Lettuce In The Kitchen is a cookbook dedicated to teaching readers how to make the most out of their lotus flower, Lettuce. With the ancient flower being associated with many different symbols throughout history, the book seeks to portray different meanings in a lotus flower through descriptions and examples from around the world. The author’s own culinary experiences using Lettuce throughout her life provide insight into the food and preparation process. The author has taken her knowledge about the vegetable and her expertise as a chef to create an easy to read book that can be used by anyone.
The first part of the book details the origin of the Lettuce flower and where it originally came from. The author uses the example of the sacred lotus flower in China to show how similar its symbolism can be to the meaning of Lettuce. She compares the lotus flower to the fragile, delicate symbol of fertility found in many religions throughout the world and even sheds light on the importance of the flower in Indian culture. By creating a myth of the flower and its travels throughout the ancient Asian world, Lettuce In The Kitchen offers a unique view into the traditions of India and the many legends and myths that surrounded it. Using both Chinese culture and Indian tradition as a basis for her research and examples, she offers insights into how Lettuce was associated with the people of India as well as how it relates to today’s culinary practices.
The second part of Lettuce In The Kitchen deals with the preparation and cooking of the vegetable. The text begins with a brief introduction to the various types of Lettuce available worldwide, including the popular varieties grown in Southern California such as Kohlrabi and Baca Juga. The author then delves into the common ways of preparing Lettuce, including frying, grilling or broiling, salads and more. By providing a clear description of each method, she hopes that the reader will be able to better understand the preparation process and cooking styles prevalent throughout the Asian cultures.
With Lettuce In The Kitchen focuses on the two most important parts of the vegetable: the seeds and the leaves. She starts her investigation by comparing the way Lettuce is traditionally prepared in Szechwan, China, Thailand and India. By comparing and contrasting the preparation techniques of these three different countries, she hopes that readers will have a greater understanding of the cultural differences and similarities that exist when it comes to the preparation of this flavorful vegetable. After describing the differences between the preparation of the lotre yang and the meghalaya variety, she concludes the book by examining the similarities between the two foods. Specifically, she compares the way the seeds are cooked and what ingredients go into the preparation process. While she doesn’t cook the seeds or the leaves separately, she does provide an explanation for why they are combined in the final dish.
I wasn’t familiar with Memela until she told me about her book. Having lived in Thailand for most of my life, I knew a bit about Thai food culture but not much about the preparation of the vegetable. Through her detailed descriptions, I gained a better understanding of the preparation process and found the different methods through which the lotuses are simmered. I especially liked the way she described the fiery and delicious flavor of the meghalaya variety and how she paired it with beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and even fried noodles. She even included a side quest on how to make Memelina from scratch which was an extremely interesting bit of information.
I learned that the secret to enjoying the rich flavor of Memelina is to use a combination of the meghalaya and the basa without over-frying them. I also enjoyed learning that the best way to enjoy the heat from both varieties is to eat them with a wide, loose scarf to protect your face from the fiery smoke that is emitted by the spicy steam of the meghalaya basa and the aromatic smoke from the basa. That’s definitely an addition I will make every time I get the chance! The next time I am in Phuket, I will definitely make the rounds of diners and sample some of the fabulous dishes offered by the many restaurants in Phuket.