Cook Your Way Around the World with Exotic Table
Exotic Table P. 300, Hardcover, 100+ Recipes, Fully Illustrated. (Details on book and Aliya LeeKong; purchase via )
Exotic Table – Flavors, Inspiration, and Recipes from Around the World – to Your Kitchen, was introduced to the world in 2013 by the author, Aliya LeeKong. The cookbook received nationwide acclaim for making international flavors as familiar as they are exciting. Exotic Table was named “Best of the Best” by Food & Wine magazine in 2014; the prestigious award selects the top 25 cookbooks in the U.S. each year.
Let’s listen in on this video by Aliya LeeKong and listen to what she as to say about her cooking style:
The Chief Blonde Remarks:
I was sent a copy of the Exotic Table so I could visit culinary delights from around the world from my kitchen. I was mesmerized by the recipes. I wasn’t really sure I would have the ingredients to make anything from the book, but as I paged through, I found I had almost every ingredient for many recipes and I would just have to nip out and buy one or two (mostly the fresh items).
LeeKong gives a brief intro to each recipe which really helps you to define the location of the world that inspired the creation along with get a feel for how the recipe will appeal to your senses. For example, on the recipe I choose to make from page 133, “Chicken Salad with Bacon, Walnuts and Fruit”, Aliya writes
“Here, instead of mayonaise, toasted walnuts are spun in the food processor with pita soaked in milk to form the base. I added bacon and shallot for smoke and crunch, and the fruit adds a sweet, watery bite to the salad. This is fantastic in a sandwich or by itself with some greens.”
Is your mouth watering yet? Check out some of these other creations from the book:
Left to Right: p. 118, Butterflied Za’atar Roast Chicken; p. 72 Massaged Kale Sald with Pear, Fresh Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette; p. 300, Cherry-Yuzu Champagne Floaters
You will love the little tips she sprinkles throughout to ensure you understand why you are preparing a particular ingredient as she suggests. I found each recipe to be quite sexy in it’s presentation and illustration. You will find this book a feast for the eyes as well as the palette in my opinion. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
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UPDATE: This post originally had a $104 4 cookbook giveaway attached. The rafflecopter entry device has been removed and had 2631 entries. See Giveaway Winners.
I would like to get this cook book!
I love visual feast-type cookbooks like this one! The massaged kale salad looks divine. Beautiful book, & I’ll check it out further!
This looks great. I like trying new flavors, so this is right up my alley.
This does sound amazing! And since many folks like me can’t afford to travel to destinations, it is a nice option to try their recipes!
This sounds like a great book with some interesting recipes. I like that there are explanations about the area of the world where the recipe was inspired from.
I like that she adds explanations and tips. This really pulls you into the recipe and the experience of cooking it. When I think exotic, I figured it would be hard to find ingredients, too. Good to know that you had most of it.
The photographs appeals to me because they look very tasty!
The stories behind the recipes appeal to me.
She is well traveled and learned from everywhere! I love multicultural foods from around the world. This book sounds fabulous to turn my cooking up a few notches for dinner parties!
I like that the cookbook incorporates unique ingredients.
I saw aliya on one of the morning shows when she was promoting her book. I would LOVE to receive it as this is also my blog genre – cooking foods inspired from around the world!
I love that the recipes come from all over the world, not just one region, and the Mexican chocolate loaf cake sounds delicious!
I would love to try new cooking styles and to have a book that guides you….really helps I’m sure!
beautiful recipes, if i cant cook it, it will make a great coffee table book!
I love how unique the recipes are.
I would like to win this for my fiancé as he is so wonderful in the kitchen and always looking for something new and different to try. I peeked inside this book and saw some images of items that were being cooked with that I’ve never seen before. This would be right up his alley.