By Corinne Trang
Chronicle Books, $22.95, 168 pages
Noodles Every Day is not, as the title suggests, a simple pasta cookbook – and that turns out to be a good thing. Instead, Corinne Trang has crafted a collection full of diverse and tasty Asian recipes, all centered around noodles as either the main ingredient or an essential component of the dish. If you think this is difficult to accomplish, guess again – with chapters based around different types of noodles (egg, buckwheat, rice, wheat, and cellophane) and a foray into buns, dumplings, and spring rolls, there are more than enough recipes here to give even the biggest noodle enthusiasts a variety of delicious offerings.
Recipes range from the straightforward (several variations of pho, udon, ramen, and soba) to the more complex (Wonton Strips With Spicy Crab and Bacon Stir-Fry; Stir-Fried Rice Sticks with Tamarind Sauce, Dried Shrimp, Tofu, Sprouts and Eggs). There are a myriad of soups, but also plenty of main-dish recipes included. Trang also dispenses useful information on basic Asian ingredients and cooking methods, and suggests kitchen equipment that will enable the home chef to master the art of Asian cooking.
With its large number of deceptively simple and delicious recipes, Noodles Every Day may, indeed, inspire you to attempt the feat yourself.
Reviewed by Mark Petruska