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Mike Gosling’s recipes are a sumptuous introduction to Asian and Pacific Island cooking. These recipes have been tried and tested on so many friends and colleagues who guarantee that a visit to Mike’s AsiaPacifc Kitchen is not to be missed!

As a child growing up in the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific I was fortunate to have an abundance of food to eat. Exposed at an early age to a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, exotic spices and different cooking techniques and seasonings, I grew up with a love and appreciation of Fijian, Indian, Chinese, and English foods. Immigrating to Australia in 1974 at age 25 I was introduced to Sri Lankan, Italian and Greek food, along with Australiana fare. At that time Chinese cooking was becoming popular in Australia and I took a course in Cantonese cooking with Michael Kwok in Adelaide in 1974. So began my love affair with cooking which has resulted in the compilation of recipes from additional cooking courses, cook books, and friends from many parts of the world. My cooking focuses on the Asian Pacific dishes that I love to cook and share with friends at home over a nice bottle of red (or two!).

I started traveling to Asia in June of 1984, when my wife, Karen, and I visited Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In 1990 I spent five weeks in Seoul, South Korea, teaching English to Korean missionaries preparing to travel to various countries in the world under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church in Korea. In 1993 I spent a month in Kunming, Yunnan, China, whose “Cross-over-bridge” noodles are legendary. Wish I had that recipe to bring you. In April 1997 I moved, with Karen, and my sons, Daniel and William, to live in Singapore. Each destination I have visited over the years brought new nutritious and delicious foods that were cooked with such ease. Aromas and tastes of differing spices intoxicated me and drove me to learn how to prepare these wonderful dishes. Soups, seafood, meat, and vegetable combinations laced with chili, lemon grass, lime juice, tamarind, coconut, and exotic Indian spices pushed me forward.

This cookbook then, is what I have learned about different food preparation, cooking methods, the blending of aromatic spices, nampla sauces, and food presentation. Undoubtedly these recipes are my favorites. Collecting them has been my hobby – the process is ongoing. The cookbook is for my friends who have been at me for some time to let them have my recipes and for anyone interested in Asia Pacific cooking.

Of course there are so many excellent Asian cookbooks, but one I recommend is Madhur Jafferey (1989) “Madhur Jafferey’s Far Eastern Cookery”, BBC Books, London.

I have included an introduction to some recipes, where this seems appropriate, that tells of where Karen and I have traveled and the wonderful people whom we have met along the way. Food is to be experienced and enjoyed with friends. So is life. Together, Karen and I offer you the benefit of some of our experiences with Asia Pacific food and the memories that we have made along the way. I do hope you try and enjoy my recipes. Please leave me your comments. I would love to hear from you.

Get started on Mike’s Asia Pacific Recipes today! >>

Life is to live!
Mike Gosling

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