Pichet Ong's Sweet Spot

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The first photograph by Pate Eng of desserts in Pichet Ong's The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts (William Morrow 2007) is a rectangular white plate holding three little sweets. The first is a Passion Fruit Dahn Taht ( p. 148), a luscious little tart filled with egg custard and passion fruit, then Sesame Balls with Drunken Fig Filling (p. 196) and "Tangerine Pie"– Caramelized Pineapple Turnovers (p. 150). Something very special is going on here. This is a book with a sense of humor, pleasure, and taste. Pichet approaches the sweet course with an open mind, an immense pantry stretching across Asia and training as a savory chef. The results are splendid – full of balance, dynamic flavors and color that will shake up both Western and Asian palates. These are recipes for the home cook even those unfamiliar with Asian cooking techniques, with only a quick stop at an Asian-specialty store for some fun ingredients. Pichet was the pastry chef for Jean-Georges Vongerichten's 66 and Spice Market conjuring up flavors to match Jean-Georges' exploration of Asian savory food. Jean-Georges writes in the forward: At a tasting of dessert selections before the opening of Spice Market, other chefs declined his durian ice cream, made from the notoriously pungent spiky tropical fruit, but I excitedly dug in. From that moment on, I knew that Pichet and I shared a love of truly authentic Asian cuisine. And as we cooked sweet and savory dishes together over the years, I saw that Pichet also shared my zeal for flavor combinations that are fresh yet familiar – complex yet simply spectacular. (p. xi) Though that amazing durian ice cream recipe is not included in this book (perhaps mercifully so, since durian is an extremely challenging fruit for those not familiar with its pungent odor) there are even better rewards that slip seamlessly between rethinking Asian and rethinking Western desserts. Be sure to read about The Sweet Asian Pantry (p. 12) with its excellent description of ingredients, like the difference between Kidney Beans and Asian Sweet Red Beans or Pandan Leaves and its uses. The first section on Cakes is not the most startling. Many of the recipes from Banana Cake (p. 31) to Olive Oil and Yogurt Cake (p. 35) could fit neatly into a book on non-Asian desserts, though they are very good. The surprise starts in the next section on Steamed Cakes: To cook a cake, you bake it, right? Well, what seems obvious in the West isn't always the case in Asia, where cakes are usually steamed. Ovens are still relatively new in Asian homes, and many families must take anything they want baked to the commercial ovens of local bakeries. (p. 39) That's often the situation in the Middle East and much of the developing world. The Steamed Pandan Cake (p. 40) is tantalizing with its layers of jewel-like green made with glutinous rice flour and tapioca. For lemon lovers, there is the Steamed Yuzu Soufflés (p. 45-46) that when cool, has a silky lemon curd on top. Pichet plays with American pop-treats in his Coconut "Twinkie" Cupcakes with Lemon Filling (p. 53) and the Dragon Devil's Food Cupcakes (p. 56) that are wickedly spiced with Lapsang souchong black tea, star anise and bourbon. A dragon devil would beat a plain old devil any day. In the cookie chapter, Pichet has fun with Chocolate Fortune Cookies (p. 106) admitting in the recipe notes that he called John Luzzini for help to teach him how to shape the tuile into the Chinese-American shape. He has a recipe for Chocolate-Covered "Pocky" Sticks (p. 111) that quintessential Japanese chocolate covered cookie stick. What a great recipe to make with kids! There are plenty more like Fruit "Creamsicle" Pops (p. 234) in blueberry, coconut, and lemon cream along with more adult Tea and Coffee Pops (p. 237), and ice creams from Red Bean Ice Cream (p. 240) to Mangosteen Sherbet (p. 242) perfect for the end of hot summer day's dinner. Pichet now has his own restaurant and dessert shop in New York called "P*ONG." His co-author, Genevieve Ko is a food writer and consultant. The text is clearly written yet maintains personality. From start to finish, the photographs show luscious desserts waiting to be created and devoured. As the heat of summer approaches, you might turn to the cuisines of the hot climates in Southeast Asia for dessert ideas: if you do, let The Sweet Spot be your guide. Other reviews: Publishers Weekly New York Times KCBS Cincinnati Enquirer Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie Previous articles: New Asian Cuisine Easter Special: Super Pastry Chefs [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, cookbook reviews, Pichet Ong --> back to Super Chef