Beyond all that, Step-by-Step Asian has the usual appealing photography that Parragon is known for, and the recipes include Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian offerings. Standards include Spring Rolls, Hot and Sour Soup, Teriyaki Chicken, Green Chicken Curry and Vegetable Tempura, while standouts feature a Chicken Noodle Soup (the broth spiced with garlic, ginger, peppercorns, cloves and star anise), Vietnamese-Style Vegetable Wraps, Sesame Noodles with Shrimp, Sliced Beef in Black Bean Sauce, Gado Gado and Honey-Glazed Roast Pork.
Difficulty ranges from the quick and easy Fried Tofu with Lemongrass and Egg-Fried Rice, to the more complicated but surely worthwhile Tea-Smoked Duck with Jasmine Rice or the Thai Fish Cakes with cucumber chili sauce. And there are excellent desserts, like Green Tea Ice Cream, Coconut Pancakes with Pineapple, Sweet Wontons (filled with bananas, dates, almonds and cinnamon), Fried Banana Dumplings, the classic Almond Cookies and a Fruit Salad made with lime, lemongrass, watermelon, dragon fruit, star fruit and mint. Also a Burmese Semolina Cake which I haven't tried but find kind of intriguing -- Burmese food isn't as well-known as Chinese or Indian cuisine but is influenced by both in its own unique way.
