The adventures of Fat Rice Recipes from the Chicago restaurant inspired by Macau

Chicago's Fat Rice restaurant serves up dishes inspired by the cuisine of Macau, which is to say that more than a half dozen countries hold sway on these recipes. Portugal, which governed Macau for 500 years before Macau became part of China in 1999, is a primary influence, as is China itself (so break out the wok), and there are hints of Brazil, Africa, India, Malaysia, and more. The title dish is a kind of paella with prawns, clams, sausage, and chicken. Chefs and co-owners Conlon and Lo, along with their former sous chef Amano, also offer their interpretations of rice-free entrees such as oven-baked salt cod, African grilled chicken in a tomato and coconut milk sauce, and, for the daring, a pig ear salad served with a garlicky vinaigrette. For dessert there is Hong Kong-style French toast, a deep-fried peanut butter and banana sandwich topped with coconut cream and papaya jam. Dan Goldberg's rich color photography shares the space with numerous, fun illustrations by Sarah Becan that instruct the reader on such techniques as shaping croquettes and whipping up a stir-fried vegetable side dish. An interesting ingredients glossary closes out the book, highlighting rarities like the candlenut and spilling the secrets of the Sichuan peppercorn (spoiler: it's not really a peppercorn). (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A trip to Macau inspired chefs Conlon, Adrienne Lo, and Hugh Amano to open Fat Rice, an award-winning Chicago restaurant known for its unique Portuguese-influenced Asian cuisine. In this fascinating and eclectic restaurant cookbook, the authors employ written directions and comic strips to teach home cooks to prepare bold, spicy dishes such as esmargal (pickled mackerel), fat noodles with XO sauce, crazy squid rice, and Hong Kong-style French toast. Advanced home cooks and professionals can handle the book's more complex recipes, which can require several components to be made over several days. Novices may prefer to stick to easier dishes such as basic fried rice and capela (Macanese meat loaf). VERDICT This impressive introduction to one of Asia's oldest "fusion" cuisines is highly recommended and makes for a fascinating read. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

MACAU RICE CRISP Makes 24 fun-size portions   A Fat Rice classic! The idea for this tasty treat came from the Yat Heng Tong Bakery on the island of Taipa during our first trip to Macau. There we found a Taiwanese baker making crisp puffed rice balls coated with all kinds of things, but the one that stood out for us was the one with nori and rousong (pork floss)--a weirdly delicious, fluffy, MSG-laden porcine treat. The balls had the texture similar to Rice Krispies Treats, with a super-addictive, slightly oceanic, and savory taste. Back home, we added sesame and chilli flakes, and the dynamic texture of not-melted-all-the-way marshmallows for a strangely delicious taste combination of sweet and salty, with a bonus porky flavor putting it over the top. Making this dessert is a rite of passage at Fat Rice that all new cooks need to master, and it is always interesting to watch how someone not from the United States (and therefore, who has never made or even experienced Rice Krispies Treats before) interprets the recipe.   10 nori sheets, about 7 by 8 inches 1 cup rousing 9 ounces (about 11 cups) puffed rice cereal 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted 1 tablespoon Korean chili flakes 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a bit to grease hands  ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 (28-ounce) bag marshmallows   Finely julienne the nori sheets into strips about 1 inch long--you'll need a good, sharp knife and some serious elbow grease, or take the nori into your office after everyone else is gone and use the boss's paper cutter.   On the bottom of a dry 9 by 13-inch baking dish, first sprinkle half of the rousong, then half of the nori on top of the pork and set aside. You want the pork floss to be on the outside of both sides of the rice crisps or the seaweed will not adhere.   Toss the cereal, sesame seeds, and Korean chilli flakes in a bowl and set aside.   Melt the butter with the salt and sesame oil in the biggest and widest pot you've got. Add the marshmallows and stir to slightly melt, taking care not to melt them more than about halfway, just a few min­utes. Remove from the heat and immediately add the cereal mixture, stirring well to combine. With buttered hands, press the cereal mixture firmly and evenly onto the floss and seaweed in the baking dish, pressing into an even layer. Top with the remaining seaweed, fol­lowed by the remaining pork floss. Top with parchment paper and weight down with another baking dish or something similar. Allow to cool for 1 hour, weighted, then remove from the pan and cut into serving-size portions. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days. Excerpted from The Adventures of Fat Rice: Recipes from the Chicago Restaurant Inspired by Macau by Abraham Conlon, Adrienne Lo, Hugh Amano All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.