The Sweet Spot

Starred review from March 19, 2007
Finding a compilation of Asian-inspired desserts isn't always an easy task, as baking sections tend to be chockfull of Italian and French influenced titles. The good news is Ong (owner of NYC's P*ong) presents more than 100 accessible, top-notch recipes inspired from such countries as Japan (Honey Castella, or kasutera
), China (Peanut Turnovers) and India (Pistachio Rose Thumbprint Cookies). Popular desserts from New York's famed Spice Market (where Ong has consulted)— Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart and Jasmine Rice Pudding—lend themselves to frequent repetition. Twists on American favorites such as the Cracker Jack–like Spiced Caramel Popcorn made with mukawa
(Indian candied fennel seed) and Coconut "Twinkie" Cupcakes with Lemon Filling are presented alongside adaptations of recipes from renowned pastry chefs and include Dragon Devil's Food Cupcakes (Elizabeth Falkner) and Chocolate-Mango Cheesecake Parfait with Macadamia Cookie Crumbs (Vicki Wells). Those unfamiliar with Asian ingredients can read up on everything from mochi flour to mangosteens in the Sweet Asian Pantry chapter. Recipe steps are numbered, and each selection includes a chef's tip—where to find ingredients, technique advice, cultural notes. A sleek design with color photos makes this a visual treat as well as a culinary one.

May 15, 2007
Pastry chef Ong will be getting a lot of publicity this year with his first book and his first restaurant, P*ong, which opened in the Greenwich Village area of New York City in April. The author's mentor, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, wrote the foreword to this cookbook of over 100 recipes for puddings, pies, cookies, cakes, candy, frozen treats, and drinks. The standard cookies and cakes (Carrot Cake, Dragon Devil's Food Cupcakes, Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies) are comfort food; Avocado Milk Shake and Sake-Sauteed Plums with Ginger and Star Anise may excite, and Chocolate Cakes with Matcha Truffle Centers certainly will indulge chocoholics. The majority of the desserts are not for the calorie conscious. Heavy cream and condensed and evaporated milk are main ingredients along with ginger, chocolate, and coconut. The recipes, some of which are not for the novice, are clear, and most do not require a great amount of preparation. The author has succeeded in walking "the fine line between novel and comfortable" in a unique cookbook that bridges East and West. Recommended for libraries with adventurous cooks.Christine Bulson, SUNY at Oneonta Lib.

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