholden to bold flavors and not strict authenticity, the editors of Lucky Peach present a compendium of 101 easy, Asian recipes that hit the sweet spot between craveworthy and stupid simple and are destined to become favorites. Your friends and lovers will marvel as you show off your culinary worldliness, whipping up meals with fish-sauce-splattered panache and all the soy-soaked, ginger-scalliony goodness you could ever want—all for dinner tonight. You'll never have a reason to order take-out again.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary, Asian Literature

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2015

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have this book checked out from the library. it has been really fun. I bought the necessary ingredients, and the dean family has been doing mostly Asian dinners for the past couple of weeks. tonight we are going to have Korean grilled chicken, japchae, and "soy sauce kimchi" (a quick, unfermented version of kimchi)- all from this book. can I tell you what we've made and how it rates? regardless of your response, i'm going to.

chineasy cucumber salad- good, even without the peanuts
soy sauce kimchi- wow! this was really good. making a second batch today. made our fridge smell pretty ethnic
soy sauce eggs- I don't eat hard boiled eggs, but sam and most of the kids liked them
dollar dumplings (and dollar dumplings III) - making this again this week, dumpling dipping sauce good too. we boiled some and fried some.
st. paul sandwich- I like egg foo yung, and consequently liked these sandwiches. art's friends even ate them. some kids also put ham on them.
rotisserie chicken ramen- sam really liked this. me not so much. kids divided.
economy noodles- have already made twice- once with cabbage because I had no bean sprouts. good. will make again and again.
jumuk bap- I really liked, kids, even ginger and emma, liked and ate more than 2.
greens with whole garlic- good. ava ate the garlic
bok choy with oyster sauce- kids loved this. making it again this week
chicken adobo- really good and flavorful (salty) family liked
lemongrass chicken- already made twice
tofu dressing- sam liked. it had too much sesame oil for me.

I probably should have waited to write this review until we were finished with this final week of lucky peach because i'm making several more recipes.

this book has commentary and suggestions with each recipe, which I enjoy. sometimes there is profanity- which I don't enjoy. I think that I am going to buy this book. It has doable recipes with great diverse Asian flavors.

[Kelly Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given that I can Google any recipe I want, I buy cookbooks now for what the internet can't provide--a good read, cool pictures, an artifact that's nice to hold and cool on my shelf. Lucky Peach hit all the right spots for me. My favorite part so far is the ingredient guide with pictures. I think condiments are the most intimidating part of Asian cooking. That moment where you wonder if you're going to put something that smells that funky on something going in your mouth. But--that's what makes the food taste good. Anyway, it turns out I've been buying seasoned (instead of regular) rice vinegar, which is why I've never liked it, and rice vinegar is a pretty key staple a lot of dishes. That tip alone was probably worth the price of admission.

Have I made anything yet? Nope. But I will. I did technically finish reading the book, which was a pleasure on its own.

[Keyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book dresses itself as an inauthentic take on East/Southeast Asian cuisine, which I thought was candid, considering the author's name is hilariously white. This book is really really well organized and has a careful selection of truly easy recipes -- the blurbs are written with clear, infallible tips that minimize the possibility of screwups. I appreciate how it provides tips on how to acquire the asian vegetables, sauces and condiments, then how to pair them with ingredients/veg/legumes I actually eat as a Chinese person without being like "just call it... asian inspired... and substitute kale if you want." (The front page literally has a picture of cucumber salad with cilantro and vinegar which is really yummy and good with fried dough and plain congee for breakfast). By itself the book is interesting and quirky to peruse, and the pictures are glossy and big-hearted. The anecdotes are also quite homey and honestly written; I like imagining Peter Meehan sweating at his kitchen island at night while murmuring about Chinkiang vinegar and things. I noticed in other reviews that people have mentioned that page about oranges, which was the first page I saw when my friend (who gave me this book) flipped to it. That touch of daring totally did it for me. 100% 10/10 good job Lucky Peach. Cutest cookbook.

It's not exactly a deep study into any cuisine, barely goes into regional inspirations, lacks cultural immersion (at least it doesn't attempt to give you the idea that kimbap and kimchi lunchables are representative of Korean food), but is enough of a broad collection of highly recognizable pop culture staples and compulsively edible recipes, treated honestly, that I can truly appreciate what it does bring! My mom, bf and I had a lot of fun trying the omurice and making "Ms. Kwok's Pepper Sauce."

Thank you Vivian!!!!!!!!! Luv it <3

[Brvihsta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has been cancelled so I’m conflicted in giving this 5 stars

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Blogging for Books has blown me away. I requested this book not really knowing what to expect - maybe something small with a few recipes in it. I don't really know. But whatever it was I thought I was going to get, what I actually got was a lot better.

To start off, this book is quite large. There are so many different recipes. From appetizers to main dishes, there is a lot of different things that you can make in this book. The dessert section is a little small. It has about 2 different recipes and one doesn't really count as a recipe. The dessert is an orange and the directions are that you can slice it or not (pg. 262) I found it quite humorous to be honest.

The over all book is very well put together. Almost all of the recipes have a picture to go with them, which I love. It makes it very nice to be able to see what the food you are trying to make should at least kind of look like when you are done. That is very helpful for someone like me who is just starting their adventure in to the cooking things at home instead of eating out world.

Also, the directions seem pretty simple and easy to follow. I really like how everything is set up. The book even takes the time to go over some of the more commonly used ingredients that you can have in your pantry at the beginning of the book.

All in all, this is a great book for those who like to cook at home and also like Asian cuisine. You will find recipes for chicken, fish, beef, noodles, rice, etc in this book. There are recipes in this book that are sure to be a hit for a dinner party or for a simple week night dinner with the family (or roommates or yourself). I highly recommend that you add Lucky Peach: 101 Easy Asian Recipes to your cookbook arsenal.

This review is based on a copy provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of silly, but interesting recipes and definitely focused on home cooking.

[Kathy]

David Chang is a culinary emperor and his influence has had far-reaching effects worldwide. When he started Momofuku in 2004 Americans found ramen, kimchi, and steamed buns mainly in Chinatowns, urban strip malls, and stretches of ethnic enclaves like Buford Highway in Atlanta. Chang celebrates and elevates Asian home cooking to a $500 tasting menu (that’s per person) and two Michelin stars. His food is divine.

Trying to recreate any of his dishes is difficult. I’m in a moderately-sized city but am still 120 miles away from the closest purveyor of the fresh noodles his cookbook editor Peter Meehan recommends. The “mall chicken” recipe has 9 ingredients, not including the chicken and rice. The Jap Chae has 12, not including the noodles. This is not easy weeknight cooking, at least not for this cook.

Instead, my recommendation is for “Japanese Soul Cooking,” which has plenty of recipes with a dozen or so ingredients, but the components are ones that are pretty easily accessible.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly wasn't planning a cookbook review again so soon. With Thanksgiving thrown in the mix, I didn't actually think I'd have time to adequately test a good enough number of recipes to feel satisfied offering up a review. BOY WAS I WRONG!

Friday night - yes, the night after Thanksgiving - Luck Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes arrived on my doorstep while I was trying desperately to figure out what to have for supper. And no, Thanksgiving leftovers were not appealing at that moment. I realized, though, that I had everything on hand to make all three versions of Onigiri that appear in the book. I settled for two, the umeboshi and the tuna, and made four total, two of which I tried as Yaki Onigiri. And I ate them with the Spicy Cold Celery. Readers, we were off to the races!

Asian food has always intimidated me and I'm really not sure why. Sure, the ingredients can be odd and/or hard to find but I actually live in an area that has two great international grocery stores. Even as a teen I knew where our Asian market was, admittedly spending most of my money there on Botan Rice Candy and melon flavored gum. I think that my biggest issue has been the fear that it just won't taste as good as what I can get at my favorite Asian restaurants. Even after successfully trying my hand at a few Thai dishes, I never really delved into the depths of Asian cooking.

Until now. I should note that the recipes in this book are EASY. Super easy. There are undoubtedly more complex and complicated dishes out there that aren't featured in the book but I think Peter Meehan and the folks at Lucky Peach have gone a long way in offering the average home cook a chance to experiment with Asian cooking in their own home. And yes, some of the dishes are Americanized Asian food - Mall Chicken, for example.

What I realized, too, was that after just one trip to the Asian market, list in hand to make a few specific dishes, I actually had the ingredients on hand to make way more recipes than I'd planned. And since hubs was out snowboarding all weekend, I kept myself occupied making ALL THE THINGS!

Ground pork, tofu, lemongrass, dumpling wrappers, hondashi (think dashi flavored bouillon, which I didn't know they made!), Chinkiang vinegar, a new bottle of fish sauce, and a few kind of noodles along with my already amply supplied pantry got me - Com Tam Breakfast (Thai-style homemade sausage patties with rice, fried egg, and homemade Nuoc Cham); Economy Noodles (which I ate with leftover Spicy Cold Celery and flank steak); Soy 'n' Sugar Cucumber Pickles (maybe my only meh, recipe so far - very soy saucy, which is a little odd with the sweet); Chineasy Cucumber Salad; Silken Tofu Snack (quite good! I loved the lime and the soy sauce in this.); Soy Sauce Eggs (perfect with just about anything); Miso Soup; and two recipes I've yet to make - Lion's Head Meatballs and Dollar Dumplings (I did a deconstructed version of because I was lazy).

I'm dying to try their version of Chicken Adobo, one of my absolute favorite meals, and the Hainan Chicken Rice (though they sadly don't provide a chili sauce recipe for this one). I also have all the stuff on hand to make the Jap Chae (a Korean noodle dish made with sweet potato noodles - my store had them!) and Ms. Vo Thi Huong's Garlic Shrimp, which sound amazing and WILL be supper tonight. (Psst, those links take you to the recipes online!)

See, I told you I want to cook ALL THE THINGS! This is my favorite new cookbook. And I'm not the only one. Check out this piece from Booktrib for another great review and a recipe.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not really inspired to make anything from this cookbook, I really enjoyed it. I found the pictures crisp and clean and plentiful. I LOVE cookbooks with pictures! The steps were clearly laid out and easy to follow. I didn't find the majority of the ingredients to be to specialty, like the common man wouldn't be able to find them. All of these were pluses but what threw me over the edge to liking this book were the cute comments at the bottom of recipes about the chef's or finding similar but not as good recipes on the internet. These comments made me smile and take this book with a grain of salt! I received a copy of this book from the blogging for books program in exchange for my honest review.

[Mari McR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite that other readers' comments appreciated the images accompanying recipes, I found the photos depicting colors from the 1970s and 80s. I did not appreciate the recipe with one ingredient of "ORANGES" and a presentation of orange slices on black plate. I do not appreciate the way the author made his point that Asians often do not 'make' dessert, which is sometimes just a plate of one fruit. This simple point did not need a 'recipe' of 2 pages featuring the one ingredient.

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook. Soooo many great recipes that are easy to make. It's non stop yum on every page. Photos are beautiful!

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we're feeling under the weather (and still up to cooking), Smitten Kitchen's Hot and Sour Soup (based on a recipe from this book) is the best. No-nonsense instructions with accessible ingredients, plus delicious taste. On the strength of this recipe alone, I knew that I was going to love 100 Easy Asian Recipes--and the cookbook did not disappoint.

I appreciated their straightforward approach--surprising for authors coming from Momofuku. This is clearly not an "authentic" cookbook but one that teaches you how to make relatively easy and tasty food, with humorous commentary from the authors, who seem to actually understand the day-to-day grind of getting dinner on the table.

The authors walk readers through the various ingredients and sauces, with pictures of the different bottles/packaging, since they know that not everyone would know what these ingredients look like. "Look, we know the Internet is out there. And on it you can find almost anything, from pictures of dogs on surfboards to multilayered analyses of whether or not Thomas Pynchon predicted parallel universes decades before the Hadron Supercollider gave scientists reason to think they might exist. But the pull of Gravity's Rainbow aside, what we wanted to do here was give you a simple visual and factual orientation to what we cooked with as we made this book, so you know what you're looking for as you paw through the aisles of a foreign supermarket and/or the murky depths of third-party seller pages on Amazon.com." (18-19) From this section, I learned that going for the nicer, more expensive bottle of drinking Shaoxing wine (rather than the cooking/condiment wine) is worth it.

Also, the recipe pictures are amazing.

Recipes I bookmarked:

Soy 'n' Sugar Cucumber Pickles (32): In a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat: ¾ lb. Persian cucumbers (sliced into ¼" rounds), ⅓ C. soy sauce, 3 TBSP brown sugar, and 3 TBSP rice vinegar. (I omitted the ¼ tsp. fennel seeds because I don't like them.) Cook for 1 minute, stirring to make sure the cucumbers are coated. Transfer to a pint jar. Let cool, then cover and chill for 12 hours. Pickles will keep ~2 weeks.

Oshitashi (38): Blanch 8 oz baby spinach in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain and set aside. Squeeze the greens dry. Whisk together ½ tsp hondashi, ½ C hot water, ½ tsp mirin, and 1 ½ tsp soy sauce. Stir in greens, then cover and chill 1-24 hours. Squeeze marinade from greens, then drizzle with a bit of marinade and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Soy Sauce Kimchi (42): In a large bowl, toss together 1 lb napa cabbage (cut into 1" pieces); ½ Asian pear (or 1 medium apple), grated; ½ C chopped scallions; 1 ½ TBSP julienned ginger, 1 garlic clove, grated; and 1 ½ tsp gochugaru. Sprinkle over 1 TBSP sugar and a pinch of kosher salt. Massage until cabbage wilts into about half the original volume. Stir in ½ C soy sauce and ½ C water. Transfer all to a ziplock bag and remove all the air. Chill at least an hour.

Soy Sauce Eggs (50): In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 3 TBSP soy sauce, 2 TBSP rice vinegar, 1 TBSP brown sugar, 1 TBSP water and ¼ tsp gochugaru. Bring to a boil. Add in 6 peeled hardboiled eggs and roll to coat eggs in sauce. (Do in batches if saucepan isn't big enough to hold all 6 eggs.) Roll for ~5 minutes or until eggs are infused with soy. Let cool, then store in the fridge.

Miso-Glazed Eggplant (166): Rub 4 Japanese eggplants (halved lengthwise) with veggie oil, then place cut-side up on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Roast at 450* for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together ¼ C red miso and 2 TBSP mirin. Smear the cut sides of the eggplant with the miso mixture and roast another 10 minutes, until the miso is bubbling and the eggplants are tender. Top with sesame seeds.

Roasted Squash with Red Glaze (168): Toss 2 lb hard squash (like delicata, kabocha, or acorn), seeded and cut into 1" wedges, with 1 TBSP veggie oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet at roast at 400* until tender, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 TBSP veggie oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in 1 TBSP minced ginger, 1 TBSP minced garlic, and ¼ C minced scallions. Cook until soft and fragrant. Stir in 2 TBSP water, ¼ C soy sauce, 2 TBSP mirin, 1 TBSP rice vinegar, and 1 TBSP sugar. Simmer and cook until glaze is syrupy, about 8 minutes. Drizzle roasted squash with the glaze.

Lacquered Roast Chicken (183): Place 1 whole chicken on a rack set inside a baking sheet. Stir together 2 TBSP honey and 2 TBSP soy sauce. Brush a thin even layer of the mixture over the chicken. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, then brush again with the remaining mixture. Sprinkle all over with 2 tsp kosher salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Roast chicken at 400* for 50 minutes. Tent with foil if the skin darkens too quickly. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Korean Grilled Chicken (194): Marinate 4 whole chicken legs (bone-in) in ziplock bag in a whisked together mixture of 2 TBSP gochujang or sriracha, 2 TBSP honey, 1 TBSP white miso, ¼ C water, 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar, 2 TBSP grapeseed oil, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Marinate chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off excess marinade. Roast chicken at 400* for 45 minutes, basting with some leftover marinade in the last 15 minutes. (Can also grill.)

Red Roast Pork (216): Whisk together ¼ C hoisin sauce, ¼ C soy sauce, ¼ C honey, ¼ C Shaoxing wine, and 1 tsp five-spice powder. Marinate 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder in sauce in ziplock bag for 24-48 hours. Remove from fridge 1 hour before cooking. My update: place in slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 8 hours. Let cool 20 minutes before eating.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love asian foods of all kinds and have found it difficult to find a cookbook that covers all the recipes I am looking for. This book is esthetically pleasing in many ways - the photos are neat, numerous and look like they are staged and colorized to seem "retro" and the recipes are clearly written and laid out. I appreciated the introduction which explained some of the uncommon ingredients (I am lucky to have a asian market close by so I have access to most of the items suggested) and also the little stories / vignettes that accompanied the recipes. They were fun to read and made the book feel more interesting than a straightforward cookbook. However I did have a few problems with the book as a whole. I felt that the authors were oversimplifying some of the recipes in a manner that made them look unappealing (i.e. Soy Sauce Eggs, Miso Soup etc.). There also seemed to be a heavy focus on appetizers which some people may prefer but I do not. When I first received the book I actually read it cover to cover (this is an odd way of using a cookbook according to some - but I like to do this with most of the cookbooks I purchase to get a sense of when and how to best utilize them) and nothing stood out to me. Normally I end up with a bunch of post its that eventually get removed or permanently affixed after further review but in this book everything seemed to blur together. Over the course of the year or so that the book has lived on my shelf I have forced myself to pull it out and try some recipes (I paid good money for it after all). After cooking at least one or two items from each chapter we have found a few standouts that we enjoyed thoroughly: 1) The Spicy Cold Celery - it was delicious as a snack or side and is a good way to use up extra celery that you would normally throw out. 2) The Sichuan Pork Ragu - this really isn't an asian dish but it really is hearty and tasty. We added tofu to ours so that it came out more like mapo tofu rather than a bolognese sauce. 3) The Cumin Lamb - by far in a way this recipe has been our favorite from the book. We have cooked it many times for many different people and everyone loves it. We like to make it extra spicy and serve it with a chilled vegetable side (celery / tofu / bok choy / asparagus etc.) or a cooling soup ie chicken velvet soup with chinese chives (not in this book) or chicken corn soup etc. 4) The Thai-Style Lettuce Cups - these are basically just lettuce cups with larb-like filling but it is tasty and easy to make. Overall, I think the good outweighs the bad as some of the recipes have become part of our rotation and the writing / look / feel of the book is funky and interesting. If you like asian cooking or just want to try something new grab this book and check it out - might not be the best one out there but for our purposes it has been worth the purchase.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lead a Cookbook Club at the library where I work and once a quarter we meet. We choose a cookbook, everyone prepares a different recipe from the cookbook to bring to the meeting, and then we eat a big potluck-style meal. It's awesome, and is always one of my favorite nights at the Library. In July we cooked from Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes. I have always been intrigued by Asian cuisines but find many of the cookbooks intimidating with the long lists of special ingredients. After using Blue Apron's meal kit delivery service for awhile and succeeding with a few of their Asian inspired recipes, I was feeling more confident.

This is a great cookbook for newbies to Asian cookery. It pulls dishes from many, but not all, areas of Asian cooking, and it has a sense of humor. Cookbook Clubbers probably prepared 35 different dishes from the book, and they were all great, and many of them were easier than expected. There are also a number of good vegetarian dishes. The Tofu Snack was super yum!

[Scorpio Hank · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. Lucky Peach offers some funny quirky ideas. This book offers easier versions of pan-Asian recipes without the over-done stuff like General Tso's chicken. You get recipes like okonomiyaki, Korean pumpkin pancake, and char sui without having to get a billion specialty ingredients.
They carefully explain the foods, but make the instructions easy to understand. It's a book that any level cook can pick up and use.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this book. It's hilarious and irreverent and every recipe in it sounds delicious. It's got the David Chang gang's vibe just right: make delicious food first (e.g. don't ignore the concept of ethnic specificity, but don't worship at the false god of authenticity either). Perfect for those of us (white) American kids like me who grew up eating a wide variety of Asian cuisine but don't have a great frame of reference for how to (at least vaguely) achieve it. Fantastic.

[Kym · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook has lots of intriguing Asian-inspired recipes. You probably aren't going to find the ingredients in your pantry (unless you are at your Asian grandmother's house,) so you will need to do some shopping. The photos are expertly done, however some are more appealing than others. It is worth a look if Asian cooking is something you'd like to try.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best parts: breaking down condiments into 3 levels (like must haves, would be nice, and serious cook), with an explanation for the purpose of each ingredient; humorous back stories; example pictures. Some recipes really are super easy.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tried making the hot and sour soup and failed, however, I kicked butt with a few recipes: whole Chinese Five Spice chicken, beef satay, sichuan pork ragu, and soy-braised short ribs! They were delicious! The cookbook was also full of funny blurbs and content that made the experience enjoyable!

[Jes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It sounds like the author was a dickbag, but I didn't know that when reading this off a friend's shelf and borrowing it. It's an awesome cookbook, and I'll be buying my own copy. Hopefully the author can get some therapy and suck less, because this book is great.

[Ashley H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Checked it out from the Library and loved it so much that I bought a copy for myself. Now go watch Ugly Delicious.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asian Cookbook

Easy to follow, delicious Asian recipes. From starters to desserts—all YUMMY! And you don’t need any new pots, pans, gadgets or kitchen counter clutters to make each recipe successfully!

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching David Chang I decided to go for this ! Luckily local library had this book. simplified Chinese cooking :) !

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great cookbook to get you into many different styles of Asian cookery...from pantry to plate.

[Donna Hutt Stapfer Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

A really friendly entry into this scope of cuisine, knocked out and outlined to a list of steps. Very nice!

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authentic, delicious and easy to follow. One of my favorite cookbooks.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great number of Asian Recipes that I'd like to try. Could be improved with more photos!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great approachable Asian recipes. I can't wait to try them.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I steer people to who aren’t used to cooking Asian food, but they love eating it. Super easy, delicious recipes. Can’t beat it.

[Isaac Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

good mix of recipes! different asian cuisines, and simple