5 comments about The Chinese Kitchen: A Book of Essential Ingredients with Over 200 Easy and Authentic Recipes.

1. Deh-Ta Hsiung is a British-based mainland-trained chef whose polite opinions keep this nicely organized and illustrated book interesting. Although he ignores much of the Cantonese-style cooking that is prevalent in many Chinese cookbooks available in the US, his information is traditional, accurate, and all of the 10 or so recipes I've tried so far have been good. Ingredients such as tofu, oyster sauce, malt sugar, five-spice powder, and Sichuan peppercorns are presented individually with Chinese characters, Pinyin, English, and Latin (for the plants) and photographs of the ingredient and recipes and photos of one or two representative dishes. There's also information provided on how the ingredient grows or is produced or packaged, what it looks and tastes like, how to buy and store it, some basic medicinal uses,...and recipes! I like to use the book in combination with Nina Simonds' and Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's books--taking the best of each.



2. I have always enjoyed Deh Ta-Hsiung's recipes. They are simple to follow & difficult to get wrong, even for a novice cook like me! The recipes he shares range from tasty family dishes to making your own Peking duck or roasting your own barbeque pork which are difficult to come by in most Chinese cook books. Mr Deh also takes time to explain how different types of ingredients come together, and offers to the uninitiated, methods of preparing an ingredient, and photographs which makes me want to dog-ear all the pages with the recipes I plan to try! Most of all, Deh's cooking leads to the most authentic tasting Chinese food!I'm glad the author has finally released an US edition!My only complaint is there just aren't enough recipes!



3. This book presents all the basic ingredients for a Chinese kitchen. If you think you "kinda know" but not really, here is your reference book. The three things that strike me are the accurate descriptions, beautiful photos and pragmatic use of each of the items.
   The recipes factually represent authentic old time use.
   I would buy this book for the younger Chinese so that they won't forget "what, why and how".



4. The background and recipes are quite good but the paper back book is a disgrace. My copy is less than a year old but nearly every page has separated from the "perfect" binding. The publisher should give a[...]to anyone who has bought this. Five stars for the author, [...], so a two overall.



5. There are probably books with more recipes - recipes aren't really the focus of this book. It's a treatise on the ingredients that go into Chinese cooking, an encyclopedia of what goes into the food and how to find it, how to use it, and where it comes from. I found it delightful reading, and I can now go to the local markets without always feeling that I have no idea what I'm looking at. I bought it as a gift for my son, read it before handing it over, and think I'm probably going to have to get one for myself. It's beautiful to look at, too.

4 comments about Beyond Bok Choy: A Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables.

1. This is a beautifully crafted book with wonderful photographs. It's an excellent book even for Chinese. My only complaint is that I wish Lo San would have included more vegetables in her book. There are a lot more other Chinese vegetables she hasn't included. Some of those absent are from the fungi family (if that's a vegetable!) and other Chinese green leafy/root vegetable.



2. This book is a great introduction to Asian vegetables. The photographs are very useful and the general presentation is very good. Information is given as to how to prepare and cook with these vegetables, and there are many recipes to that effect. My only disappointment was that there weren't more vegetarian recipes, although many are adaptable.



3. This is good for someone just becoming interested in Asian cuisine. The photographs are large and beautiful, the recipes simple in the respect that they will bring out the best of the vegetable being highlighted. It's not a book for vegetarians and never claimed to be. It's an introduction to Asian vegetables, what to look for when buying them, general uses, storage and care, and censored cultivation tips on some of the vegetables. I say censored because as a gardener who has grown Asian vegetables for years, Ross gives cultivation information for only a few select vegetables (and brief at that) for the easiest to grow. This is not for the Asian gardener's library unless you like the other information. This would make a great gift.



4. I bought this book after I left school and had to start cooking on my own. As an ABC, the first time I went to an Asian grocery store was very intimidating; my first impression of the vegetable aisle was a huge wall of leafy greens. Although, I haven't tried any of the recipes, I find the book useful for identification, storage and preparation of the vegetables. More importantly, each page includes a picture and the name of the vegetable in English and Chinese (both character and the popular English phonetic name
   form - usually Mandarin and Cantonese pronunciations).

4 comments about The Healing Cuisine of China: 300 Recipes for Vibrant Health and Longevity.

1. One unique feature about Zhuo Zhao and George Ellis's new book--The Healing Cuisine of China--is that it includes real recipes from China, a country people regard food as heaven. Growing up in China, Zhao took for granted how the Chinese in everyday life treat their minor ailments, improve their general health or beautify themselves by choosing to eat specific foods. Living in the west made her realize how little people in this part of the world knew about another beauty of the Chinese cusine--it is supposed to improve one's health. The 300 recipes, a result of years of research in China, backed up by real life anecdotes and scientific analyses, open up a door to the pleasure of eating, and feeling great, not only while eating, but also in the future.

   Ray Wang, California




2. The Healing Cuisine of China by Zhuo Zhao and George Ellis is an excellent book! It is not a typical health food book. The book not only teaches you how to prepare healthy food; it teaches you how to prepare healthy food that tastes good! Also, there are many tidbits about Chinese culture and medicine in this book. So, you learn as you cook! Truly, this book has something for everyone, whether you are a fitness fanatic or simply one who likes good food.



3. This makes an interesting reference book on medicinal recipes. I just don't like the way it is organized. You have to thumb through the whole book to get a feel for what ailments it addresses and I found the list somewhat wanting. Other than that, it makes an interesting compendium of Chinese remedies although I think I'll pass on the fried and ground earthworms!



4. This book is great. It's different than I expected (I was looking for general recipes to balance your consitution) and this has a lot of remedies for specific ailments. There are some very interesting (and simple) recipes for treatments, and I really am curious about the earthworm. :D I especially like the recipes for helpful/healthful teas and wines. I love the way the book is layed out, and it is very easy to read and understand.
   
   Chapters:
   1. Origins & theory
   2. Causes of Illness (talks about the pathogens)
   3. Eating for health (has a great survey to find out more about your constitution)
   4. Foods and their healing properties
   5. Home Remedies
   6. Longevity banquets (this is the section that has the more general recipes)
   7. exercise for health (qigong)
   
   I recommend this book to anyone looking for recipes and remedies, and the healing properties of foods.
   
   also highly recommended:
   Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford is a great book, very in depth, on nutrition (blending asian and western), with lots of chinese theory, and the healing properties of food
   The Tao of Healhty Eating by Bob Flaws is a small book on TCM and nutrition. It is really easy to understand and a great introduction.

5 comments about Great Garnishes (Wei-Chuan's Cookbook).

1. This book is all about challenge. Carving, carving and carving. For those of you who don't have any talent for this kind of work should skip it. But it also contains a simple decoration but beautiful such as flowers pots. Professional chefs who won awards wrote this book. They are showing incredible techniques and the results are worth to keep as a house decoration! But phiew, talk about myself trying to be at least near those result probably will take zillion of practices. Some of the carvings techniques have to use your own imagination because the guidelines aren't that detail. Example, carving a monkey! This is a hard book. The pages are full with colored photos. Bottom line is that this book is for those who want to be a pro or really love challenges. But for the rest this book is worthy as a collection.



2. The first few pages are garnishes by Tomi Carey, which are average to OK..but everything after that is superb!! If you have imagination, you can craft masterpieces by following the guidelines/samples in the book. But if you don't have an artistic bone in you, then find another basic beginers book. Excellent buy!



3. the book has alot of ideas that are photographed step by step, but apart from a handful of ideas, the examples given are kitsch and outdated, great as a conversation piece at a boring home cocktail party, but for a pro chef - forgettaboutit.



4. This book is a wonderful resource for adding creativity and style to any prepared food or buffet. The full color photos are easy to follow and understand for a step by step guide from simple to ambitious. I'm satisfied with the books diversity of decorating ideas and would recommend it to anyone with a creative flair.



5. Great Book. Awesome food art that everyone try to achieve. Some ingredients are very Asian based. It's a great book to spark creative food carving ideas. Great photographs.

5 comments about The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes.

1. Totally spellbinding and exciting book! Barbara recognized that great outcomes require more than simply great recipes, and that great execution requires more than superficial knowledge.

   In The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking, Barbara prepares the reader for virtually all of the conditions and eventualities that home cooks face. She then provides the in-depth knowledge and nuance necessary to consistently achieve world-class perfection. And she does it in an easy-to-read, entertaining style.

   Thanks to Barbara's book, the fine recipes from David Hom and Irene Kuo have reached even greater heights.




2. I'm an avid cookbook reader and recipe-try-outer and this is one of the best cookbooks in general that I have come across. Instructions are crystal clear, which is great for beginning cooks, and because of the careful instructions, each recipe turns out exactly like it's supposed to. She has a lot of home-cooking type recipes that are easy, like the Master Sauce Eggs and chicken. It's true that some recipes do take time, but most of them you can do parts ahead of time or are hands-off sorts.



3. This is certainly a fantastic book, which I bought following recommendations from the Amazon reviews and from an internet food community. The strengths of the book are that it contains a level of detail in the recipes, and in the introductions to the various types of cooking styles, ingredient preparation and correct use of cooking utensils.
   However, the recipes themselves are not on the whole as appealing as one might expect from a book of this size. Also, in terms of "classical" chinese cuisine (by that I mean what you and I are used to, rather than what someone from Mainland China is used to) this book is not as strong as you may think.
   My main gripes emerge when comparing this book with Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese Cookbook. This book to me contains the same, if not greater levels of detail with regards to frying/steaming and ingredient prep, and also contains many many more appealing recipes, with just as good levels of detail for those that are not familiar with chinese cookery. The section on ingredients and also on the cuisine of Mainland China is also superior in this book.
   Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese Cookbook remains my go-to book for Chinese food, altho I will keep this and use it from time to time, but it is certainly not as useful and doesnt contain as many appealing recipes. If you are interested in smoking chicken and duck however, you will need Barbara Tropp's book.



4. This book isn't really what I was looking for. It is filled with informative recipes, ingredient lists, and anecdotes. Like Julia Child or Marcella Hazan, Tropp is a purist. I've got a large Chinese market nearby, but I'm still intimidated by the ingredients she insists on. (They're not necessarily exotic, it is just finding the best soy sauce, for example, that is daunting.) I like this style of cookbook, and I'm convinced that if I cooked my way through it I'd be an accomplished Chinese cook, ultimately this book has much loftier aspirations than I do.



5. I wanted one Chinese cookbook that would teach me all the basics of cooking.
   
   This is it! (And I'm still learning.)
   
   Ok, it's very time consuming. But it's worth it! I've even learned little hints that have helped me in all of my cooking! For instance, now I can bread and lightly fry or bake any item without it falling apart!

No comments about Chinese Food Finder: Guide to Chinese Regional Cuisines Across America.

5 comments about Chinese Tonic Herbs.

1. Ron has certainly opened the eyes of those of us who wish to avoid the chemicals of modern day medicine. This book will guide you to the Chinese herb that is right for you and your health. While he makes no claims of cures, I can attest to the renewed energy and vitality I have attained from his advice and knowledge



2. I found Ron Teeguarden's new book "Radiant Health" to be the most easily understood and comprehensive book on the subject that I've ever read. Many Westerners, during the last several decades, have become aware of the benefits of Chinese Medicine, specifically acupuncture. This book brings to light the extremely effective system of Chinese Herbal Tonics, which is an ancient tradition of promoting and maintaining a state of radiant health rather than treating disease once it has developed. Considering the cost of health care to both individuals and society at large, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in maintaining their own personal health or providing for the health of society. Not only does Ron Teeguarden explain in detail the properties and uses of each of the tonic herbs but he has a rare talent of making very complex and profound concepts easily understandable to the layman. One suggestion that I would make is not to miss the last chapter called "Six Lessons The Tonic Herbs Have Taught Me." Some readers might get bogged down in the middle of the book where each of the herbs is described. If that happens to you, just skip to the last chapter and then pick up the book, from time to time, to read about an herb or two. The last chapter was my favorite because it beautifully expresses the degree to which the tonic herbs can transform life and raise it to a pinacle that is the birthright of every human being.



3. I have several good books on Chinese herbs, but Teeguarden's book is the only one with full, complete explanations. He includes:

   1. Section on the five elements (water-wood-fire-metal-earth), what "cool" and "warm" and "yin" and "yang" mean.

   2. Section describing the most-used and important herbs like Ginseng and Dong Kwai, Ma Huang and many others. This section includes photos of the herb shown as they are sold in herb shops, tips on getting the best herbs, the Chinese name (and Korean, sometimes) The names are both Romanized and in Chinese characters, with the Latin name, and the active chemical components and their effects.

   3. Formulae for herb tonics, because Chinese herbs are not used alone but in combination (and the reasoning behind the combination.)

   4. Philosophy of Chinese medicine for health (prevention versus cure) and much more.

   The book is very readable, too. While I very much like other books I own, this one is such a classic, I consider it a MUST-HAVE if you are interested at all in Chinese medicine and definitely the first one you should own.




4. What sets this book apart from other books on Chinese herbal medicine is its philosophy of using "superior tonic herbs" to improve the quality of one's life and health. This book is not about treating disease, but rather about achieving radiant health from a Taoist perspective.
   
   This is Ron Teeguarden's first of several books on the subject of Chinese Medicine and in my opinion is a classic. (Note, I have not read his latest book The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs.)
   
   Having formally studied Traditional Chinese Medicine for two years and Ayurvedic medicine for two years I can unequivocally state this is the book to start learning practical do it yourself Chinese herbalism for increased energy, creativity, spiritual growth and happiness. It contains many useful and effective herbal formulas that would not be otherwise accessible to the non-professional. If you want to learn Chinese medicine for the treatment of disease this is not the book to get, rather the focus is on tonic herbs and their correct application. (While tonic herbs are widely used for deficiency diseases in Chinese Medicine, not enough herbs, formulas and theory are given in this book for treating complex deficiency conditions/diseases.) This book shows one how to gradually work towards radiant health through the application of Superior Tonic Herbalism. All the practical and theoretical knowledge needed is covered.
   
   The cost of the herbs involved ranges from $.50 / ounce to $200 / ounce (retail). To seriously put to use the knowledge contained in this book would require having a selection of about 20-35 herbs. Though one could start out with as few as one to three herbs. The primary emphasis is on learning how to mix and cook the bulk tonic herbs into teas (decoctions). These teas range in taste from sweet, sour, and pungent to bitter. (There is one chapter devoted to the use of commercially prepared tonics, but it is not the major focus of the book.) The companies listed to order herbs from are now out of date, but a search of the Internet will reveal more current sources.
   
   Traditionally the tonic herbs are divided into four categories: 1) chi (qi) tonics, 2) yang tonics, 3) yin tonics and 4) blood tonics. Ron Teeguardian covers three additional categories: 1) chi moving/regulating herbs, 2) blood moving/regulating herbs and 3) organ-meridian tonics. The book covers 35 herbs in detail, including buying tips and a black and white photo of each herb.
   
   The section on ginseng (a chi tonic) is very informative and contains insights and perspectives not readily found elsewhere. Also covered in detail is dang shen (Codonopsis pilosula) a safe and low cost ginseng substitute. The coverage of some the "minor" tonic herbs is unique as the longevity properties of these "minor" tonic herbs are usually overlooked or ignored by most texts on the subject.
   
   The theory section is kept simple, but detailed enough to be practically useful. While Chinese Tonic Herbs discusses modern scientific research on Chinese herbs, the formulas and theory is geared toward building up the three Taoist treasures: shen (spirit), jing (essence, refined reproductive energy) and chi (life-force/energy). When these three treasures are built up a person will have a strong reserve of adaptogenic energy to effectively deal with stress and changing life conditions.
   
   The book has a few flaws. The taxonomy is a little weak as some of the scientific names used are outdated. Perhaps not enough information is given on how to correctly distinguish between yin, yang, chi and blood deficiency conditions. Also, not enough contraindications are given for each of the herbs discussed. While superior tonic herbs are generally very safe and non toxic, it is possible to use them incorrectly and put one's body into a deeper state of imbalance. Dosage information is somewhat weak, but sufficiently covered if one studies the book carefully. Usually only relative proportions for each herb are given for a formula.
   
   Ron Teeguarden was personally trained by a Taoist master visiting from Korea in the 1970s. His book is part of a real living tradition of Superior Tonic Herbalism.
   
   While several volumes would be needed to do Superior Tonic Herbalism justice this book is an excellent beginning.
   
   (A useful adjunct book is "Yoga of Herbs" by Frawley and Lad, which covers Western, Ayurvedic and some Chinese herbs from an Ayurvedic perspective. Yoga of Herbs focuses both on the treatment of disease and tonification and rejuvenation. It covers some of the spiritual aspects of herbs according to the Ayurvedic perspective. Both Yoga of Herbs and Chinese Tonic Herbs embrace the life energy model of herbalism as opposed to the more modern pharmacological model.)
   
   The real secret of tonic herbalism is doing it carefully (e.g., don't over do it) and steadily every day -- this book will definitely help one get started on this path, by both the knowledge contained within, and the truly inspiring stories and passion of the author. Superior Tonic Herbalism is Ron Teeguardian's passion and mission in life and this book follows from this.



5. I found this gem in a used bookstore around fifteen years ago, and learned
   enough about Chinese tonic herbs to change my life, energy levels and how I think about health completely.
   This book is written in a comfortable, accessible style, yet is concise and informative as well. It is also perfect as a herbal reference.
   For me, the section on prepared tonics has been invaluable.
   A previous reviewer is correct about the supplier list being out of date, but a company called East Earth Tradewinds has everything you will require to concoct Mr. Teeguarden's formulas, as well as most of the patent medicines and
   prepared tonics listed in the book.If you are interested in looking into the wonderful and amazing herbs of China, buy this book. It is truly excellent, and one you will be referring to for the rest of your life.

5 comments about The Chinese Kitchen: Recipes, Techniques, Ingredients, History, and Memories from America's Leading Authority on Chinese Cooking.

1. I'm very happy to have bought this book. There may be some redundant recipes but I still feel that everone should buy ALL her titles. I trust her knowledge so I am very happy that she has included a Fried Milk recipe.



2. I was always intimidated by the prospect of Chinese cooking. But now among my dozens of cookbooks, for many types of cuisine, I value this the most. I learned techniques from the pictures and descriptions I otherwise could not have understood. And I found the ingredients in my local Asian market thanks to Eileen's "Chinese Larder" section. And the recipes are delicious.



3. The recipes I've tried in this volume are indeed all excellent, and taste like what I'd expect in the more authentic Chinese restaurants I eat in. The Hainan Chcken Rice is very close to the recipe that was taught to me by a Chinese friend from Hong Kong. Now few of these recipes are easy; this is not a "dinner from your wok in five minutes" sort of Chinese cookbook. Some take preparations that span over two days, or more. If you can take the time to do a proper job, though, you'll be rewarded for your efforts.
   
   But as others have noted, this book does have its problems. The list of ingredients in the beginning is incomplete; many ingredients don't make an appearance until they show up in the instructions for a specific recipe. While there is a small photo section in the middle of the book, showing some of the more obscure techniques (like inflating a Beijing duck) it is woefully inadequate, and in some instances doesn't really help. The photos on making Bao (buns) show the beginning of pleating the top closed, but if you've never seen this demonstrated the photo is not of much help. Many other reviewers have rightfully noted that when cooking an unfamiliar cuisine it's very useful to have pictures to guide you in making a dish that looks right.
   
   So this is a good, but flawed, book. If you're already familiar with many of the dishes presented here, and with the basic techniques of Chinese cooking, and Chinese ingredients, and you're ready to plunge into some time consuming techniques, you'll find this volume very useful. Those with less experience might look elsewhere for a while.



4. This book has authentic recipes. But they may be 'authentic' in a way that I suspect most normal Americans (and many Chinese in China to some extent) will be unable to really embrace. What I mean by this is that these are authentic Cantonese aristocratic recipes; i.e. food for the kind of people that can afford servants, or at least have a stay at home mother or father who has enough time to devote multiple hours to cooking dinner each day. Even when the recipes venture into other areas of Chinese cuisine, it holds that same kind overly epicurean complexity.
   
   I grew up with my grandparents cooking Cantonese food for me, and though preparations can get quite complex in the Chinese kitchen, dinner rarely feels like a burden. This book simply calls for too many ingredients, oftentimes obscure ones, oftentimes in trifling amounts. Currently I live in Beijing and the agricultural market is right down the street, but generally speaking I can hardly motivate myself to go gather all the many ingredients in these epic recipes. I feel in many ways that Ms. Lo neglects an important, but certainly not all encompassing, concept in Chinese cooking, which is straightforwardness and letting good ingredients speak for themselves.
   
   To compare, Ms. Lo's recipe for Mah Paw Daufu (not a Cantonese dish) has 22 ingredients listed. Whereas in the "Land of Plenty" cookbook the Ma Po Doufu calls for 12 ingredients. Both recipes create a wonderful dish, but as the recipe in "Land of Plenty" is much less complex I use it 95% of the time. Having grown up with Chinese food and having lived in China for 3 years I would say that "Land of Plenty" is more 'authentic' in that its the home style cooking that most Chinese people do.
   
   Notice I did give this book 3 stars which means I think it is good, just not great. I have tried a good number of the recipes and all of them resulted in very nice dishes. Ms. Lo understands Chinese cooking, Chinese food, and Chinese culture, so the essays about food in this book are extremely informative. I also appreciate that she tries to cover the many regions of Chinese cuisine. Yet in the end, if you are like me, work full time, don't have enough money for an in-house chef, or don't have a stay at home spouse, I would recommend looking for other Chinese cookbooks.



5. Overall, it seems the cookbook is geared for westerners (note the wine list discussion at the end of the book) but at the same time it seems to make it overly difficult for them to cook the recipes.
   
   I've read many of the reviews here before being enticed into buying this book because of the many high praises for 'authenticity' and pro level quality of the recipes. I have to say I was sadly disappointed. There are many problems with this book, which some of the more critical of the reviews have mentioned, such as: haphazard organization, overly complicated ingredients lists meant for people with kitchen staff, and no pictures of the finished dish for the uninitiated. Talking about self praise, the first sentence in the front cover fold is that she is the 'Cantonese Julia Child'. But, while Julia Child actually trained in kitchens in France, all I could discern from the book of Eileen Lo's training is that her grandmother, Ah Paw, taught her while she was growing up. Her grandmother, the auther notes, "knew instinctively, without ever having had to personally put a spatula into wok, how things ought to be cooked..."
   
   But, let's go to the crux of a good cookbook, the recipes. My definition of good recipe writing is that in Jacques Pepin's or Julia Child's books: no mistakes, succinct with good professional hints. You KNOW they had tested the recipe many times.
   Pros:
   - description of ingredients (but again, where's the picture?)
   - Chinese characters for ingredients and recipes (but why in cursive Chinese. Printed form of Chinese is so much easier - and yes, I read Chinese)
   Cons:
   - A biggy: some of the Chinese is wrong. Sometimes it is so obvious such as when the number of Chinese characters are more or less than the 'pinyin' version. If you have the book, try counting the words if you can't read them. Critical because it suggests copying the characters to bring to your Chinese grocer (or restaurant?) for ordering.
   - Instructions are overly complicated. For example, after sauteing veggies you are told to towel wipe the pan down. Not necessary unless you need to change the flavor.
   - Some recipes are definitely not traditional. Authentic? Well, maybe.. but to where? Example: steamed bread or 'man tau' is traditional made with yeast but a modern quickbread version using baking powder is used here. Personally, I dislike the quickbread version. It doesn't have the proper bread fragrance. But many Chinese bakeries currently use it for speed.
   - Overuse of oyster sauce. For example, marinating the lobster in Cantonese Lobster in oyster sauce: do you really want the lobster to taste like oysters? Not me.
   
   To give some of my background, I'm a cooking enthusiast, have worked in a number of Chinese restaurant kitchens, cook mostly Chinese but eat and cook international foods, and own many a cookbooks some of which are very good (but not this one).
   -

5 comments about Korean Cuisine.

1. I actually own 3 of Wei-Chuan books because all of the books have great pictures and easy to follow instructions. I'm a beginner so it was easy to follow; however, it didn't quite
   explain what some ingredients are like tzuyoum, mirin, five-spice power and more. As a beginner, I had no clue where to
   find these ingredients besides that they are in a Chinese market. Problem is, I don't know what it is supposed to look like and the Chinese people there don't understand what I am looking for.



2. I must admit this book is great for its visual appeal. It makes my mouth water just looking at the pictures. But aside from this, I think the final dishes taste less authentic in my opinion (fyi.. I am Korean) As another reviewer pointed out, the owners of Woo Lae Oak put this book out. Those restaurants are more geared towards the Western palette- food is much, much sweeter and different from what I am used to. If you are looking to emulate the taste of the dishes in Korean restaurants in a Korea-town area of a certain city then these recipes will not give you that..



3. this is a great book! I'm chinese american- so korean ingredients are similar to ingredients i'm used to- but at the same time completely different! the ingredient list with pictures in the beginning of the book- greatly helped me in the korean grocery store. ie my best friends mom always had these big bags with a picture of a raw steak on the front. everytime i walked through their pantry- i thought- "man they must need to tenderize a lot of meat." It turns out the "meat tenderizer" is actually beef soup base! And it's REALLY good soup base for those who like to cheat with food prep! i also liked the fact that it had photos of the different kinds of dried seaweed used- because in korean and japanese grocery stores- the seaweed section can make your head spin with all the different choices you have!
   
   i really liked the recipe for chapchae- most of the other korean cookbooks have meat strips or ground meat in them. this one was simple- and if you keep a well stocked pantry you can make this whenever you want! I like to add julienned dried black mushrooms to the recipe as well. the spicy tofu stew with clams is so completely easy to make- and honestly- i leave out the clams and fresh shrimp- and it's still wonderful without! I do like to throw large pink dried shrimp with their heads on- into the soup- primarily because it adds flavor- and because there's a korean restaurant that does the same.
   
   The cooking tips that are found throughout the book are priceless. like throwing in dried anchovies if you don't have anchovy stock. I never knew what to do with those things- and now i do. and despite they're smell and appearance they add wonderful flavor to soups.
   
   if you have a korean market nearby and you're too lazy to actually cook- i would recommend getting a few bags of the different types of dried soup stock powders. in the same section they should also have these yellow boxes of freeze dried soup. there's no english- except- what type of soup it is- i personally like the pollack soup and the beef and vegetable soup. (and what you see in the picture is actually what is in the box!) one box with 2 cups of water- throw in half a container of soft tofu, some dried shrimp and a dried anchovy and some hot sesame oil and you've got yourself instant goodness.
   
   this book really helped me experiment with korean ingredients. (ie putting a tablespoon of the beef soup base powder in the above soup mix adds flavor and is really good) i've even expanded my pantry to include fernbracken. A little scary looking dried and in the package- but i'm sure it's going to be wonderful! i absolutely love this book and the entire wei-chuan series.



4. This book has excellent recipes, particularly the sauces. I have been able to cook Korean at home to satisfy my love of the Korean cuisine. The pancake sauce is exactly like my favorite restaurant's!



5. It came in a nice condition. It has great translation in English with photo of each dishes. That's very important to me. If you like Korean food. This is a good one to have to make your favorite dish.

4 comments about Weight Watchers Stir-Fry to Szechuan: 100 Classic Chinese Recipes (Weight Watcher's Library Series).

1. This is a fabulous Chinese cookbook, not only for Weight Watchers members but also for those interested in the taste of Chinese cooking without all the extra fat and calories. Being a Weight Watchers member, I was a bit skeptical that the lower-point recipes would be flavorful and satisfying, but I am now a believer. The egg drop soup is so much more delicious than anything I've ever eaten from a take out restaurant. It is a light soup with some unexpected flavors, such as black mushrooms. The Kung Pao Chicken recipe was much better than many 'regular' recipes I've tried. I love to cook Chinese dishes at home but I've never succeeded in getting them to look or taste like something from a restaurant, until now.

   I would recommend this title to anyone looking for a good basic Chinese cookbook and would encourage any Weight Watchers members interested in moderate point, yet delicious recipes to buy this book!




2. I usually consider a cookbook a success if I find a handful of recipes which I will continue to use. I have already tried 11 recipes from this (comparatively) small book and plan to or have already reused most of them. This is a real find for Chinese food lovers watching their diets, but it's also recommended for anyone who enjoys cooking Chinese food.



3. My husband and I have tried 4 recipes out of this book so far, and all 4 were a big hit. One in particular -- curried shrimp with noodles -- was really good and we have made it 5 times already. You really wouldn't know it was "diet food" unless you saw the book title. I'm only giving it four stars just because I haven't tried most of the recipes yet. But so far, very good, and the format of the book is great too!



4. A wonderful cookbook, full of recipes that anyone can make. A taste for everyone...ever wonder how to make a low calorie Kung Pao Chicken?...well it's in there. It's an excellent way to get vegetables into your meals too. Real Chinese food has Chicken and Beef as accompliments...veggie and rice/noodles are primary. This book has both ways to calculate your weight watchers needs, points and exchanges. I highly recommend this book. Nothing dull here!