5 comments about Chinese Snacks (Wei quan shi pu).

1. I tried to make some snack on this book and follow the instruction, but turn out not what I expected and not look like the result on the picture.



2. The book is actually quite interesting as a cookbook but not what I expected. The recipes are very involved, definitely not for beginners or even cooks with a little experience. The recipes are also in Chinese with English translation (which is a plus actually!!). I haven't had the time to make anything from it... but it is interesting to read.



3. Speedy delivery. The book is excellent. It makes a great Christmas gift!



4. My wife studied Mandarin in Taiwan before the PRC opened up. She's had this book since it was published. The recipes are time consuming - that's how Taiwanese and Chinese cooking is . The chef does all the work , and the food is designed to be shared and eaten with chopsticks. That said , this book is a good choice given the pictures of the finished dishes and prep. The recipes are accurate . The Pork Chop Noodle , for example , is identical to what I've had in China -a little better in fact. In addition , its a cookbook designed for real cooking. That laminated cover doesn't get ruined when the oil spatters. Sure it's work , but if you live somewhere where the Dim Sum is dismal this is one way out.



5. This book contains a lot of good dim sum recipes and are very authentic. The instructions are easy to follow and the pictures are faithful to the recipes. The recipe for potstickers or jiaoze dough I use is from this book. The har gau and shiu mai recipes are quite good as are the several others I have tried. Be warned, however, dim sum is not something you can whip up quickly. Having this book will not replace going to your favorite Chinese restaurant for dim sum. This is not the fault of the book but the nature of dim sum. There's a reason so many Chinese people go out for dim sum instead of cooking it at home--it takes time and effort to do!

5 comments about Betty Crocker's New Chinese Cookbook.

1. I came across this book recently and found it very useful for my initial experience at cooking Chinese. Although I'm a pretty proficient cook,, I've never had much success trying Chinese dishes before. The difficulty I'd had with some of the other well-known Chinese cookbooks is that they are too complicated if you've never cooked with some of the ingredients before -- too many variables for the novice. This book takes a somewhat simpler, yet satisfying approach. It doesn't lack interest. I think I'll learn a great deal from it.



2. Every recipe I've tried tastes like it's from a quality Chinese restaurant. The recipes are easy to understand, I can find the ingredients in my local market, and the finished quality is consistently delicious.



3. 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.



4. 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.




5. 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!

5 comments about Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals.

1. Recipes were very quick and easy to prepare. The master sauces can go with more recipes than in the book.



2. I think I use this book a bit different than many in that I see this as a great everyday cookbook. The great advantage of this cookbook is that you can make 2 or 3 of the master recipes on the weekend and then dinner preparation for the rest of the week is very easy. I try to make sure that I have a couple master recipes that have very different tastes on hand to work as a nice counterpoint. For example, I have the apple chutney and curry paste on hand now. This gives me something strong and spicy for some recipes and something sweeter to use as a counterpoint. With only a few exceptions, most of these recipes are only a few steps and hardly ever more than 5 ingredients once the master recipe is done. I should also say that the master recipes are generally quite easy.
   
   Now that I've covered the convenience, the taste on these recipes is absolutely wonderful. I've probably now prepared about half of the master recipes and generally made 2 dishes from each master recipe and they have all been wonderful. Some favorites: the asian lamb gyros were wonderful, the chili-ginger oil chicken and zucchini stir-fry was very easy and very good, Ming's take on Coq Au Vin was amazing. I just can't recommend this book enough. I've been cooking with it non-stop for the last month and it's made everything easier and more delicious. There's no higher praise than that.



3. The flavors in the recipes are fabulous. I have served the spicy mango salsa with chicken satays and seared scallops, both to rave reviews. This is one of my favorite recipe books.



4. I bought this cookbook as a present for my fiance, and I was very happy with the style and clarity. I also approve of the "prepare it in advance" method which underlies this volume. Each section highlights a range of sauces, condiments, spices and rubs which can be used on the menu items demonstrated, or to spice up your own personal cooking. Because you can prepare so many different dishes with one or two pre-prepared sauces, this book is great for singles or small families who don't like to slave over the stove every night.
   
   The final star missing is because, as much as the book is good, he harps on seafood (particularly scallops) which is limiting, and he is uneven in his suggestions of substituting for rare or expensive menu items. With a little creativity, I'm sure we can figure it out, but he does list substitutions for some - just not many of his recipes.
   
   Overall, quite good, and much more accessible and direct than the earlier "Blue Ginger" cookbook, which I did NOT buy, as it was incomprehensible and the directions were badly flawed.



5. I am totally smitten by this man. I often joke to my family and friends saying, "Ming Tsai is my husband, he just doesn't know yet!"
   
   Ming Tsai totally knows what he's talking about. I love how he makes his large vats of dips and sauces---calling them "the master" sauce and applies them to different dishes.
   
   My favorite masters are his curry oil, black bean sauce, green curry, and sambal. I have not been disappointed with any of his dishes, they all come out perfect and tasty.
   
   I love how his book is easy to follow with tips and colorful pictures.
   
   BUY IT! IT'S A GREAT INVESTMENT!

5 comments about Fortune Cookie Fortunes.

1. Hard to keep a young toddler (or an adult) interested in the storyline...it's mostly a long list of fortunes, but Grace Lin's illustrations are wonderful, as always. My toddler loves just looking at the packed pages of beautiful birds, origami animals, and lots more!



2. For older kids, even high school, this would be a great starter story for them to read and then make their own fortune cookies, inserting their own fortunes before the hot smooth cookies harden. A nice end note explains some of the original of the Fortune cookie as Japanese, not Chinese, but the overall charm of the book is its celebration of the traditions of the messages inside the cookies. If you didn't want to make fortune cookies from scratch in a classroom, you might just settle for everyone having a fortune cookie (available in most large groceries) and sharing their fortunes over a cup of nice tea. Also, check out Dim Sum for Everyone, also celebrating cultural food experiences for all ages.



3. I bought this book for a lesson on Multiculturalism in the classroom. I incorporated a puppet with the story, and the students loved it. This is a must for any classroom.



4. My two-year-old daughter and I just LOVE Grace Lin's books. With each new Grace Lin book that we buy, it immediately becomes my daughter's favorite, until we get another Grace Lin book! There is so much to see in the book, and the story is adorable. Highly recommended!



5. My 3-year old daughter loves Grace Lin books. Kite Flying, Dim Sum and this one are in her current reading rotation (sometimes 10 times a day!) The illustrations are just wonderful.

5 comments about The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco.

1. I really enjoyed this book. It's a very interesting story about Cecelia Chang's life in China, as well as has some very good Chinese recipes integrated throughout the book. I would highly recommend this book.



2. I have not yet tried any recipes -- they all look fantastic -- but this book is worth buying for the stories alone. So wonderful!



3. In addition to some fine recipes, Madame Chiang's story as told throughout the book, is a compelling and moving story. I was fortunate to have enjoyed dinning at her fabulous Mandarin restaurant in San Francisco, and now reading about how it came to be, makes this more than just a book of recipes. These recipes have now become a legacy, like those handed down to us by our mothers and grandparents; reading this book makes us part of a family. Experience the joys, trials, and triumphs of Madame Chiang; The Seventh Daughter is a treasure.



4. The recipes are definitely clear, simple and straightforward. They include a number of classic dishes, as well as the author's take on a few new ones. But this book is so much more than just a simple bookbook -- and to call it a cookbook does it a disservice. It's a wonderful biography of the author, a historical look at how events changed the lives of Cecelia and her family -- and probably culinary history in this country. I have never cried when I read a cookbook -- but I certainly did at the end of this one! If you do a lot of Chinese cooking, at some point you start to look for books that go beyond the kitchen. This is most definitely it. And if you like this one, you might also want to try and find a copy of her first book - The Mandarin. It's just as wonderful.



5. A fascinating book, full of history and culinary delights, "Seventh Daughter" is an autobiography of a Chinese woman, who, on a visit to San Francisco, started a restaurant that became a legend in the city. She had never been allowed in the kitchen as a young daughter in a traditional Chinese home. It combines her story along with recipes and hints for a well-stocked kitchen. The photography is beautiful.

1 comments about Martin Yan's China.

1. There is a good variety of recipes, and most of the ingredients are easy to find in regular grocery stores. I recommend the red and gold rice. It's easy and quite satisfiying!

1 comments about Classic Chinese Cooking.

1. 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

5 comments about Quick & Easy Enjoy Chinese Cuisine (Quick & Easy (Japan Publications)).

1. Wow all I can say is that I just received this book along with the Japanese one and I must say these are fairly easy to make. It has ingredients that are very easy to find in your local supermarket without having to hunt down a asian speciality store for most ingredients like a lot of other books. I agree that this is a great book if one is truly interested in maing asian dishes the easy way, it can't get easier than these books



2. This book is helpful both in the recipes given and the illustrations shown. It also has several glossaries and pages of "how to" instructions which I found useful.



3. I had bought this book in the 90s, when it was first out and learnt to do all my Chinese cooking from it...From Sweet & Sour dishes to the best steamed dumplings! Its one of my favourites and I re-ordered it again twice to give it as birthday gifts. I am not chinese but everyone loves 'my' chinese cooking !...



4. I've tried several recipes on this book already and so far, everything is good. The books contains basic chinese recipes which is very easy to follow. Very good for biginners who wants to learn how to cook chinese food.



5. This book has all of the basic recipes a beginner could want. Everything is well laid out and the directions easy to follow. No odd ingredients or difficult techniques.
   
   There are a lot of books that can provide more varied and exotic recipes but if you're looking for a solid primer on Chinese cooking, this is a great place to start.

5 comments about The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen: Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing.

1. Grace Young's writing style is very thoughtful and a testament to her ability to embrace her Chinese Heritage and prescribe its finer aspects in cooking to a reader who has only a basic familiarity of that culture.
   
   Her writing is reflective, beautiful, nostalgic, concise, thoughtful, and with an elusiveness that only a true philosopher could have that motivates the spirit in wanting to learn more not only about cooking, but about how everything in life is balanced together.
   
   I've been reading this book while I've had a very bad flu and her sections on the medicinal values of ingredients in Chinese cooking has been a blessing to me.
   
   The book is well organized with a vivid introduction of her life growing up in San Francisco Chinatown; her observations thru family anecdotes. Then she breaks down recipes with wonderful introductions in categories from rice, wok cooking, steam cooking, and two broader sections related to cooking and "The Art of Celebration" and "Achieving Ying Yang Harmony."
   
   There are excellent instructions, pictures, and descriptions of key ingredients written in chinese with a photo so that while in a Chinese supermarket, you can find the ingredients.
   
   There's also and excellent reference section in the back on the ingredients.
   
   Little things such as eating congee (jook) when ill to aid the body in releasing toxins had an immediate effect on my health. Also, her recipe for "Dried Fig Apple Almond" soup immediately cured me of my coughing problems.
   
   Her instructions on the recipe are very concise. If you follow her instructions academically, you will achieve the intent of the dish.
   
   After reading this book, I look at eating more than just as a pleasure, but as a means of sustaining a longer and healthier life.
   
   I only had one problem and that relates to the phonetics used in the pronunciation of some of the terms in chinese. People at the stores seldom understood what I was asking for, but fortunately, there were pictures.
   
   Great read and a book that is a permanent reference guide.



2. The book is amazing and everything I had hoped it would be.



3. yep! it brings me back home when i read through this book and taste the recipes!
   
   glad this book was published!



4. This wonderful books opens the door to understanding Chinese food as medicine. It is truly full of wisdom, and very practical. A treasure!



5. I recently borrowed this cookbook from the local library, loved it and now I'm ordering my own copy. This book has recipes for the many dishes I grew up with, but unfortunately never learned to make. The stories the author provides is reminiscent of the memories I grew up with.

5 comments about The Everything Chinese Cookbook: From Wonton Soup to Sweet and Sour Chicken-300 Succulent Recipes from the Far East (Everything Series).

1. In The Everything Chinese Cookbook, Chinese cuisine expert Rhonda Lauret Parkinson has developed a truly "user friendly" specialty cookbook which is ideal for the novice kitchen cook wanting to prepare and serve traditional Chinese dishes as part of a family dining experience. With an informed and informative introductory chapter on getting started with respect to Chinese cooking, individual chapters are devoted to dipping sauces, appetizers, soups and salads, rice and noodles, beef dishes, pork entrees, chicken and other poultry, tofu and eggs, fish and other seafood, Chinese vegetables; desserts and snacks. An ideal introduction into the kitchen mechanics of preparing popular Chinese dishes, The Everything Chinese Cookbook is further enhanced with two appendices: "Putting It All Together" and "Glossary of Asian Ingredient". The Everything Chinese Cookbook will take even the most amateur kitchen cook and show how to deliver expertly prepared and palate pleasing Chinese fare for ordinary daily dining or those special celebratory dinners with a true Chinese flair and expertise.



2. This book is pretty good for beginners like me ..it's so informative on the cultures and what to do but ..there's no illustration of the food itself how it would look like when it's done...so basically having to guess what it looks like ,however it definately teaches me how to make the food from dim sum but and it's pretty simple and easy but the ingredients are sort of hard to get ...in all like i said it's a good book .



3. The thing about this book that distinguishes it from other Chinese cookbooks, is that is had ALL the recipes I was looking for (e.g., black bean sauce for noodles, Dan Dan, Singapore noodles, sweet and sour shrimp, etc). The only downside is that the author decided to make some of the dishes lighter (e.g., not having the shrimps dipped in batter and fried for the sweet & sour shrimp) - which I think should go into a different kind of book than a general Chinese recipe book as this. However, to me that is something that can easily be corrected without exercising too much imagination.
   
   I've flipped through many Chinese cookbooks, and this is the only one that I've bought.



4. 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.



5. 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.