It seems it all started back in the 1960s when California (specifically Los Angeles) became the major portal for sushi chefs coming to America to make their “American Dream” fortune through the country’s hungry restaurant community.Because the American visual appetite did not like seeing (or chewing) on the nori (edible seaweed) typically found on the outside of traditional Japanese sushi, the chefs quickly adapted and made a type of “inside-out” roll with the nori no longer being on the outside but still incorporating the highly desirable white, short-grained Japanese rice.This adaption quickly became known as the California Roll and can be attributed single-handedly as the major factor in the growing popularity of Read “Western Inspired Sushi”

In an earlier post I provided three nifty books to tap into to help feed your Pan Asian cooking addiction, and thought I’d add a few more to keep the nourishment going.

• Pan-Asian Express: Quick Fixes for Asian-Food Fans (Barbara Witt) is for anyone who loves Asian food, whether it’s Chinese, Thai, Indian, or Vietnamese this great book helps users to “grasp the generalities of Asian cooking” in a no-nonsense manner. There are over 100 recipes to peruse and the author showcases Read “Some More “Go To” Cookbooks”

There are a ton of resources out there for you to tap into your pan-asian cooking quest. Following are three cookbooks that I consider my “go to” resources when I get the urge to cook something steamy, fragrant, and delicious.

• The Complete Asian Cookbook (Charmaine Solomon) is considered by many to be the “perfect introduction to Asian food since the author tested every recipe (over 80-0 of them) before including them in her book to make sure that every step was easy to understand. Recipes that are included come from Read “Worth the Read: Three Great Cookbooks”

Here’s the recipe I wrote about earlier that calls for Japanese mayonnaise. I encourage you to go to your local Asian market to get some since it really does have a flavor that is unique and adds a special note to the dish when prepared. Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 dash garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 pounds scallops
• 1 cup Japanese mayonnaise, such as Kewpie brand
• 1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped Read “As Promised: Scallop-Topped Portabello Mushrooms”

Many Asian cultures share the tradition of gathering family to cook and enjoy meals together, but the activity can be broken out by three distinct regions:The southwest style of Asian cuisine includes dishes from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Burma and is strong in kebabs with t he use of hot peppers, black pepper, cloves, and other strong spices.The northeast tradition of Asian cooking is comprised of China, Korea, and Japan which all place an emphasis on the use of fats, oils, and spices in the cooking process. Additionally, spices are used for more than mere cooking in the northeast tradition since they move to the medicinal category as well.The third dietary culture of Asia is the southeast style which includes Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Indonesia, and Singapore (as well as a few others). This region Read “Three Asian Cooking Cultures”

If you consider yourself a “foodie” it’s a good chance you’ve run across a recipe or two with some ingredients that you’ve either never cooked with before; or worse, never even heard of. This happened to me recently when I happened upon a recipe for Japanese mayonnaise. Hmmm, I wondered, how is this any different from American mayonnaise? I was soon to find out the answer to that question plus a whole lot more as I ventured to my local Asian food market.Once inside I was like a kid in a candy store noticing sights, smells, and colors I had not seen before. The produce alone was Read “The Asian Grocery Store: A Whole New World”