Author(s): Yan-Kit So
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
Publication Date: 2006-11-30
Pages: 256
Review: As far as the text is concerned, this is a five-star cookbook if ever there was one. For the familiar Chinese classics, it remains probably the best English-language source available, with creditable versions of every dish it includes, and some recipes (the sweet-and-sour pork, for instance) that are unmatched elsewhere. Yet, in contrast to earlier editions, this 2006 British republication now has problems in typeface and layout.
Unlike the 1998 American “DK Living” edition, where ingredients and recipes are printed in an easy-to-read bold typeface, the type used in the 2006 hardcover is small and thin; especially in the list of ingredients, the squeezed-together type is very hard to make out, and the fractional amounts can only be read (by me, at least) with a magnifying glass. Moreover, before I gave up, I found at least one instance where the centimeters-to-inches conversion was way off (”¼ inch” as the thickness of the pork cubes in that sweet-and-sour recipe).
Then there are the illustrations, usually the glory of a DK cookbook. In the “DK Living” edition, there are pictures of every dish, and they are breathtakingly styled and photographed; they are a lesson in how to make Chinese food look delicious and elegant without the vegetable cutouts or background chinoiserie of lesser publications. In the 2006 version, only some of the dishes are pictured; most of its best photos (the “ingredients” section at the beginning of the book) are those that appeared in the “DK Living” edition, and only the photo of Szechwan duck with lotus rolls is an improvement on the older picture. For the rest, the shallow-focus, hyper-colorful photos may be the current cookbook standard, but they don’t measure up to the more austere beauty of the “DK Living” illustrations; they can misrepresent the recipe as given (for instance, the dark soy in the sweet-and-sour fish produces something much browner than the bright red sauce shown); and the sloppily shredded scallions atop the pang pang chicken look downright amateurish. Finally, the ingredient photos (and recipes) in the “DK Living” edition are accompanied by the names in Chinese, a useful addition for Chinese readers or when shopping.
Everyone interested in Chinese cooking should own this book; but the “DK Living” edition, a sturdy, well bound paperback, is the one to get.This book is such a jem. I only wish I had discovered it years ago when it was first published. Yan Kit So is intelligent and straight forward, easy to follow and to undersand, I wish I could meet her. I received such an education just from reading this book and will continue my quest of making each and every recipe in the book; so far not one has let me down (most have made me a little fatter, he he). I will also be collecting every other cook book she has either writtenor co-written. Thanks Yan Kit So, you rock!
There are a great many detailed instructions at the beginning of the book which is its best value I am a novice with chinese food. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but am looking at a crab and asparagus dish.I enjoy cooking a great deal and like to experiment with different culture’s cuisine. I own a vast collection of cookbook, but must confess that this is by far one of my favorites. It has a vast array of recipes. Unfortunately the ingrediates are not easily found in typical supermarkets. The recipes that I have tried are delicious, there are grea pictures and the instructions are easy to follow. I strongly recommend this book.I received this book for Christmas and I have been cooking chinese food like mad crazy ever since. The best section of the book is the beginning which gives an overview of different chinese ingredients which might be unfamiliar to the novice. I’ve had success with each and every recipe I have tried—from the Tossed Noodles with Ginger and Scallions to Sweet Corn Soup. My favorite is the Dry-fried Four-Swason Beans on page 203. And also, my brother had been talking for months and months of a crispy seaweed dish that he loved to eat at chinese restaurants in England. I never had any idea what he was talking about until I found the “Seaweed” recipe in this book. It was so easy to make and he said that it was just as he remembered. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to start experimenting with Chinese food in the kitchen.
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