The Asian Slow Cooker: Exotic Favorites for Your Crockpot Paperback – November 8, 2016

Yesterday I made the Manchurian Chicken, used all the ingredients except I added 32 oz. of unsalted chicken stock and made a soup out of it. Fabulous, and was able to add a half cup of Jasmine Rice I had frozen in the freezer. Other recipes have been very flavorful, and easy instructions. I have almost everything I need in my panty and spice cabinet.

I tend to buy a fair amount of cookbooks, several per month. But I am pretty selective in those I buy. I first find those I might be interested in through library searches and only after checking them out closely that way, or at a local bookstore, decide to buy them online.I had this one on my list for some time. Its not a very large, thick cookbook, but it has a good variety of recipes and a unique approach to Asian cooking by largely forgoing the wok (most slow cooker books being oriented towards stews and southern U.S. cooking etc...)The recipes and the photos of them are all very diverse and look amazing. I admit I haven't made any yet. The ingredient lists are not difficult either (many foreign based cookbooks have hard to find ingredients/spices and I didn't see that here). Many foreign cookbooks also call for types of meat that is not often used in the U.S. such as lamb, unusual types of fish, goat etc. I did not see a preponderance of that here either.One thing several other reviewers have mentioned is that all the recipes in this book are not slow cooker recipe-s. That's true, in some cases such as with a couple rice dishes, but for the most part the recipes do call for the use of a slow cooker in some capacity. A few call for using a standard pot on the stove where a slow cooker could be substituted, but as far as I can tell most of the recipes are genuine slow cooker ones. (This was a pet peeve of mine that I made sure to verify before buying the book - cookbooks are often mis-titled but this one really is not).This is a unique, well thought out, quality cookbook worth the money for anyone looking to diversify their evening meals...

Kelly Kwok, founder of "Life Made Sweeter," has unlocked the secret to delicious restaurant-style stir fries, noodles, curries, and desserts just like those you get from your favorite Chinese, Thai, or Korean restaurants, but without the sinkful of dirty dishes and piles of pots and pans! You'll find all your Chinese favorites like Beef and Broccoli, General Tso's Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Lo Mein along with Galbi (Korean-style short ribs), Thai curries, Bahn mi, tom yum, pho, fried rice, noodle dishes, sides and desserts.Most of these qualify as one-pot dishes (despite the title, not all involve the slow cooker), making prep and cleanup easy. Ingredients are listed in both US and metric equivalents, and most ingredients should be readily available at your grocery store. Each recipe has a gorgeous full-color photo as well. The sauces in particular are standouts, even more so considering that relatively few ingredients are used (so no trips to the Chinese/Oriental supermarket trying to track down hard-to-find sauces and pastes).As a vegetarian, I loved the Asian-inspired soups like the Thai pumpkin curry soup, miso soup with vegetables and soba noodles, and Chinese hot and sour soup. There is a whole chapter devoted to meatless mains, including a vegetarian mapodofu, Thai red curry vegetables, Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce, General Tso's Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, and Thai basil tofu and vegetable rice casserole. THAI BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY SOUPYIELD: 4–5 SERVINGS5 cups (2250 g) butternut squash (or pumpkin), peeled and cubed1 cup (200 g) sweet potatoes, peeled, roughly cubed1 medium onion, peeled, diced1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled3 garlic cloves, sliced3 cups (710 ml) chicken or vegetable broth1 (13.5-oz [400-ml]) can coconut milk½–1 tbsp (8–16 g) red curry paste, to taste½ tsp turmeric1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juiceSalt and pepper, to tasteDrizzle of coconut milk, for garnish (optional)Pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)Sliced red chili pepper, for garnish (optional)Place the squash, sweet potatoes, onion, ginger, garlic and broth in a 4- to 5-quart (3.8- to 4.7-L) slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the squash and sweet potatoes are soft and cooked through.Remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk, red curry paste, turmeric and lime juice. Allow the soup to cool slightly before puréeing. Using an immersion blender, purée directly in the slow cooker or pour contents into a blender and purée until smooth. Adjust seasonings as needed with salt and pepper.Serve warm in bowls and garnish with a drizzle of coconut milk, pumpkin seeds, cilantro and sliced red chili pepper, if desired.I love that so many of the ingredients are readily available; nothing is more frustrating than finding a dish that looks great, but not being able to locate specialty ingredients (especially true with some Chinese and Asian cookbooks).The addition of desserts was a nice touch as I love to use my slow cooker for desserts (I also highly recommend Michele Scicolone's "The Mediterranean Slow Cooker" for its desserts chapter). Here you'll find a mandarin orange cheesecake, Asian pear pudding cake, black sesame brownies, Chinese steamed sponge cake, ginger tea poached pears, Lunar New Year sweet rice cake, mango coconut tapioca pudding, matcha green tea cake, sweet green bean soup, and Thai coconut sticky rice with mango.Here is Kelly's recipe for Black Sesame Brownies: the ground black sesame seeds lend an almost peanut-butter-like depth. BLACK SESAME BROWNIESYIELD: 10 SERVINGS1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour¼ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder2 tsp (5 g) black sesame powder or finely ground black sesame seeds¾ tsp baking powder¼ tsp salt½ cup (58 g) unsalted butter½ cup (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips1 cup (225 g) sugar3 large eggs, lightly beaten1 tsp pure vanilla extract½ cup (90 g) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping, if desiredTake a long piece of aluminum foil and fold it lengthwise into a long strip. Press it along the inside perimeter of your slow cooker, creating a ring. This will prevent the edges from burning. Next, line the bottom with a piece of parchment, leaving an overhang on the sides for easier removal.In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sesame powder, baking powder and salt.Place the butter and chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power for 30-second increments, stirring well after each, until completely smooth and melted. Whisk in the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then add the vanilla.Slowly stir in the flour mixture until just combined; do NOT overmix. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the lined slow cooker and smooth out using a rubber spatula. Top with additional chocolate chips if desired.Cover the slow cooker with a double layer of paper towels then place the lid securely over the towels. This prevents any water from dripping into the cake batter.Cook on low for 21⁄2 to 3 hours, then remove the cover and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the insert from the slow cooker and allow to cool completely. Lift the parchment paper to remove the brownies and slice into squares.Kelly has also provided a handy guide to browning, cuts of meat, layering, sizes and brands of slow cookers, and general tips. In addition, a section on the Asian pantry includes a brief overview of staples such as black bean sauce / paste, sambal oelek, coconut milk, doenjang, dried chilis, fish sauce, spices, and other seasonings that you'll need to create the dishes in "The Asian Slow Cooker."Verdict: If you love Asian cuisine but think you don't have the time to create it at home, think again! "The Asian Slow Cooker" will have you throwing out your takeout menus in favor of easy homemade versions with far fewer additives, plus there is enough variety and range of Asian cuisines (Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean) to keep you happily cooking for months to come. Happy (slow) cooking!(Thank you to YC Media for permission to reprint recipes and photos from The Asian Slow Cooker!)

With the advent of things like gluten-free hoisin sauce (3 Dragons), gluten-free ramen and Udon noodles (Lotus Foods), and the like (there’s probably gluten-free oyster sauce out there somewhere too), I was surprised to be able to adapt the few recipes I’ve found that weren’t naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. The only recipes I think I would have trouble recreating are some of the desserts in the back. I bought this book on a whim and it is currently one of my favorites for fun and easy dinners. Do yourself a favor and buy this book!!

The recipes are very good - but the title of the cookbook is a bit of a misnomer, since the great majority of them don't actually use the slow cooker. The sauces are terrific, the directions clear and easy to follow - and the food is terrific. But was disappointed more of them don't use the cooking device in the book's title.

I am so pleased with this cookbook. I love Asian cuisine but haven't been able to replicate anything at home. I have looked through this book thoroughly and see many things that I am going to try. Picture are a great addition to any cookbook and this book has it all. I saw this cookbook in a recent magazine and dog-eared the page so that I wouldn't forget to look it up. I just know that I'm going to be pleased. I use my crockpot very often and always looking for new ways to use it. Not all recipes are for the crockpot, which is good, but so many good recipes are included. Can't wait to try something. I'm on my way to the grocery store now to pick up some ingredients.

I've bought this a gift for someone who is a slow cooker addict, but stuck in a bit of rut with recipes.I've had a cheeky flick through and there's some Asian faves in there as well as some new inspiring ones to try so I'm really happy with the quality and price, I think it will be a well recieved gift!It did arrive a little bit scuffed on the front outside two corners, and I don't think that is the delivery, I think it's because it's a not widely available book that's been shuffled around the Amazon warehouse a bit before finally being sold.I smoothed the corners down by weighting them under a heavier book, and the person I'm giving it to won't mind but for sure there will be people (who quite rightly) expect a perfect copy, especially if it's being given as a gift.

He hecho casi todas las recetas que no son muchas y salen muy ricas. También tienes que conocer tu olla para ajustar tiempos. Recomendable. Pega; es en Inglés

Recipes with can of food, poor paper. Didn't like it.

this is the best of Asian cooking- for slow cooker and for pan. Inspiring pictures, super recipes and a good variety of different Asian flavors. i can no t recommend this enough.

I first ordered this as a gift for a friend and liked it so much that I ordered two more for my sister and myself. The recipe instructions are easy to follow, even for someone new to Asian cooking. The wide variety of tasty possibilities offers something to suit everyone. The 5 ingredients or less section will appeal to cooks short on time.