Charmaine Solomon
Author of The Complete Asian Cookbook
About the Author
Charmaine Solomon was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 31, 1930. At the age of 18, she became an assistant to the editor of the women's pages of the Ceylon Daily News. She eventually wrote a food column called Oceans of Notions for the newspaper. She moved to Australia in 1959. In 1964, she won show more second place in the Woman's Day Butter White Wings Bake Off and was invited to join Woman's Day as a food writer. She worked at the magazine for 11 years, including three as food editor, then became cookery editor of Belle magazine followed by food editor of Family Circle magazine. Her first book, The South East Asian Cookbook, was published in 1972. She is the author of 31 cookbooks and the creator of her own brand of spice blends and marinades. Her other books include The Complete Asian Cookbook, Encyclopedia of Asian Food, and The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Rodney Weidland
Series
Works by Charmaine Solomon
Associated Works
Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali (2003) — Foreword — 65 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Solomon, Charmaine Maureen
- Birthdate
- 1930-11-31
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- food writer
author
editor
columnist - Awards and honors
- Order of Australia (2007)
- Nationality
- Sri Lanka (birth)
Australia - Birthplace
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Places of residence
- Australia
- Associated Place (for map)
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
Members
Reviews
This has been one of my favorite cookbooks for almost 40 years. Unlike so many cookbooks, it has really withstood the test of time.
In my food, cooking, and cookbook-collecting circles, one frequently faces the question of what cookbooks would you take to a desert island, if you could only take ______. (Fill in the blank.) My standard answer is that I would take this book plus James Beard's American Cookery. If limited to only one cookbook, I would take this one. Charmaine Solomon really show more NAILED the cookery of the countries that are represented in this book. My opinion has not changed over the years, even with the increased availability of Asian ingredients in the interim. It now occurs to me that this could only be the case if Charmaine Solomon did not "dumb down" the recipes with that availability in mind. Kudos to her for this formula for a cookbook that is destined to have lasting value. show less
In my food, cooking, and cookbook-collecting circles, one frequently faces the question of what cookbooks would you take to a desert island, if you could only take ______. (Fill in the blank.) My standard answer is that I would take this book plus James Beard's American Cookery. If limited to only one cookbook, I would take this one. Charmaine Solomon really show more NAILED the cookery of the countries that are represented in this book. My opinion has not changed over the years, even with the increased availability of Asian ingredients in the interim. It now occurs to me that this could only be the case if Charmaine Solomon did not "dumb down" the recipes with that availability in mind. Kudos to her for this formula for a cookbook that is destined to have lasting value. show less
Not your conventional vegetarian cookbook. Divided into European and Asian dishes, it also has sections on desserts and drinks. The apple pie recipe is the best in the known universe, and the no-roll pastry recipe is incredibly handy for tarts and qhiches.
Down Australia way this has been the definitive general text since long before I started cooking.
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking show more of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking show more of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Down Australia way this has been the definitive general text since long before I started cooking.
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking show more of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking show more of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
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