a TeMPLe of WoRDS

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. No other consideration was offered, expected or received.

Shortly after I graduated from high school, I met a girl around my age named Mary. Her mother was from Thailand and she was such an amazing person. I learned so much from her – and got to taste some of the best food I have EVER had the pleasure of tasting. Ever since then, I have been a huge fan of Thai food, but nothing is ever as good as the authentic food I got to taste from her kitchen and the kitchens of some of her friends.

I've been to culinary school, and authentic food has always been a passion of mine, so when I came across this book at NetGalley, I grabbed it up. I am so glad that I did. It is informative and filled with beautiful pictures. It tells about each recipe, ingredients and their substitutes, and gives plenty of information on how they eat food in Thailand. The background information on each recipe was very well done and sometimes hilarious, especially her discussion on "Naked Shrimp" (Fish sauce-marinated fresh shrimp with spicy lime dressing).

I learned a lot of things from this book, like that canned cream corn was a popular ice cream topping in Thailand in the 1970s, and have a list of recipes that I can't wait to try. If you like cooking and are into Thai food, this is a book you should definitely pick up. :)