Patricia Tanumihardja is a food writer who contributes articles to Saveur, Sunset, Seattle, and Seattle Metropolitan magazines. She grew up in Singapore, and has degrees from the University of Washington and Boston University. She is a member of IACP and the Asssocation of Asian American Journalists. She lives in Arlington, VA, and Seattle, WA.
"If I could give this book a big hug, I would. It's not just that
the recipes sound so appealing and doable in my own kitchen. It's
the words and stories of all these women (and the occasional
grandpa) that make the recipes come alive. This feels different
than coming across a new recipe on a blog. It really feels like
there's an intimacy and a connection to past generations as you
flip through the pages... Really, who among us hasn't secretly
wished for an Asian grandmother at some point? I know I have, and
it's usually been while staring in confusion at the burned contents
of a hot wok or while wrestling with uncooperative homemade soba
noodles. This book by Pat Tanumihardja is like discovering that I
have a long lost relative who I can call on in these moments of
culinary distress."
The Kitchn "I've been looking forward to Pat Tanumihardja's book
The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook for a year...When I finally got a
copy in my kitchen, I was thrilled: Not only did Pat do a
stupendous job collecting stories and recipes, Lara Ferroni worked
her photography magic for the ingredient glossary and the recipes.
It's compelling, kind-hearted and gorgeous, just as I
expected."
Edible Seattle
"If you aren't blessed with an Asian grandmother, this cookbook
will guide you through the steps to make an authentic Asian dish
without having to travel across the globe."
The Christian Science Monitor "Seldom does a cookbook come along
that makes you not only want to spend hours in the kitchen
preparing its recipes but also read its pages from cover to cover
like a novel. Patricia Tanamihardja's Asian Grandmothers Cookbook
caters equally to our sentiment and appetites with a thoughtfulness
and deep cultural understanding presented as 130 beautiful,
traditional recipes, along with heartfelt profiles of the Asian
grandmothers who have created them for decades."
Delicious Living ..".with this book, Tanumihardja has cracked open
the door to some of those mysterious kitchens, allowing non-Asians
to finally enjoy all sorts of dishes that rarely appear in
restaurants and which -- at least up until now -- could only be
tasted when a friend's popo or lola or ba ngoai would carry
something insanely aromatic to a table surrounded by family and the
occasional hungry friend."
Zester Daily "If this gorgeous cookbook fulfills the author's quest
for extended family, we are all the beneficiaries! The warm-hearted
profiles of ten seasoned cooks add a rich personal history to the
recipes. Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Laotian, Korean, and Filipino
cuisines are covered, as well as the inevitable mingling that
happens through family migration around the globe. I love the
recipes for their use of "real" flavoring ingredients instead of
the typical bottled sauces. Prefacing the recipes are an invitation
to cook intuitively, a chapter called 'The Asian Pantry, ' and a
clear explanation of Asian cooking techniques, setting the mood for
a joyful adventure in cooking."
Edible East Bay ..".an absolutely fascinating study of cooking
anthropology. Each story of an Asian grandmother living in the US
is interesting from a historic perspective, how they got here, what
they did when they arrived (especially if you're a history nerd
like me). Then many of the recipes show how the dishes went from
the original, authentic version, to the dish made as it could be in
America, with the ingredients available. Whether substituting
chayote for hard-to-find Bengali white pumpkin, or finding a way to
use up Thanksgiving leftovers in rice porridge (jook), this book is
a fascinating study in cultural evolution."
The GastroGnome "If you missed out sitting by your grandmother's
stove, or your family ethnicity doesn't happen to match the food
you know you were born to eat, Patricia Tanumihardja's book goes a
long way toward addressing that need...a charming book..."
The Boston Globe
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