Pok Pok -- The Drinking Food of Thailand
by Andy Ricker with J J Goode
I decided to review this book because I love South-east Asian food and figured if I learned to cook them, I'd spare myself major bucks. Why go to a restaurant when you can cook? I say all that because the title might turn a few folks off. Basically, the book is about foods you might find in a Thai bar, or a Thai home. So while there are tons of foods that are snacks, and a few that are cooked in alcohol, for the most part this is a recipe book with the same categories one would find in most recipe books. Alcohol is not necessary.
The chapter headings are:
Introduction
About this book
Using a Mortar and Pestle
Snacks
Soup
Chile dips
Fried Foods
Grilled foods
Salads
Stir Fries
Late-night and morning food
Sundry Items
ingredients
Equipment
Acknowledgments
Index
The book reads like a travelogue of bars and personal memoir. The reader also gets to know Thai culture, especially Thai bar culture.
First of all this is a meaty book. Yep, a lot of meat recipes. A lot of pork and seafood, so if you're not into pork and seafood (or pig brains) you might not get a lot out of this book. I love shellfish but i don't eat it, and I never touch pork. BUT, I'm not averse to substituting beef or fish in a recipe.
Another thing is that this book has a lot of fried and deep-fried recipes. Again, if you're not into frying food, this book might not be your taste.
And yes, there is the aforementioned alcohol. Lots of recipes use various kinds of local alcohol (which can probably be switched around with western alcohol.)
There are a few raw meat recipes and most of the recipes require finding some kind of South-east Asian spice, but I'd say...if you want to learn how to cook with a Thai flavor, this book is a good buy so go for it! Although... i don't see myself using a mortar and pestle or going to a bar anytime soon.
I got this book free in exchange for a fair and honest review.
