Easy Cooking

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.
Price: $21.91   Buy This Book

Author(s): Su-Huei Huang, Mu-Tsun Lee
Publisher: Wei-Chuan Publishing
Publication Date: 2005-08
Pages: 173
Review: Chinese Cuisine. Rice & Noodles. By Su-Huei Huang and Mu-Tsun Lee

More that 174 pages of wonderful food with step-by-step Chinese and Enlish text and colour photos to guide you through each recipe.

Mrs. Su-Huei Huang established the “Wei-Chuan Cooking School” in Taiwan in 1963 together with Mr. Mu-Tsun Lee, chief professor of Chinese culinary cooking, now a resident of Japan. More than 200.000 students from Taiwan and other countries have matriculated in this school throughout the years and many of the graduates have become successful restaurant owners or chefs all over the world.

Something from the history from China:

In Taiwan the cooking tradition going back to “The ruling Emperers of China” and their Royal kitchen and cooks”. This fine art of cooking was lost in China during the revolution. However when the famous general, later President “Chiang Kai-shek” ( / ) escaped in 1949 from mainland China to Taiwan with thousands of the upper class and the former Chinese government officials, they also included some famous Chefs from The Imperial Kitchen. During the time of the Emperors power in China they were never allowed to write down any Royal recepies, or to give them away. The recepies were only for the Emperor and his entourage. Those who gave away recepies lost their heads…, very quickly…. Those Chinese who came to Taiwan brought with them many old and great Chinese cooking traditions which have fortunately survived.

The Publisher:

The wonderful cooking school “Wei-Chuan Cooking School” in Taiwan has published a whole series of wonderful cookbooks. Lee Wha Lim have written more than 19 different books covering food from all the different regions of China.

And all his books are excellent!!! - They are all written in two languages English and Chinese. Each dish is described in preparations, step by step, explaining everything in English and is so crystal clear and easy to understand that one would wish that many western cookbooks couls be that concise.

This cook book:

All the major parts of China is representated in this fine cooking book (Szechwan, Cantonese, Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwanese).

And it start explaining about the different types of rice and noodles you can buy, and with photos in colour so you can relate to the different types. Then there is a comprehensive chapter on different kind of cooking oils, frequents used spices and dried goods, as well as vegetables and herbs, meats and vegetables and stocks.

You will learn how to shop, prepare all food and ingridiences, step by step and you will learn how to cut the meat and seafood the correct way. You will learn how to prepare rice in several different ways from boid to steamed and fried, etc.

If you love rice and noodles, you will also love this book. It is one of the best books I have seen and it is written by the Chinese themself! Can’t be better.

PER GADE

Denmark, England, USA & Japan.

Music Professor,

author of 56 books,

prize winner in international cooking and gourmand food,

for friends and special partiesThis cookbook is great for beginners.. the recipes I’ve tried so far turned out exactly like they should look and taste. It’s a great edition if you’re doing everyday cooking for two. I am a big fan of the Weichuan cookbook series (maybe because my mom based her cooking on them when I was growing up) but was a little disappointed by this one. I was not expecting such a large section about dishes served over rice, but rather more recipes using rice and noodles as a central ingredient. Having said that, a lot of the staples are in here so it still serves a handy reference manual (I tend to improvise and add more ingredients than suggested, using the recipes in this book just as a general guide). I purchased this book from Amazon last week and am already using it all the time. I grew up in Taiwan and wanted to make recipes that were genuine chinese. My mother always used the Wei Chuan cookbooks so when I found this one I had to have it. It’s been a real treat. My sister and I looked at the recipes and reminisced about our childhood and all the yummy dishes we missed, many of which are in this book. The Kung Pao chicken alone made the book worth buying. The recipes are easy and don’t call for a lot of ingredients. There is also lots of variety between the meat dishes, noodles, soups, fried rice and dessert recipes.If you love to cook, this book is worth having. The recipes are written very clearly, the pictures look so great you want to take a bite out of the page. I have tried many different Chinese cookbooks in the past, this one beats them all. Just for the Kung Pao Chicken and the Beef and Pepper Sauce alone makes this book worth having. The author also tells you how some recipes originated, e.g., Kung Pao means “Royal Teacher to the Prince,” this recipe was named after Ding Bao Zhen after being promoted to that position in the Qing Dynasty. Little tidbits like this I find fun and fascinating! You don’t need a wok to prepare the recipes, I use a nonstick 12-inch skillet and the recipes come out great. Very easy to prepare. The trick is to have all the ingredients measured and handy when you are about to cook, because everything cooks so fast. My husband said he’ll never eat take-out again!
Price: $24.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Yan-kit So
Publisher: DK ADULT
Publication Date: 2006-12-25
Pages: 224
Review: I was expecting more theory. This is just a collection of specific recipes and traditional ingredients. No learning curve here. It’s hard to make dishes out of this book on a weeknight where there isn’t much time bc the ingredient list is long and there are multiple steps… some of the dishes are also very traditional and things my mother would make but not something that I would like to eat.. but this book is still good to have on your shelf for those just in case moments!

It’s odd to see that only one review has been posted on this amazing book. It’s a great book with well written recipes, some background on the regional differences in cooking in China and explanation on ingredients and basic cooking methods (like the Chinese ‘going through the oil’ method used a lot apparently in traditional Chinese cooking but unheard of in other chinese cookbooks).

It has basic recipes for the beginner and more elaborate recipes for those who already know a bit about Chinese cuisine.

I would definately recommend it.Yan-kit’s cookbook is a celebration of authentic flavors from China, with easy-to-follow numbered steps to make cooking even easier. National favorites like Peking Duck are featured along with delicious Wonton Soup and Spring Rolls. The book is divided into “Recipes” and “Regional Menus.”

The first section explains ingredients, equipment and techniques. New cooks will love the detailed pages on how to use a Wok, Steamer and various knives like the cleaver. Step-by-step pictures take you through everything from preparing the ingredients to the final presentation.

Yan-kit also includes fun advice on what to drink with your meal, how to eat rice and how to serve a meal. Pictures of all the vegetables, dried mushrooms, bean products, herbs, spices, cereals, sauces, oils, wines, vinegars, grains and noodles is very helpful when shopping.

A few of the intriguing ingredients featured include Chinese flowering cabbage, winter melon, ginkgo nuts, Szechwan peppercorns, Tientsin fen pi made from mung beans, floral mushrooms and dried oyster.

A few of the delicious recipes include:

Steamed Scallops in the Shell

Deep-fried Wontons

Lobster with Ginger and Scallions

Kung Pao Chicken

Paper-wrapped Chicken

Willow Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

Beef with Preserved Tangerine Peel

Red Bean Paste Pancakes

The Szechwan Menu serves eight and includes delicious Silver thread buns, Lotus leaf buns, Fragrant and Crispy Duck, Hot and Sour Soup, Fragrant Shredded Pork, Dry-fried four-season beans and Pang Pang Chicken.

What is it about a delicious soup served in a beautiful bowl and enjoyed with a porcelain soup spoon? I think the recipes are even more delicious when served in something like the ASIN: B000ITZ81O set with a beautiful peony design. You may also want to look for a Cantonese Fire Pot.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is not an ingredient in this cookbook, so the flavors come from quality ingredients and flavorings. The classic favorites are included, but this book is a little more gourmet in appeal all while retaining an authentic appeal. The beauty of this book is that you can either select a new recipe to try for lunch or dinner or go all out and cook for a party by using the menu section.

~The Rebecca Review
Price: $20.00   Buy This Book

Author(s): Huang Su-Huei
Publisher: Wei-Chuan Publishing
Publication Date: 1983-06
Pages: 206
Review: very handy book, especially for those who dont read chinese.

authentic enough for your average diner.

tried maybe 10 recipes so far, everything has turned out quite nicely.I love this cookbook! It makes Chinese cooking so easy and it is not time consuming at all. All the recipes are clear and simple, by far the easiest cookbook to follow. In addition, the colored pictures for each recipe make my cooking experience that much more exciting. I actually look forward to finding new recipes in the cookbook to make every night! I bought this book so that i can get more ideas and choices in my daily dishes. i’ve read many great feed back from here and therefore i went ahead and bought the book. I was really excited when the book arrived, but as soon as i open the cover, all my excitement quickly disappeared. There are several problemswith this book.

first one is the pictures. Perhaps, this book might be one of the earlier edituion publish by wei Chaun publishing company, therefore the photo doesn’t show the detail process in how to hand the ingredients. I noticed that other books that were published in the late80s and early 90’s have pictures that are much more useful becuase it shows how things should look at each step. This book only have pictures of the finished product.

Second problem is their rescipes. half of the book involved simple stir fry stuff. beef with onion and Sa te souce, beef with mix snow peas, beef with veggie in oyster souce. i guess this is what home cooking is all about. you make one dish. the next one you can add a different veggetable and call it a new recipes. the souces are all the same.. (corn starch, soy, sugar and water). with a tiny bit of cooking experience and interest, anyone can come up with those stuff. the same goes with the stir-fry chicken and pork dishes. it volved the same style just different meat. I know that in chinese home cooking, most of the time you used the same source, brown soy thickened with cornstarched, either that or black bean or oyster ource which you can buy in a jar from a chinese store. I am not crazy about the veggetarian their soups dishes in this book. The dishes are too traditional. it involved ingredients that are loved by older people like my grandmother. younger generation don’t usually endore these dishes.

Other reipes i found useless are the appetizers (ham, chinse BBQ pork, beef shanks, and chinse sausage, sliced hard boil eggs and roasted peanuts, cashews). first of all , the cold cut meats and nuts. can be purchased. 99% of chinese people don’t eat these except when dine in restaurant. most meats are something buy from stores.

Finally, i should mention that i am chinese. i have chinese home cooking all my life. I also travel to HK and Taiwan quite frequently, so i am very familiar with many different dishes and various cooking styles. I consider myself as a rather experienced cook. I can make just about everything i’ve can tast. I am dissappointed that this book only have one type of cooking style, that is basic stir-frying. I know most of the stuff in the book already. the recipes are the very basic home cooking recipes. there’s no new ideas. I’ve tried several recipes from the book, and the result was a very dissappointing. and I am not impress with this book.

It is rather difficult to make recommendation for this book. on one hand, this book contains many simply stir fry recipes useful for those who are not familiar with chinese cooking. However, you do need have cooking experience to be successful. you need to understand chinese ingredients in order to follow these recipes. If you’re chinese you probably already know how to stir fry most of the stuffs from the book, and hating all the soups and appertizer becuase of the weird ingredients in them. Speedy delivery. The book is excellent. It makes a great Christmas gift!I love this cookbook. The ingredients are simple and the instruction are easy to follow.
Price: $24.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Michael Tong
Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks
Publication Date: 2007-02-01
Pages: 272
Review: Shun Lee Dynasty on Est 55 has been my favorite Chinese restaurent since 1975. I have eaten there on business lunch every other day for 2 years. The chef would try new things on us. Mock duck pie (not sure of real name) is a vegetarian (and I amnot) dish that is served the same as Peking DUck with Mandarin Pancake, hoisin sauce and green onion and it is wonderful. Their fried dumplings are the best. Hack chicken a sechuan shrimps are house favorites here. They had several recipes printed in NYT in the 70’s…priceless. This cookbook is a neccessary addition to my Chinese collection.At breakfast, Michael Jordan ate only half of his pancakes. I asked him why. “If you want to fly,” he said, “you have to eat like a bird.”

Clear conclusion: Control portion size.

Now comes Michael Pollan, with even more explicit advice: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Clear conclusion: Meat, once the centerpiece of the dinner plate, is now to be regarded — at least by eaters who want to live long and well — as an accent. A condiment. A flavoring.

This is a much more challenging decree. It’s one thing to say, as smart diet books have said for a decade, that your nightly serving of protein should be no larger than your fist. It’s another to reduce that hunk of animal flesh to a mere afterthought. This is America, a meat-and-potatoes country. Salads are for women and dieters. A man’s gotta eat. (And so, if truth be told, do women.)

And yet…Pollan’s right. For health reasons. Ecological reasons (growing and processing 2.2 pounds of beef generates as much carbon dioxide as the average European car emits every 155 miles). And then there’s the reason that will get everyone’s attention: economics.

You’ve seen the headlines about contaminated beef, and you’re dimly aware that this Administration wouldn’t weep if it downsized every government meat inspector, but it’s the economic argument that really hits home. More and more, corn that once fed farm animals (a bad idea) is being diverted to create ethanol (another bad idea). That drives corn prices up. And higher corn prices, in turn, drive up the price of hamburger at your local market.

At a certain point, beef will become a luxury item.

But what are you going to do — live on junk food?

My solution: Chinese cooking.

Forget that nonsense about feeling hungry an hour after a Chinese dinner. Good Chinese cooking is as satisfying as it is healthful. It’s ecologically correct: heavy on vegetables and proteins like tofu, skimpy on meat and fish. And, in those proportions, it’s as kind to your wallet as it is to your heart and gut.

The thing is, we don’t know how to cook it.

Three cheers, then, to Michael Tong, whose Shun Lee restaurants have delighted New Yorkers and the city’s visitors for three decades. In his cookbook, he hasn’t exactly reproduced the recipes he uses in his restaurants. He’s done something more useful — in modifying his recipes for home cooks, he’s explained the basic principles of Chinese cooking. Because, as it turns out, Chinese cooking isn’t just tossing ingredients into a hot wok and stir-frying.

In fact, as I read through Tong’s cookbook, I realized that the biggest hurdle you face in becoming a decent Chinese home cook is… shopping. There are a dozen ingredients you need, and you’re not likely to find them in your neighborhood megamarket. But once you stock your larder, you’re set — all you need for a given dish are the fresh ingredients.

So buy that wok and season it. Lay in sesame oil and tree ear. Make sure you always have ginger and tofu on hand. And then, for less money than a meal at Shun Lee, open a branch of that much-loved restaurant in your own home.

This beautifully illustrated and graciously written cookbook is a rarity. Inspiring, tantalizing pictures and easy-to-follow recipes of cuisines I adore (from Sichuan, Hunan and Shanghai)but for which I rarely find recipes. Get it and I assure you, your life will be more delicious…even if you don’t cook, you’ll drool over the photos.I bought the Shun Lee cookbook when it first came out, since I was familiar with the quality and deliciousness of the food at the restaurant in New York, and have always wanted to learn how to make such amazing chinese food at home.

I am something of a novice chef, especially when it comes to chinese cuisine, and all of the recipies I have prepared have come out amazingly. I made the dry sauteed green beans, lemon chicken, and scallion pancakes for a dinner party of 5, and got rave reviews all around…people couldn’t believe I had made the dishes myself! Everyone asked me for the recipes, and a couple of people went out and bought the book. Several of my friends have since tried the recipes at home with similarly fantastic results.

I’ve also made the dumplings in big batches and kept them in my fridge and prepared them in different ways for dinner all week long (same goes for the cold sesame noodles).

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who ever wanted to be able to make fantastic chinese at home (or pass themselves off as a gourmand to all of their friends).

This cookbook is my go-to for dinner parties and quick, simple, delicious meals during the week. I saw the cookbook in Barnes and Nobel and was intrigued, because many of the dishes sound nice but quite foreign to me, a Chinese growing up in China. Anyhow, I decided to check it out at the Shun Lee restaurant at the Lincoln center.

It was horrible. China-one-buffet type food served in fashionably decorated restaurant. The honey spare rib is simply rib roasted in honey, and is borderline acceptable; but the braised duck is a joke, and the twice cooked pork is plain disgusting.

I can accept that they are not genuine Chinese food even though they are claimed to be; but such poor quality is entirely unacceptable.

If this is the best you can get out of the recipes, I certainly wouldn’t touch the cook book.
Price: $29.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Gloria Bley Miller
Publisher: Fireside
Publication Date: 1984-11-01
Pages: 927
Review: The book’s title led me to think I would be buying a treasure-trove of fabulous recipes. Instead, I found it a helpful resource for understanding Chinese ingredients. I tried several different recipes, and they were equally flavorless and boring. It seems that neary every recipe is flavored with tiny amounts of soy sauce and sherry, and the end result required trying to add ingredients to step up the flavor. I am going back to the other Chinese cookbooks I have come to rely on. Funny as it sounds, every recipe I have used in my Betty Crocker Chinese cookbook has been superb, and it remains my source for delicious recipes and flavor combinations. This disappointing book will stay on the shelf as an informational resource only.In 1966, this book was an epic. A doorstop-sized compilation of Chinese cuisine written by a Westerner, this book remains a staple of used bookstores. For what it is, it’s not bad — it’s dated, but the recipes are generally pretty tasty. Overall it’s got roughly the same feel as a typical Chinese restaurant menu, and it is, as a general rule, a classic. However, I’ve tackled the issue of anachronistic books before, and the results usually aren’t that pretty.

I have to say right up front that this book suffers from one massive and nearly unforgiveable fault — the near total lack of Chinese names for dishes and ingredients. Even if the recipe for a favorite dish is in here, you won’t be able to find it by its Chinese name unless its name was already well-established when the book was written. (Incidentally, there is no recipe in here for chop suey; Miller evidently felt very strongly about keeping authentically Chinese.)

That said, your mileage may vary. Some of the reviews from when it was published indicate that it was quite popular among Chinese-Americans in the 1960s, and the recipes do seem largely authentic, if a bit unadventurous at times. But the language issue is a huge stumbling block that would probably destroy a book written now. Buy it used if you can’t get a good deal on it, but make sure to get a more recent book to complement it.I have always enjoyed good Chinese cuisine. Recently, I’ve developed a far greater interest in cooking it for myself — I’ve moved from the SF Bay Area to the wilds of northern Massachusetts, and good Chinese restaurants and takeout places around these parts are few and far between. So, I decided to learn how to cook those fabulous dishes I always enjoyed.

At the bookstore, I was taken in by the glowing reviews on this book’s cover, but I didn’t take the opportunity to truly browse through it. In retrospect, I wish that I had. Although this book does contain a broad variety of recipes, and does introduce a novice into the mystique of experimenting with Chinese cooking, it lacks in more or less all of what many would consider key recipes.

Kung pao chicken? Nowhere to be found. Mongolian beef? Nada. Orange chicken? Nope. Peking spareribs? Zero. Spicy Szechuan chicken? Not a chance. Fresh bao, or dumplings, or shu mai? Can’t find it anywhere. Ginger chicken? Nary a one. Cashew chicken? A solitary recipe.

What it does have, on the other hand, are ten pages of recipes to do with chicken livers and gizzards prepared in various manners. Sure, there’s the few recipes that look as though they might be worth trying, but to find them you have to thumb through the hundreds of pages of dross looking for those few pieces of gold.

In all, an impressively weighty work, but hardly containing a great deal in the way of useful reference to someone whose life doesn’t entirely revolve around trying out new and questionably useful recipes.I’ve had this book for many years and always go back to it. The recipes are very basic and like the ones my mom cooked but never documented. Who ever wrote down family recipes to pass on? How do you measure when the recipe is in the cook’s head? This year I purchased a copy for each one my children to have. They are all grown and out of the house. This way they have a starting point and can embellish on the recipes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t contain photos, but I know the dishes just by the topic, descriptive receipe name and the ingredients. The book is excellent, with a wide variety of recipes and detailed explanations about chinese cooking.
Price: $24.00   Buy This Book

Author(s): Betty Crocker Editors
Publisher: Betty Crocker
Publication Date: 1990-05-15
Pages: 144
Review: This was a disappointing purchase. I am too lazy or I would have returned this to Amazon! The photographs were of extremely poor quality - poor color, poor resolution - and so the dishes looked most unappetizing. Who wants to cook food that looks so bad?After following these recipes you will be able to make Chinese food more tasty than you will find in the average restaurant. Now my kids would rather eat their sesame chicken at home rather than going out because it’s better! The ingredients are inexpensive and the results are great! I HIGHLY recommend this cookbook (and I’ve been cooking Chinese food most of my life). I enjoy oriental foods and wanted to learn to cook some of my favorite dishes. This cook book is excellent. It gives clear and concise instructions as well as a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Also, the cook book has beautiful photographs for most of the receips. Items are not hard to find in your local grocery store. This cook book was also made in conjunction with the Betty Cooker cook books. So if you love Betty Cooker cook books this cook book is a plus!If you really like salty foods or lots of dark soy sause, then this might be for you.

I’m not an expert chief, but I do cook quiet a bit of ethnic foods. I like my dishes to have a range of flavours that are pleasent to the palete and easy on the eyes.

I found that most of the recipes looked good but following the directions caused me to throw them out because I couldn’t stand the taste.My first Chinese cookbook for my first foray into Chinese cooking. The recipes here are simple and classic, if rather plain. I like that the ingredients are all easy to find in my area, and that the recipes are very quick! Important for me as a working person who still likes to come home and cook something interesting for dinner. I don’t like recipes with ingredient lists that are a foot long. These recipes are short and easy to follow, although a bit cryptic, which led me to make a mistake in one recipe. But I was able to start over on the mistake and the recipe came out well. I would have liked more photos - one per dish would be ideal. I recommend this for the beginning Chinese cook, but not for the beginning cook.
Price: $21.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Rhonda Lauret Parkinson, Rhonda Lauret Parkinson
Publisher: Adams Media
Publication Date: 2003-09-01
Pages: 320
Review: My friend Kathy asked for this for her Birthday. It arrived on time & she was very happy to have it.

Thanks!!! I purchased this along with my first Wok at Christmas, and I must say that this book gets a ton of use. The recipes are easy to follow, and reasonable replacements are listed for hard to find ingredients. The recipes are also adjustable when you get the hang of things, and I haven’t had a bad recipe yet. I gave the book only four stars because of a lack of images and that it is just a tad on the basic side, but this in conjunction with other Chinese recipe books can help a beginner like myself and my wife make our first steps into cooking Chinese cuisine. As a stand alone guide, this book may lack in a few areas, but as part of a collection, you will find yourself referencing this one time and time again. Take it from me, this is the book you want to get first if you’re intent on cooking Chinese food in your home. Parkinson provides a lot of helpful information and background in the beginning of the book you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Almost every recipe is something an American would love. It details which spices, vinegar, wines, sauces, etc. to buy at your ordinary grocery store. All you’ll need is a wok after that (get the Lodge cast iron, it’s the best and will last you a lifetime). Every menu can be adjusted to your tastes, meaning you can make them more authentic or you can further ‘Americanize’ them, as incorrect as that sounds. But if you’re wanting food the entire family will enjoy, this is the book with which to start. THEN try others! Finally, visit [..] and watch some of the chinese cooking videos there. They will illustrate in real time many of these same menus, and there you’ll see shortcuts and other tips that many recipe books take for granted, but don’t bother to mention.

__________________

TWO CAVEATS: (1) Within many menus, you’ll see a measure of an ingredient (such as p.48) followed by the word “divided.” For example, it will read: “2 tsp salt, divided.” But you have to read the full process instructions below the recipe to know that you only add 1/2 tsp of salt first, and then sprinkle the rest on at the end during stir fry. (2) Nowhere is a batter recipe defined. You’re told to deep fry chicken, etc., in batter first, but no batter ingredients are listed throughout. (I presume it’s left up to personal choice.)I picked this up from the library thinking to use it as a starter cookbook before moving on to a better one. It turns out that I really like it. I was a bit intimidated by Chinese cooking but the organization and layout of this book made everything so very easy. I looked at a few other books but finally decided to buy this one.I highly recommend this Chinese cookbook. I don’t know if I just lucked out when selecting it, but I will tell you it was put together very well by Rhonda Lauret Parkinson. It is packed full of recipes we have all heard of and feasted on at the tastiest restaurants. For example, I became really excited to learn how to make Honey Walnut Prawns, a dish that my husband and I really enjoyed at our favorite chinese restaurant in an area we long since relocated from. We hadn’t been able to find a restaurant that served them since then–not until very recently. And I have to say, hands down, the recipe in the book is far better than the dish we had in Seattle. Also, I love all the tips she gives because I find them extremely helpful.
Price: $15.95   Buy This Book