Cooking With Coconut

Coconut is healthy and delicious. It is also native to cuisines around the world, including Thai, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and many Caribbean cultures. Cooking with Coconut offers a tantalizing taste of this tropical superfood's culinary diversity, with 125 original recipes using coconut in all its forms. Options span the menu, from breakfast dishes like Savory Coconut Crêpes to dinner and dessert dishes like Asparagus with Shallots and Shredded Coconut, Coconut Pork Kabobs, and Coconut Rum Crème Brûlée. Ramin Ganeshram, an award-winning food journalist, dishes up everything home cooks and health-conscious eaters need to know to fully enjoy this delectable powerhouse!  Cooking with Coconut showcases the versatility of the coconut with creative recipes for using it in all its forms and flavors, from breakfast dishes to ethnic-inspired curries and sweet desserts. Ramin Ganeshram is a journalist and professional chef trained at the Institute of Culinary Education. For many years she was an award-winning writer for the New York Times and Newsday. She is the author of several cookbooks including an IACP award winner, and her most recent, Cooking with Coconut. Her writing has been featured in Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and on epicurious.com, as well as National Geographic Traveler, Forbes Traveler, and many other publications. Ganeshram has appeared as a judge on the Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. She lives in Connecticut. Introduction

A Little Coconut History

A Nutritional Powerhouse

The Rich Diversity of Coconut

1  A Coconut Primer: Parts, Products, and Uses

  The Many Forms of Coconut

  DIY Coconut Pantry

2  Openings (Appetizers, Snacks, and Small Plates)

3  Mains

4  Vegetables, Legumes, and Starches

5  Breakfasts

6  Desserts

7  Drinks

Glossary

Recipes by Dietary Type

Index Delectable and Diverse



Cooks from the lower latitudes have long known that the best thing about coconut is its delicious, versatile flavor. Its other assets, such as heart-healthy oil and naturally gluten-free flour, are just the coconut-cream frosting on the cake. Compatible with many diets, savory and sweet dishes – including Coconut-Mango Glazed Hot Chicken Wings, Almond-Coconut White Bean Spread, Coconut Belgian Waffles, and Coconut-Orange Shortbread – draw from culinary traditional around the globe and celebrate coconut in its many forms. "Only one word does justice to this book: stunning! Ramin's recipes reflect her insightful approach to combining flavors and seasonings. All delicious, all delightful!"

- Monica Bhide, author of Modern Spice
"The definitive book on coconut cookery! This incomparable collection - with international favorites like chicken satay and vegetable korma to coconut macaroons - shows off the breadth and depth of Ganeshram's knowledge. An extraordinary reference that's sure to become a classic."

- Grace Young, James Beard Award-winning author of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge "A beautiful lesson on why the coconut is called the Tree of Life by all cultures lucky enough to have it in their midst. The possibilities that Ramin dishes out in this treasured collection of recipes show coconut's unlimited potential."

- Amy Besa, co-author of Memories of Philippine Kitchens