Leah Cohen - Lemongrass and Lime: Southeast Asian Cooking at Home

The flavors of Southeast Asia are the star in this collection of recipes from Leah Cohen, the Top Chefalum, chef, and restaurateur

Growing up half Filipino, Leah Cohen never thought food from her mothers family would become her lifes work. But after working in Michelin-starred restaurants and then competing on Top Chef, Cohen was still searching to define what made her food hers. She found the answer in Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, and yes, the Philippines, as she rediscovered the deliciously sweet, pungent, and spicy flavors of her youth and set out to take them back with her to New York.

Now, Cohen brings the exciting flavors of Southeast Asia to the masses in her beloved New York City restaurants. And in this cookbook, she shows readers how to use pantry staples like fish sauce (the salt of Southeast Asia), coconut milk, and shrimp paste to delicious effect, and gives home cooks the confidence to embrace what she calls the controlled chaos of Asian cooking in their own kitchens. As Cohen explains, Southeast Asian cooking varies by country, but what unites the cuisine is the balance of flavor that creates deep umami in every dish. From addictive street food snacks like Lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) to Burmese Eggplant Salad, Grilled Cod in Banana Leaf with Yellow Curry and Coconut Cream, Crisp Banana Fritters, and even fiery cocktails, this cookbook presents authentic dishes with a modern twist. With more than 125 recipes, it will inspire home cooks to let their taste buds travel.

an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

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Copyright 2020 by Leah Cohen

Photographs by Dylan Kushel

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Cohen, Leah (Chef), author. | Banyas, Stephanie, author.

Title: Lemongrass and lime / by Leah Cohen with Stephanie Banyas.

Description: [New York] : Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, [2020] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020001556 (print) | LCCN 2020001557 (ebook) | ISBN 9780525534839 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780525534846 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Cooking, Southeast Asian.

Classification: LCC TX724.5.S68 C64 2020 (print) | LCC TX724.5.S68 (ebook) | DDC 641.5959dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020001556

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020001557

p. cm.

The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY FATHER, WILLIAM COHEN. YOUR GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS HAVE IMPACTED SO MANY PEOPLES LIVES. I WOULD NOT BE THE PERSON I AM TODAY WITHOUT YOUR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND BELIEF IN ME.

CONTENTS

N OT TOO WET AND NOT TOO DRY. This was my first lesson in food. If you ask my Filipino mother, its in relation to rice. If you ask my Jewish father, its in relation to kugel. Either way, its all about food and balance.