5 comments about Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent.

1. I just got this book yesterday and I'm already planning my week's meals based on the recipes! :)
   I've made Andhra Style Scrambled Eggs so far and they are DELICIOUS, especially served with plain basmati rice, ghee and pickle.
   All the recipes in here sound very interesting. The dal recipes(tok dal and mountain dal) look like they'll turn out great.
   Being an Indian, I can certify this book contains authentic recipes that people cook and eat everyday at their homes in India. This is what makes this cookbook different from the other so called Indian cookbooks....the other books just offer a westernized Indian selection while this book focuses on home cooking that is prevalent in India.
   The previous reviewer perhaps eats Indian only at restaurants where everything is over spiced and the delicate flavor is lost. I just came back from visiting India and I saw that very less spices and masalas are used in rural Indian homes.
   I LOVE this book and will always refer to it when I'm in the mood for some different Indian food...although I cook mostly Indian at home, this book offers a lot of different recipes and variations from various local regions....so much so that I'm sure I'll be proficient in Indian cooking in no time!
   
   UPDATE: These are all the recipes I've tried from their book so far
   1) Scrambled Eggs (5 stars)
   2) Cachoombar (3 stars)
   3) Cauliflower Dum (3 stars)
   4) Tamarind Pulao (3 stars)
   5) Bangla Dal with a hit of lime (4 stars)
   6) Tilapia Green Fish Curry (5 stars)
   7) Karnataka Chana (2 stars)
   8) Hot Cucumber Salad (2 stars)
   9) Fish Bolle Curry (3 stars)
   10) Chappatis (3 stars)
   11) Prawn White Curry (4 stars)
   12) Eggs with curry leaves (4 stars)



2. The pictures and stories of the travels through the region are fabulous, but if you are looking for good instrutctions and pictures of the recipes, this is not the cookbook you are looking for.



3. I've had this book for about three months, and have flipped through it many times, but this weekend I finally bought the staple ingredients that many of the recipes needed, and tried out three of them. They all turned out delicious! Don't be put off by strange ingredients, they were all very cheap, and easy to cook with.



4. A beautiful book that can be a coffee table book, cookbook, and an adventurous travel read. It has gorgeous colorful pictures with short vignettes about the recipes and people of India. It will transport you to a different world and the cooks will not be disappointed with the unique recipes.



5. Plain and simple,..a must-have book. The recipes are well written and clear, the authors stories about their travels through the sub-continent are interesting and lend to their credibility, and they also have fantastic pictures, as well as information as to where to buy some of the more exotic ingredients...this book lacks nothing.

5 comments about Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia.

1. I have been cooking food from Southeast Asia for over 15 years, so I have quite a cookbook collection. I must say that this is one of the best books on the subject that I own. They got it right in the title: hot, sour, salty, sweet---the combination of flavors used all over Southeast Asia. Great information for beginner or seasoned cook. And, wonderful, authentic recipes to boo! A must have for anyone interested in cooking food from this area of the world. ---Rev. Jeff, www.revjeff.com



2. Of the dozen cookbooks I own, this remains my favorite. Mr. Alfrod and Mrs. Duguid bring the sights, sounds and smells of the Mekong river alive with excellent prose, assisted by photos from their travels. I have made about half the recipes in this book, and they are excellent. As the authors mention, their children love it, and I can believe it. Some ingredients and techniques are unusual, but the detailed instructions and indexes make it easy to get into SE Asian cooking. Some days I end up reading a few dozen pages when a just meant to pick a simple recipe. It is as delicious to enjoy in the study as in the dinning room!



3. `Hot Sour Salty Sweet' by husband and wife team, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid is a troublesome book to evaluate. Its biggest problem is its relatively high list price ($45) for no more than average culinary content. Much of that inflated price is based on its oversized heft and the fact that it mixes cooking content with comments on culinary regionalism and pure travelogue in text and pictures.
   
   I confess that this is a very attractive book, very similar in appearance to their later volume, `Home Baking' that I enjoyed and very favorably reviewed. And, since the authors have just come out with a new book with similar heft, price, and subject, I figured it was time to attend to reviewing this volume.
   
   Aside from the price, I have one major problem with this book. While its focus is the culinary world of Southeast Asia, the text is far more anecdotal and personal than it is analytical. After reviewing many excellent books on the regional cooking of France, Italy, and other parts of the Mediterranean, I really find this book very thin on substance. Part of the problem for me may be that it tries to cover far too great an area. In 324 pages of material, they cover Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Yunnan Province of China. Thailand alone has required a 675 page book (`Thai Food') from David Thompson. And, on the ingredients of Asia, you can get a far more comprehensive coverage in Bruce Cost's classic `Asian Ingredients'.
   
   In contrast, the books on Italy's regions all include great insights on the origins of culinary mores in these relatively small venues. And, while Arthur Schwartz' book on Naples may include 50 detailed recipes for pasta in Campania, this book gives but 10 for a much larger region. On the other hand, I give the authors extra credit for providing a recipe for fresh, homemade rice noodles. You may have a bit of a problem wrangling this big book around your kitchen and making a decent photocopy of the oversized page, but it is still a good recipe.
   
   If you have no interest whatsoever in acquiring any OTHER books on Southeast Asian cuisine and you have the budget for it, this is a very nice book. I just think that if you are serious about learning about food, you look for books with greater depth and less fluff.
   
   I find it very interesting that none of the blurbs on the back of the book refer to this volume and none are from culinary notables. All refer to the authors' earlier book on flatbreads and most come from general publications such as `The New York Times' and `The Globe and Mail'.
   
   I can really appreciate all the nice things other reviewers have said about this book, as I was impressed with it when I first looked at it 300 cookbook recipes ago. Since then, I find it just a bit too light for the price.
   
   Recommended as a good coffee table book. Look for it at a steep discount!



4. Pondering on whether to return book or not. Purchased for Cambodian recipes, having a hard time finding a Cambodian cookbook, this was the best bet = and it does have dishes for things we ate like Khmer soup, pumpkin curry and a similar version to Amok. (oddly i have the amok recipe in my New York Cookbook, a favorite standby)
   
   But as an avid photographer and traveler and cookbook collector, i have to say the travel writing is amateurish, the photos are not great (a mini picture of Angkor wat and i don't think i saw many pictures of places i'd been to in thailand or vietnam - just street scenes - what kind of travelogue is this?) and never seem to match the right page (you would think there would be a photo of what you are reading about next to it) and the pictures of dishes are far and few between. For the huge irregular book format of the book there are not that many recipes. Compare for example "the Cook's Book" for the same heft has 685 recipes.. Compare with Nobu Now for the difference in food photography capability..
   
   if many of these reviews didn't say the recipes are good they are part of daily repetoire, i'm tempted to return. it really is way to big for the content inside.



5. This was given to me by a good friend. I love to cook, and over the years have struggled with South East asian, Thai in particular, cooking. But this book lays it all out in such a way, and has such clear instructions that, in combination with an asian grocery store, it is foolproof. As a bonus, the travelogues and side bars are wonderfully interesting. Even if you don't cook, you will be taken away on a wonderful culinary journey through the region.

5 comments about Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges.

1. This is another cookbook that I read like all the others, from cover to cover. I loved each and every page! The story of how Jean-Georges came to fall in love with Asian cuisine is wonderful and adventurous. The photographs are beautiful; full of color and very telling about life in Asia from a food-lover's view.
   
   The recipes are fabulous; full of color themselves and complex in flavor without being difficult to reproduce. The directions for each were clear and easy to follow.
   
   I made Chicken Samosas with Cilantro-Yogurt Dip, and I'd recommend this recipe very highly. The deep and spicy flavors of the samosas combined with the brightness of the yogurt dip was a perfect marriage and, like Jean-Georges, I would insist that the samosas be dipped before each and every bite. The samosas certainly stand alone, but the dip pulls them up to a whole new, and delicious, level.
   
   The truest test was my 3 year-old son, who couldn't stop eating them! Yes, they are spicy, and he knew it-asking for a drink after each bite-but he had no restraint whatsoever, and I must agree with him on this!
   
   I look forward to making many more of the recipes within the pages of Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges and urge you to get a copy of your own.



2. For several years we have waited anxiously for a Spice Market Cook Book. When we first learned that Grey Kunz was teaming up with Jean-Georges to create a restaurant of Asian street food, we couldn't wait. Our initial meal there rewarded our anxious expectations, and every meal thereafter confirmed our original impression. We were thrilled to find so many of our favorite dishes explicated here, and when we made several of them, the flavors confirmed our suspicions. This is a great, albeit complicated cookbook, but our only question is why Chef Kunz is mentioned nowhere. I know that they had a parting of the ways over Spice Market, but it is surprising that among the many acknowledgments, there is none for Chef Kunz, whom remember hearing traveled across Asia with Jean-Georges. Ah, perhaps that is why this is not called The Spice Market Cookbook!



3. This book is not for pro.I didn't see any special technic in this book.Maybe ,just maybe the flavor is good.



4. Beautiful pictures that make your mouth watering. The recipes are quite complicated and very impractical (see: "Peking Duck", which should be hanged from its neck in a refrigirator and cooled by a running fan at the same time!!!). The recipes in most cases also require ingredients that are extremely difficult to find and to buy outside the Asian countries where they are commonly used. Not a practical cookbook at all.



5. This is an extraordinary cookbook. I have this one and also "Cooking at Home with a Four Star Chef" and I like this one much better. His combination of flavors is truly extraordinary. Some of the ingredients are not things you might have in your pantry (go to your local Asian Grocery and get them) but once you have them you can cook most of the receipes. I have never made anything from this book that was not superb. Some of the recipes (but not all) are complex and time consuming but the effort is truly worth it. You will not be disappointed.

5 comments about Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province.

1. This is one of the best cookbooks I own. I received the book as a gift and I use it everyday.



2. Ms. Dunlop continues to amaze and delight with her second book. The current tome educates the reader in the disciplines of cooking (as well as) ancient Chinese history (Appendix: the Main Chinese Dynasties), language (Appendix: Glossary of Chinese Characters) and contemporary history (revolutionarily centric). Echos of David, Grigson and Fisher resonate. [Not unsurprising considering her Cantabrixian education! (superb bibliography)] I haven't yet tried any of the recipes, so cannot vouch for their efficacy - but, they have a good feel about them. Will become a classic by aficionados.



3. The tastes and influence of the Hunan region of China are fully explored in Fuchsia Dunlop's Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, which provides over a hundred dishes easy to make and accompanied by color photos and stories from the province. Dishes come with historical introduction, many a cultural insight, and the author's own experiences discovering and cooking the dish: all these factors make for a fine and well-rounded cookbook which goes far beyond the usual light Hunan coverage to probe the depth of Chinese culture and cuisine, making it a 'must' for any serious collection offering Chinese cookbooks beyond one or two basics.



4. I am originally from Hunan and loved its food when I was there. The recipes here are (brace for cliche) AUTHENTIC, insofar as reading these pages brings me to these very dishes experientially.



5. We enjoyed eating and making the recipes in this book.
   
   A warning though, the food is very much like what you would find in the homes of those in China. Do not expect it to taste like the food found in an American Chinese restaurant.

5 comments about Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking.

1. Morimoto's book is just simply gorgeous. You may want to transfer the recipes to a card and leave the book out of the kitchen if you tend to try and cook and read the recipe at the same time (a bit messy and you definitly do not want a stain in this book).
   
   Others have mentioned that some of the ingredients are difficult to find. I think they have not gotten to the end of the book where there is a listing of suppliers. Most of the items can be found easily in a good Asian grocery store if you are lucky enough to have one where you live.
   
   This book also gives you great insight into the mind of an amazing chef and the care taken from the choice of ingredients to the preparation, execution and presentation of a dish.



2. I've been watching Morimoto on Iron Chef for a long time now. I love to watch him cook. He's always calm and very delicate with his plating. I always wanted to be able to cook the stuff he does. Now I can. I love the detailed pictures they give. Helps a lot. Some stuff is very interesting. I so recommend.



3. The recipes in this cookbook are wonderful with bold and inovative flavors. I love it.



4. I have always dreaming on Japanese Culture: Bonsai, Painting, Art, Gardening, Ikebana and of course Japanese Cuisine. Master Chef Morimoto present in this Excellent Book a new art from his point of view of Japanese Cooking, all pictures with details, all steps by steps with elegance, all details carefully presented in the most traditional art of Japanese Cooking with a Master touch of Morimoto. All dishes presentations are superb; every plate is a fantasy of colorful and textures as well as flavors. Surely this has been one of my favorite purchases reference to Japanese cuisine. If you love cooking if you love Japanese cuisine, do not hesitate to get this book.



5. Cooking. For me this is an orgasmic book of unmeasured proportions.
   
   I have loved Iron Chef. I have loved Japanese cooking and finally the two have merged and come full circle. On viewing the book it's self - wow. A nice presentation. A heavy slightly over sized cookbook. The editing of this book is very well done. Nice graceful modern designs. Page after page of glossy step by step images and techniques, and notations on traditional Asian ingredients and how that translates to using and accessing them (or a finding suitable substitutions) in the US . If I ever wanted to publish a cookbook, it would be in this style.
   
   This book showcases why Chef Morimoto is at the axis of a foodie empire, in this creative and intuitive take on Japanese cuisine. When I read this cookbook, I felt like the foodie version of Being John Malkovich , as this book allows you to peer inside the thoughts and actions of this culinary genius.
   
   In relation to skill level, I would recommend this book to people who have at least an intermediate knowledge of culinary techniques. The beginning home cook might not know how to utilize or apply the techniques Chef Morimoto has outlined in this book.
   
   It would be wise to do some further research on Japanese Culinary techniques also, as this book can only highlight certain facets of the cuisine itself and not act as a reference manual or course book on Japanese Cuisine as a whole.
   
   If you have ever had an inkling of adoration for Asian style cuisine, or are awestruck at the complexities of the full spectrum of Professional Japanese Culinary , as I am, you would enjoy this book.
   
   Highlights of this book include:
   
   * An in depth look at how the Japanese chef works his knife magic to create beautiful Sashimi w and Sushi w works of art out of various ingredients - parts of fish, Octopus , and Various Vegetables .
   * Recipes that are full of depth and charisma.
   * Master recipes of various sauces and marinades.
   * Text about the origins and importance of ingredients utilized in Japanese cuisine.
   * Beautiful photography displaying the frame by frame procedures for each culinary technique, and the eloquent plate presentation for each recipe.
   * A glossary of Japanese terms , as well as a source guide for obtaining specialty ingredients.
   
   
   Overall this book is a wonderful culinary journey that enables the reader to cultivate a better understanding of chef Morimoto, Japanese cuisine and the culinary revelations that Morimoto has contributed to todays culinary field. I loved this book!

5 comments about Discovering Korean Cuisine: Recipes from the Best Korean Restaurants in Los Angeles.

1. As a Korean who does not know how to cook authentic Korean dishes, I've been looking for a good Korean cookbook for the last 20 years and I have yet to find one which is as great as this cookbook. As the front cover states, these are the actual recipes from the best Korean LA-area restaurants. When I first thought about that, I thought that the recipes may be too difficult. But the exact opposite is true.
   
   First of all, they have individual pictures of each of the ingredients that will be used in the book at the beginning of the book. Since the book is written to appeal to non-Koreans as well, everything is explained to the detail. EACH recipe is illustrated, just about step-by-step. They even give you the "hints" from the pro's. It is the best!!!



2. We have at least 60 or 70 cookbooks, including seven Korean cookbooks. Very few of them have provided even one recipe so successful that we replicate it year after year, so when I say that all eight of the recipes we've tried so far from this book have been truly outstanding, it's hard to believe -- especially for us.
   
   My wife is Korean and grew up in Korea; she (of course) loves Korean food, and cooks Korean dishes frequently.
   
   I'm not Korean, but lived in Korea for eight years; I too love Korean food and even cook it myself. We have eaten in Korean restaurants all over Korea, the U.S., and other countries, and we feel that by now we know the difference between Korean food that is excellent and that which is not.
   
   Some of the best restaurants we used to frequent in Seoul are -- or at least were -- little holes in the wall that have thrived for a hundred or more years by specializing in only one dish, such as Komtang or Seullungtang, and maintain long-standing clienteles of fiercely loyal customers. The standards set by these restaurants for top-notch food are seldom approached in other places.
   
   We were amazed, then, to find that the dishes we've tried from this book approximate the best we've eaten anywhere.
   
   The recipes are easy to follow, beautifully illustrated, and delicious. If you want to cook Korean, you won't be sorry you bought this book.



3. My Son-in-law is Korean and my daughter is learning to cook authentic Korean food at home. This book is both true to traditional Korean cooking and easy for a non-Korean cook to use. It does help having authentic taste buds at work in the kitchen to make sure everything tastes as it should. I purchased several books for my daughter and Son-in-law, this is the one they use.



4. I just got this book and its the BEST korean cookbook I have found. First of all I'm korean american and I've been looking forever and haven't found one as relevant, with all the recipes you will really use, beautiful colorful photos and how can you beat recipes from the best korean restaurants in LA?? I've been to most of them and this book has picked all the best dishes that these restaurants specialize in. I may stop my chase for anymore cookbooks because it covers all the recipes you need including kimchee! Beautiful, complete, well written like a korean martha stewart cookbook, great job finally!!!!



5. This is the perfect cookbook for everything from everyday home cooking to Korean dinner parties! The recipes are straightfoward and easy to follow - I've even made two of the kimchee recipes with fantastic results! Making kimchee was always like a black-box to me--something only my mother and grandma did. But I just followed the instructions, and voila! KIMCHEE success!
   
   I love the accompanying pictures and the picture-list of common Korean ingredients in the beginning of the book. I finally know the "American" names for some of these ingredients, which makes it easier for me to describe dishes to my friends. Anyway - I highly recommend this book!

5 comments about The Inheritance of Loss.

1. Desai has a wonderful way with words, both poetic descriptions and dialogue. The book describes a time of conflict and even revolution in India. So what could possibly go wrong?
   There is almost no sense of motion in the book. A scene is described; characters talk and emote and consider; then we start the next scene. There is very little that carries the reader from one scene to the next. As the literary equivalent of a "still life" the scenes can be quite good, but for a reader hoping to be swept along by a flowing plot, the book can be stilted and disappointing.



2. The criteria for the award this won, must be how gross you can get. This book was assigned for Eng World Lit at Tennessee Technological University by teacher, Linda J. Null. She also assigned another gross book, that the chair for the English dept. Homer Kemp has no problem with. I previewed the book for my son, since we care about how he is educated, and found the book just plain nasty. The rape of a 14 year old girl is described and if that isn't bad enough, its described from the view of some pedophile watching in a closet also describing his repugnant physical reaction. What is educational about that?
   
   Additionally, the book has a character describing how he is (forgive me but its in the book) picking feces out of his anus with his fingers while trying to defecate...again, call me crazy, but how is that literature??? ISN'T ANY ONE CHECKING THESE TEACHERS CHOICE OF BOOKS????? Apparently not. So, be your kids parent and check for yourself.



3. A powerful novel, which kept me up reading every night. At once so many dimensions-a political novel, tackling issues of class, prejudice and race; one of the few works portraying the realities of the illegal immigrant underclass in America-and the hopes and dreams that started it all; the self sabotage that destroys families.
   We read all the time about the success stories of immigrants to the US, but most people are unaware of the immigrants who are hopelessly trapped in poverty and who are worse off than where they left. The portrayal of the visa issue system is stunningly accurate, having observed this first hand for myself, in several countries. Not for those who view the world with rose tinted glasses, or don't want to accept the realities of the lives of many.



4. Well conceived, poorly executed. The writing style feels like a first draft. The historical significance is portrayed in shambolic fashion. Our book club gave a poor rating, with many declining to finish the reading the novel.



5. Inheritance of Loss was one of our book club selections, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the meeting where it was discussed. No matter. I didn't finish the book because it was simply too frustrating and painful to continue reading. The structure -- short, choppy sections on each page -- was to me like watching a dance video that never stops long enough on the dancers to appreciate what they're doing. What's worse, nothing happened that made me want to continue to the next sections and it was a downer the entire time I was reading it. I see from other reviews that some felt the downer mood continues right to the end. I read a lot and am willing to stick with a book if it doesn't grab my attention right from the start, but I'm afraid this one didn't have any redeeming qualities for me. Time is too precious to waste on books that I don't enjoy.

5 comments about The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food.

1. Jennifer Lee answers many mysteries in this book that may have interested you. (Where do all those Chinese people come from who work in the restaurants? How did fortune cookies get started? Who writes the fortunes? What is the real origin of Chop Suey?) For those answers, it's worth reading the book.
   
   Her lens is a most unusual one: She visits Chinese restaurants where lottery winners got fortunes that gave them the numbers they used to win an unprecedented number of second prizes.
   
   What she learns is that Chinese food as prepared and eaten in the United States says more about Americans than it does about the Chinese. She also shows how self-organizing principles (from complexity theory) apply to explain why Chinese restaurants are so similar.
   
   Ultimately, this book describes what it means to be human and to want a better life. In that sense, it's very life affirming.
   
   I found that the book had two major drawbacks. First, Ms. Lee chooses to tell you the story of how she tracked down her answers rather than cutting through the preliminaries. I found much of her research reporting to be less interesting than the punch lines when finally reached.
   
   Second, I wondered how competent she was in doing this research. She seemed to rely a lot on interviewing people face to face. Surely, a lot of answers could have been gotten in other ways. Where I became most skeptical was in her section on picking the best Chinese restaurant in the world. One of her criteria was that lots of Chinese people eat there. I have Chinese-American friends who take me to many superb, attractive (as opposed to "hole in the wall") Chinese restaurants where my wife and I are the only non-Chinese Americans in the place. None of these restaurants were mentioned by Ms. Lee. She didn't even visit the cities where our favorite Chinese restaurants are such as Honolulu.



2. The opening chapters of this book by Jenneifer 8. Lee have a merry verve. Who invented chop suey, a dish unknown in China? Who was this General Tso, anyway? (A Chinese Colonel Sanders, perhaps?) Can it be true that Japanese invented the fortune cookie? (Gasp!) But there's more to this book than Kung Pao chicken, chopsticks, and zodiac calendars.
   
   Chapters on Chinese immigration and the movement of immigrants around the nation to work in restaurants are told in a lively reportorial style that still provokes thought. They give stale discussions of immigration policy a human face, and her visits to China bring alive such abstractions as "push" and "pull" factors.
   
   Sprightly chapters on the business side of restaurants and supplies -- and "The Soy Sauce Trade Dispute" -- deliver a lot of commonsense economics in a most agreeable way. The economic side of the book culminates in a theory of "open source" economic adaptation that is, to this reader, quite fresh.
   
   Finally, the book has a lot to say about America, our history, and our culture. Lee even proposes a new metaphor to replace the old "melting pot" and the newer "salad bowl." Our nation is "stir-fry," she writes. We'll see whether the new label gets a larger market share among academics and pundits.
   
   Finally, an advisory: Reading this book is like watching the Ang Lee film, "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman." As soon as you put it down, you'll have a strong urge to drive to the nearest Golden Dragon, Peking Gourmet, or Hunan Garden and order too much.
   
   -30-



3. This is a breezy and entertaining foray into the world of Chinese/American cuisine diaspora. Lee writes well. This book, however, would have benefited from better editing. Some parts of the book resemble a chop suey. The book contains several typographical errors that should have been corrected during the editing process.
   
   Ex:
   p. 183. "Robert Borgas." Lee means "Robert Porges." Lee should have asked Seth Faison for his comments before the book was published.



4. Jennifer Lee has written an engaging book on the phenomenon of Chinese food in America. It is filled with factoids that most likely you did not know before, such as the fact that there about twice as many Chinese restaurants in America as there are McDonalds.
   
   She delves into such arcana as the origin of General Tso's chicken, the history and anatomy of fortune cookies, the making of those trapezoidal carry-out food boxes, why Jewish people especially love Chinese food and a stroll through the best Chinese restaurants in the world.
   
   It would be tempting and a cliché to say that, thirty minutes after reading it, you're hungry for more. Alas, that line has apparently been taken by a prior reviewer.
   
   If you enjoy Chinese food, you will enjoy "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles."
   
   Confucius say, "You have a fun reading ahead of you..."



5. As others have said, Ms. Lee writes very well, and most of this was really interesting. But she has a total blind spot about fortune cookies, and for me, there was WAY too much stuff about trying to research exactly who invented them. When I realized that I was starting a THIRD chapter on this same subject -- which she'd already covered exhaustively in two previous chapters -- I groaned inwardly and just skipped to the next chapter. OK, we get it: fortune cookies are not Chinese, any more than General Tso's chicken or chop suey. Except for this one flaw, the book was a lot of fun.

5 comments about Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3rd Edition).

1. If you are serious about getting healthy the natural way this is an encyclopedia of knowledge. GET IT!



2. Just as the majority of others,I give this book 5 stars. I have been using it almost daily for several years. True,I am a holistic practitioner,but I use it personally with and for my family. My husband actually got the book as his course text for a nutrition course in his Acupuncture graduate program. I have used it far more than he.
   With beginners,or say,someone new to all of the 'type diagnosing',I usually recommend they look through the back glossary of foods,categorized by types such as legumes,veggies,fruits,etc. Pitchford breaks down the 'energies' of the foods so well,and gives a brief overview of how they are helpful,along with some basic recipes.
   He also has sections on oils,sweeteners,greens/chlorophyll,etc.
   I just don't see how anyone would be confused or find it contradictory,if you take it a little at a time,and don't attempt to 'diagnose yourself western style'. [this is the trick-it's not a how-to manual;it's a resource guide!]
   You can learn the basics of what is important and why,which types of sweeteners to replace with what,etc.
   What I love about this book,too,is his focus on assisting those who are transitioning from a more standard western diet. ie,he will discuss meat,fish and their healing properties,when they may be needed,when to avoid,how to transition from,etc.
   This is not an 'all or none' preachy type of book.
   Pitchford is sincere and obviously knowledgeable/experienced.
   For all around great,useful books on health and nutrition,I really cannot think of any other that I'd recommend so highly. Accessible to beginners,but will still challenge/provide info for more experienced folks/practitioners.



3. I purchased Healing With Whole Foods about two years ago because my friend who is an acupuncturist suggested it. The book describes how to health practitioner Paul Pitchford diagnoses and treats diseases in his patients. The book is definately a definitive at home alternative health encyclopedia.
   
   For example, the book has a section which explains how to do a liver and gall bladder cleanse.
   
   The book also explains Chinese medicine in great detail. It explains how the author has cured diseases and helped patients, for example it has a detailed section on Cancer. And this is what is important, this book explains how to heal certain diseases, not just treat the symptoms of disease. That being said, it probably will be difficult to actually cure your illness just from reading the book. It has sort of a reference nature to it, it has helpful information, but the application can be more difficult.
   
   The author also is an open minded vegetarian. His dietary guidelines include soaking whole grains and legumes for enhanced digestion, which is important. He believes that it is okay to eat meat and seafood for special circumstances, but in general does not support it. If your looking to understand eastern medicine in a thorough yet comprehensible way, this book is for you. If your looking for an open minded perspective about health and disease, this book is for you. If you are looking for some help about alternative recommendations for treating illnesses, again this book is for you.
   
   The drawback for me is that as much as I wanted to read the book, I just couldn't get into it. It has all the markings of a great book, but may not be right for everyone.
   [...]



4. ....A wise and valuable book for anyone who is serious about examining their eating habits. A great guide for those who want to improve their life and health conditions and embrace the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang.This book also includes flavorful and delicious recipe's, to get you started on your journey.



5. This book was recommended to me and has come in handy for reference. It's really like a bible for people who are open to eastern and western medicine but prefer to use food rather than pills to help the body do its thing well.

5 comments about Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2WGMJBM41SKM Beyond the Great Wall... Beyond a Great cookbook.Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China



2. Not only a marvelous recounting of fascinating travels, but in addition an interesting cookbook and recipes of foods that one would possibly overlook as Chinese. The images are superb of the not only the food, but the area and people, adding an additional dimension. If one has any interest in Asian ethnic foods, this book is well worthwhile having in your library.



3. A taste of the Real China, from one who has travelled there on numerous occasions, a true Shangri La experience



4. To the gentleman from china with the one-star rating. Patriotism can be a good thing. But this is a cookbook -- it's not a political tract. I own all the cookbooks this pair of folks has put out. They're wonderful writers, photographers and cooks. They show us all part of the world we'll never get to see.
   Do they have opinions about Tibet ... quite possibly. I haven't received the book yet. But you waste your energy is posting a review like you did. It works against you, sir, and undercuts your cause. Reasonable people can disagree about the China/Tibet situation (can't they?). But to think that this cookbook is being released now to make a statement against China is just not plausible. China has plenty to be proud of (as the authors have shown in several of their earlier books). Your review does not reflect well on China.



5. One of the best travel-food books to hit the market so far in 2008. Inspired photography and gloriously informative text from parts of China that most of us never get to see.
   Stunning!