"Cooking for expats" book

[Scummy Mummy]

Does anyone have it? Any good? Examples of recipes?

Every time I see a copy around it's shrink wrapped so I can't see what's inside.

Was thinking of getting a copy for my maid to use.

[Venice]

No, don't have it and would never buy it either.

Are we "Expats" so special, that we need "Fusion kitchen"? I cannot think of one recipe that would suit to the tastes of all expats (Indians, Malay, ANZA's, Americans or Europeans).

Why don't you teach your FDH the dishes, your family likes? Maybe more effort but you will be much more satisfied in the end.

[Scummy Mummy]

I am doing, but it'll be a slow process, and since most of what we like is in my head rather than in a book I thought it'd be useful to her to have a book with the basics to refer to.

Ok, so another question: what would be a good, basic cookery book? Something like Jamie's Dinners?

[Spot!]

Get an Australian Women's Weekly cookbook (the soft cover version) - they have a series of "Best Ever" cookbooks which are fool proof and have all the usual type Western foods.

The Australian WW cookbooks are the best thing since sliced bread and very easy to follow.

I wouldn't waste my time on the cooking for expat type cookbooks - too expensive and not as good.

[WastePaper]

I saw that book and laughed - its amazing what crap is published these days.

Jamie's books are 'ok' but some of the ingredients are things you may not be able to find here.  Ive got a couple of PeriPlus cookbooks - they are good, easy to follow and most recipes dont require a lonnnnng list of ingredients.

[2spot]

just looked it up an a m a z o n wants a whopping $377 USA dollars for the best ever book! any cheaper alternatives?

[Periplus]

I have some of them too - you often get them in cold storage as well as bookshops and they're only around $5 each.  There's one called family favourites and from memory (I haven't actually got that one) they have stuff like fish and chips and shepherd's pie etc.

my friend did buy the cooking for expats book, for herself, she didn't have a maid - and it was quite good as I recall.  Go into the bookshop and ask them to unwrap a copy so you can look at it - I've done this before - they shouldn't mind if they're hoping to sell it (they should always keep one copy unwrapped for browsing I think).

[Spot!]

USD377.00 for an Australian WW cookbook? I'll sell you mine at half the price!

The WW Cookbooks cost about AUD12 and I think that you can order them direct fom the WW publisher.

Cheers.

[Nigella]

Cooking For Expats is aimed at maids and uses locally available ingredients. 
I am an avid cook and have a vast array of cookbooks and I still think that this is a good book.
It has great basics like sauces, children friendly meals etc.
My maid who since being employed by us has become a fabulous cook uses it as her "staples" cookbook.
One of things she likes is the photos.  She often compares the finished product with the photo, it is her way of gauging whether she has got it right.
If you are looking for a cookbook for a maid especially someone who is new to working for caucasion expats it is a great start.

[booklooksok]

Or you could make her a manual (folder with clear inserts) and take pictures of final dishes for future references. I had a meal at a friends once that was prepared using that book. It was yummy.

[AWW Books]

You can get the AWW books in Singapore in the 2 major booksellers.

There is the Beginners Cookbook, Basic cookbook and a newer one, Simple Foods which all have lots of clear step-by-step pics. These would be great for anyone starting out with Western dishes.

A couple of new ones I just bought in Oz are After Work Fast and Simply Summer which have lots of Asian type dishes as well.  They were A$12.95

[Internet]

Why don't you look for your favorite recipes on the Internet and print them out for your maid? Much cheaper and more choices.

[library]

I am a big fan of the Singapore libraries.  I know they have some Women's Weekly cookbooks.  You can even search the catalogue on-line to see if they have the book you want. 

[need ingredients]

I have so many recipe books but find it so hard to get the right ingredients here because the books are made overseas.

Have some lovely recipes for chicken dishes, all using chicken thigh fillets. Does anyone know where to buy them here?  I have not found it easy to get things like that at all.

This is why the Cooking for Expats is a good type of book for maids, the stuff is easily bought here and it does have good pictures etc, pity about the steep price on it.

[thigh and dry]

you could just buy normal chicken thighs and remove the bone.  Or go to a decent butcher or the wet market and they might remove the bone for you (they've offered to remove the bone when I've bought chicken breast at the market).

Sometimes the ingredients are called by a different name.  I had a bit of a hard time finding corriander at first before I realised it went under the name 'Chinese parsley'.