Simple Asian Meals

December 19, 2011
Delivering on all she promises, Simonds (A Spoonful of Ginger; Spices of Life), an expert on Asian cuisine, emphasizes the importance of convenience: stocking the pantry with Asian staples; shopping on the weekends; preparing grains, marinades, and spice rubs ahead; and using quality prepared foods where necessary to minimize time spent at the stove. The recipes cover China, Japan, Vietnam, and India, with recognizable favorites from restaurants, like hot and sour soup and mu shu vegetables. Simonds’s creativity comes through in fusion dishes such as gingery shrimp with asparagus and edamame; chicken noodle salad with spicy tahini dressing; and roasted peaches with cardamom whipped cream. However, her true inventiveness lies in her ability to coax complicated layered flavors with less effort—her tandoori spice paste has only four ingredients, and her faux wonton soup relies on bowtie pasta and meatballs as opposed to hand-filled dumplings. In all, a fresh set of flavors and possibilities. Photos. Agent: Jane Dystel.