Maricel’s Simply Asian Cookbook is a chatty, inviting, engaging, and well curated cookbook/recipe collection with cross cultural recipes (Thai, Filipino, Cantonese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean) by Maricel Gentile. Due out 1st May 2025, it's 231 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a solid -general- Asian cookbook which is beginner friendly and starts at a very basic level, with an overview over the similarities and differences in Asian cuisines. The author has included a basic primer on rice (and what to buy and why) as well as a wonderful, photo filled, chatty background on her personal journey in food, and her family. It felt more like a visit with a chatty friend than a tutorial guide.
The primers and beginning general introductions (about 25% of the content) are followed by recipes arranged by cuisine: Filipino, Cantonese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean. Each recipe contains an English title with transliterated name from the original language, yields, prep time, cooking time, and servings. Ingredients are given in a sidebar bullet list, followed by step-by-step cooking directions. Many of the recipes also include QR codes which link to online content and tips from Chef Maricel.
Ingredient measurements are given in imperial (American) units only. Nutritional info is not included. Each recipe contains one or more clear color photos and the photography is one of the high points of the collection. Food presentation is attractive, appetizing, and appropriately (professionally) styled.
Four and a half stars. It's not the -best- or most comprehensive single cuisine cookbook out there, but it might be the best overall general/fusion beginner friendly Asian cookbook, and is up to date and highly recommended. The emphasis is on real, fresh ingredients, and family-friendly non-pretentious good food.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.