Cookbooks

Simple Asian Meals

“Once considered exotic, the flavors of Asia are now as close as the international aisle of every supermarket. Using only commonly available ingredients, award-winning cookbook author and Asian-food guru Nina Simonds creates easy, soothing, healthful meals that are masterpieces of simplicity.

In Simple Asian Meals, Simonds presents over 100 recipes for accessible Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese specialties—packed with fresh, seasonal ingredients and health-giving benefits from immune support to ease of digestion to cholesterol reduction. Almost all her dishes require only one pot to prepare, and to make meal preparation as manageable as possible, she also provides freezing and storing techniques, recipe variations for convenience and personal taste, and lists of basic staples readers should always keep on hand.

Colorful, comprehensive, and informed by Simonds's own culinary travels and memorable moments in Asia, Simple Asian Meals is every home chef's guide to creating exquisitely flavored Asian cuisine quickly and effortlessly.”

Spices of Life

“In this groundbreaking cookbook, Nina Simonds offers us more than 175 luscious recipes, along with practical tips for a sensible lifestyle, that demonstrate that health-giving foods not only provide pleasure but can make a huge difference in our lives.

With her emphasis on the tonic properties of a wide variety of foods, herbs, and spices, this book also brings us up to date on the latest scientific research. In every recipe–gathered from cultures around the world in which good eating is a way of life–Simonds gives us dishes that are both irresistible and have a positive effect on one’s well-being. For example:
•Cardamom, a key digestive, subtly seasons her Steamed Asparagus with Cardamom Butter.
•Cinnamon, which strengthens the heart and alleviates nervous tension, adds spice to her Fragrant Cinnamon Pork with Sweet Potatoes.
•Basil has long been used as a healing salve and in teas. So who wouldn’t feel rejuvenated by a delicious bowlful of Sun-Dried Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil?
•Peanuts, which fortify the immune system and lower cholesterol, provide a tasty, crunchy accent in Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken.
•Mint, which has many healing properties, from taming muscle spasms to dissolving gallstones, can be relished in Minty Snap Peas accompanying Pan-Roasted Salmon or in a Pineapple Salsa served with Jerk Pork Cutlets.
•And peaches give us vitamin C, beta carotene, and fiber. So enjoy them in a wonderful Gingery Peach-a-Berry Cobbler.

To help us understand what part these health-restoring foods can play in our lives, Simonds peppers Spices of Life with lively interviews with a variety of experts, including Dr. Jim Duke, who offers anti-aging advice from his Herbal Farmacy; Dr. Andrew Weil, who discusses his latest nutritional findings; and Dr. U. K. Krishna, who explains basic Ayurvedic practices for healthy living. And more.

With its delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes and concise health information, this delightful book opens up a whole new world of tastes for us to enjoy every day and to share with family and friends.”

A Spoonful of Ginger

“From the best-selling authority on Chinese cooking, a groundbreaking cookbook based on the Asian philosophy of food as health-giving. These 200 delectable recipes not only taste superb but also have specific healing properties. It’s a question of balance: countering yin, or cooling, foods, with yang, or hot, foods, and neutralizers like rice and
noodles. It is all here in this remarkable book. From the exotic to the earthy, Simonds will convince you that you can enjoy marvelous food every day—relishing its good taste and knowing it is good for you.”