5 comments about Chinese Cooking Made Easy: With Simple Sauces and Dressings (Wei-chuans cookbook).

1. This is an excellent cookbook for those who are not familiar with cooking Chinese dishes. What I like most about this book is that the majority of recipes don't call for ingredients that are hard to find. Since I don't live anywhere near an Asian food store, this is a big plus for me. In addition, I'm a vegetarian and my husband is a big meat eater. This book has several vegetarian recipes in the back, so it satisfies both of our palates. To date, I have 18 Wei-Chuan cookbooks and I put this one in the top 5.



2. I was hoping to replicate many of the dishes I buy at my local chinese restaruant: Kung Pao Chicken, chow mein, chow fun dishes, and a variety of veggie and lamb dishes. This particular book though is full of heavier meat recipes; roast chicken, stewed duck, peking duck, smoked duck, various preparations of chicken legs and breasts, pork chops, and beef steaks. There ARE a few dishes like I was looking for: chicken w/ black beans, curry beef, ground meat in lettuce, spicy shrimp w/ cashews, but they are fewer than I'd hoped. The soup selection has only 3 choices and does not include Hot & Sour soup. "Fried Noodles" are the only noodle recipe. There are no Chow Fun recipes. There are almost no vegetable dish recipes except for detailed info on boiling or stir frying specific veggies (which is good info, but it's not a dish, it's just prep).
   
   More minor problems are: they don't use english abbreviations for quantities even in the English text. They use "T." for tablespoon instead of "tbsp". Many recipes reference "wine", but so far I have not found what kind of "wine" they actually mean listed in the intro How-To section.
   
   Overall I find it lacking in terms of common "chinese lunch special" type dishes, or Szechuan dishes (as best I can tell from reading anyhow). Some of these dishes may be in here, but they're called "spicy" this or that instead of the names you'd see them listed on a menu as. This may or may not be more accurate, but I'd rather have commonly understood names instead of technically accurate names.
   
   I'm caucasian. I'm also Californian and near San Francisco so I've been eating chinese food all my life and love it, but I'm far from literate in what differentiates Szechuan from Mandarin, etc. Therefore I find this book a little less informative than I'd hoped. I would probably not buy it again for the relatively few recipes in it I will ever cook, but the section on squid dishes and a couple others is enough to keep me from trying to return it.



3. The key to this cookbook is correct expectations. As mentioned, you won't find a recipe in here for General Tso Chicken, etc. What you will get is a basic introduction to how to make authentic tasting dishes by seeing how various sauces are made, etc. This provided a great starting point for me to be able to improvise all kinds of dishes, soups, etc.
   
   If you are looking for a cookbook that will walk you step by step through Moo Goo Gai Pan and Moo Shu Pork, you probably want to look elsewhere.



4. I've made extensive use of pages 6 through 9, which cover sauces, marinades, and salad dressings. I appreciate the way that many of the recipes that follow provide examples and variations on the sauces.
   
   The flavors and results from the recipes in this cookbook are great, and the pictures and illustrations can be a big help to beginners. But, after some experimentation to figure out exactly how I prefer to make a black bean sauce and a spicy ketchup sauce, I haven't found myself going back to this cookbook much.
   
   People looking for recipes for specific, common Chinese-American foods might get more use out of another Wei-Chuan cookbook, Chinese Cooking for Beginners, ISBN 0941676307. It covers Crispy Salad with Chicken (a.k.a. Chinese Chicken Salad), Chinese Roast Pork, Hot & Sour Soup, Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce, Moo-Shu Pork, Sour & Hot Shrimp, Shrimp Foo Yung, Shau Mai, and Almond Jello, among many others.



5. I have the 1991 edition of this book and keep coming back to it over the years for new and fresh ideas. IMHO, pages 6 and 7 which give recipes for over a dozen basic Chinese sauces are worth the entire investment. Once you have a good sauce, you can improvise with what you have on hand in the pantry and fridge and garden. Yet I recommend you follow some recipes from start to finish per the book, as that gives you a feel for what Chinese cooking is all about. Then you can go from there.
   
   The bilingual aspect and the unusual format (compared to Western cookbooks) takes a bit of getting used to, but is no real barrier. By using this format, the author has managed to squeeze a whole truckload of helpful information into a slim volume.

4 comments about Mrs. Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook: Szechwan Home Cooking.

1. We've been cooking Chinese food one to five times per week for 25 years, and most of it according to Mrs. Chaing. The first copy fell apart from use. I will miss the easy opening to favorite dishes and the memorabe stains, but enough is enough. We have about 30 Chinese cookbooks and use all of them from time to time but Mrs. Chaing's cookbook has staying power, helpful hints, reliable recipies, and a wide range of cooking styles.



2. I bought Mrs. Chiang's Szechuan Cookbook when it first came out. It immediately became and remains my favorite Chinese cookbook. In fact, I have used it so much that I have worn it out! I take good care of my books, but years of kitchen use have put numerous stains on the pages and have broken the binding, never mind the total destruction of the dust cover! I have given this book as gifts to several friends who have enjoyed my Chinese meals (based on this book), and they are using it too.
   You can also get Szechuan Home Cooking. It is just a later edition of the same book, and the only changes are in the introductory material.
   Do yourself a favor and get this fabulous book before it disappears forever.
   By the way, I finally replaced my worn-out copy, but have kept the old one stored sentimentally alongside--it's full of notes, like "excellent recipe", "Marc [husband] raves", "fabulous and easy."



3. I bought this book when it first came out in 1976...it is simply the best cookbook of its kind ! Whether you are a novice or an expert in "szechwan cooking"...this book has something for you. The "Grand Duke Chicken" is food for the God's...I added green beans to her wonderful "red cooked shrimp". Want a dish that has the delicate flavor of butter (but no butter) try the
   "Shrimp with ginger and wine" * if you can get fresh crawfish tails it will be even better !



4. I am ethnic Chinese, but we grew up on spaghetti and tacos. My only memories of home-cooked Chinese food was the two years my grandmother lived with us when I was a teen. Nevertheless, she set the standard for me in the area of Chinese home cooking. I bought this book when I graduated from college 27 years go, my first cookbook and one of the first non-textbooks I bought--at full price, no less. It was a big investment for someone neck-deep in student loans, but I knew enough to recognize authenticity when I saw it. I literally learned to cook Chinese food using Mrs. Chiang's book. The recipes turn out dishes that taste just like my grandmother's did. I have since bought many other books on Chinese cooking, but none have been as reliable or authentic as Mrs. Chiang's. The only thing I alter is the amount of oil called for.

5 comments about All the Tea in China.

1. I found this tea book to be a very good reference book on tea's origin, how and when it's popularity spread to other realms, how to enjoy tea and what kinds of utensils are used to make and drink tea. I would have enjoyed more pictures and the ones that are here are in black and white, but this is an information packed read.



2. No fetishism nor fussiness in this volume, just excellent information and tips for the tea drinker and interested historian/gardener/travel buff/philosopher/health-seeker. If anything, this book demystifies Chinese teas with its clear and readable presentation -- instructive but not school-bookish. If you think there's more to life than powdered iced-tea mixes -- or even if you don't -- this book will tell you the rest of the story of your favorite brew.



3. This book might be useful to someone looking for a book with general information about tea, but for someone who wants to learn about the real art of Chinese tea, this book is useless . The book does not go into any detail about important elements of Chinese tea drinking such as Yixing teapots and the gongfu brewing method; it just tries to explain them in a few sentences. After reading this book, you will hardly have gained any knowledge of Chinese tea at all.
   The book is obviously an imitation of John Blofeld's "The Chinese Art of Tea", which is an excellent book on the subject of Chinese tea. This book even copied the format of "The Chinese Art of Tea" by inserting small drawings in the margins, and they also copied the teahouse section of "The Chinese Art of Tea". The only thing they forgot to copy was all the good information.

   The section in this book on tea brewing, entitled "How to Make a Nice Cup of Tea", provides instructions on making tea that could only be used to make tea for your dogs. The book does not explain any of the Chinese brewing methods, it seems like the authors just read the back of a Lipton box and copied into their book. If you are interested in Chinese tea, it is much better to find a few good websites on Chinese tea than to buy this book. Anybody who has even a small amount of knowledge of Chinese tea can see that this book is very badly made.




4. A great general introduction to the topic of tea. The title may be a bit misleading as the book broad-brushes tea on a worldwide basis not just Chinese tea. It covers origin, history, production, health and techniques. Well illustrated, with plenty of useful lists in the back of the book including names of many teas in both English and Chinese.



5. I have a dozen or so tea books, but this is pretty much my favorite. Partly because I prefer Chinese teas, but also because it covers the production of tea in great detail. It also has a good overview of many famous tea varieties.

5 comments about Potsticker Chronicles: America's Favorite Chinese Recipes.

1. Just a bit of a warning. Everything and i do mean everything in this book requires two cups of oil to fry the meat, poultry or what ever your cooking. It's definantly not an option for a healthy eater. Not to mention that using two cups of oil everytime you fix something could be a little expensive. I also purchased "Breath of a Wok" at the same time as this book and i highly recommend it instead.



2. I love chinese food! Never could make it right though and nothing ever tasted like I got in the restaurants. Most chinese cookbooks seemed to miss the mark where it came to replicating the restaurant type food. I gave up on chinese food altogether for over 10 years.
   
   I bought this on a whim this last winter and couldn't believe how good this stuff was. For me, it cracked the nut on restaurant style chinese cooking. This stuff is so freaking easy and the same ingredients in varying quantities are used throughout the book. You DO NOT have to have an extensive pantry to make this stuff and it is as tasty as anything you will ever order in a restaurant.
   
   As a matter of policy and courtesy, I usually don't say anything about another review but there is one here that talks about having to use two cups of oil everytime you make something and how it isn't all that practicle. The person is right, for a lot of recipes the books tells you to have 2 cups of oil to cook your meat but you don't have to. I just sautee mine when I'm not in the mood to go all out or just use my deep fat frying and just reuse the oil like I normally would for anything else. It's not that big of a deal.
   
   The sauces in this book are worth the price on their own and you won't be sorry.



3. The reviewers' problems with the book seem to be around the use of 2 cups of oil in every recipe. I have not read the book, but the technique of first frying in a large quantity of oil before stir-frying is called "velveting," and it produces marvelous texture and flavor. The same result may be achieved by using water in place of oil.(Thank you Barbara Tropp; may you rest in piece.) Simply drop the marinated meat in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds, drain and proceed with the stir-fry. It's the heat you are after - it sets the marinade and the proteins so juices are locked in during the stir-fry. The result is incomperably succulent, tender and flavorful meat. Try!



4. I LOVE THIS BOOK... not only are the recipes marvelous, the stories Berman adds to particular recipes make the reader feel like they truly are cooking authentic chinese food. The recipes are simple and easy and loads of fun to cook!!



5. I don't know about you but I've tried to cook chinese dinner kits and use little sauce mixes and even some bottled sauces but I could never get that Chinese restaurant taste. There was always something missing. UNTIL I got this book. I am cooking Chinese at least once a week and it is sooooo good. The brown sauce, garlic sauce, etc can be made with anything and you'll feel like you're eating at a chinese restaurant but better! I usually make a large batch of sauce and freeze it in small batches, then I can make a really quick dinner. The orange beef is amazing, and don't worry about frying everything. I tried the orange beef with simply browning the meet directly in the wok with just a little oil and it tasted just as good if not a little better that way. It also takes a lot less time. I love trying new stuff out of the cookbook. The side stories and background information is really interesting to read. All of the recipes have a backstory and special meaning to the author. This is easily my favorite cookbook!

5 comments about The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters.

1. In the early 80s, I consumed all of Calvin Trillin's books about food; who cared that he also wrote about politics?. If you have navigated to this book and *haven't* read Trillin's Tummy Trilogy by now, you'd better rush to get yourself a copy... it's the funniest food writing I've ever encountered.
   
   Anyway, in Third Helpings, Trillin had a marvelous essay called "Divining the Mysteries of the East," about a college professor who provided his Linguistics students with a pamphlet -- which grew into a book -- that helped them decipher the menus in Chinese restaurants. As Trillin said, "McCawley has never been reduced to carrying in his wallet a note that says in Mandarin, 'Please bring me some of what the man at the next table is having.'" [This made me angry that I majored in Linguistics at Brandeis instead of going to the University of Chicago; my professor may have been a protege of Noam Chomsky, but I never even got a matzo ball from him.]
   
   Several months after reading Trillin's book, I found a copy of the Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters in an airport bookstore. I snatched up a copy. (Good thing, too, because I never again saw the book on a shelf.) I've cherished this book for twenty years, and I cheered when I saw it was back in print. Let me see if I can explain why.
   
   Unlike some of the reviewers here, I do not know any dialect of Chinese. I don't particularly want to; I just want to chow down on wonderful Chinese food.
   
   There are few authentic restaurants, however, that do a great job of translating the menu. Other than expecting that I'll love any item about which the waiter says curtly, "You no like" (for the record, that deep fried pork stomach was excellent)... well, I'm left to figure it out on my own.
   
   That is, I *was*, until I got my hands on McCawley's book. By the second page, he has taught you to recognize the characters for stir-fry, deep fry, dry roast. Shortly afterwards, you learn that the J-shaped character, ding, means "cube or dice." By page 7 you've learned the characters for celery, beef, fish. And then you begin to put the pieces together.
   
   Within a very short time, you can figure out the basics of any Chinese menu. You can keep going (and, twenty years ago, I got quite a ways through this book, just for the fun of it); but scanning the first ten pages will help you avoid fried food, or figure out what the menu item "shredded three kinds" really has in it. Half the book is given over to a glossary, so you can figure out what the heck THAT item is in the fish column.
   
   You probably won't read The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters all in one sitting. But you'll be really, really glad you have it. And, I assure you, all your foodie friends will be jealous.



2. It is an interesting introduction to Chinese dishes but I was a bit disappointed because it uses old caracters, not the simlpified ones used in China. It was not indicated anywhere, I have realized it only after receiving the book.



3. I am not. The book is very well written (in the first 7 pages that I managed to read) but the print quality is poor to the point of unreadable. It would work for English, but try figuring out something to remember about character for eel on page 170 (the dictionary half of the book) or about anything on "delicious vegetarian dishes" menu example on page 30.
   
   I though of just tearing out the first 14 pages to take with me to China. I still may, it may be useful for a dozen of most common ingredients shown there. But the rest of the book is unreadable.
   
   Yes, I figured out that the author is dead (and I have no complaints to the text, I love it in fact) so it can't really be rewritten. But printing is crap (in case I haven't made my point yet).
   
   Guys, can you look for a better publisher?



4. I really enjoyed this little book. It has the most comprehensive chinese character food dictionary I've ever come across and it has a very engagingly written introduction. I accidently bought two copies and the second one will be a great gift!



5. An excellent introduction to basic Chinese food characters! After memorizing the first three exercises, Chinese menus become alive as you can easily recognize many main ingredients. If you are a habitué to authentic restaurants where westerners are a distinct minority, you can look at the wall specials with a little understanding. Although you won't know what they are exactly, you can at least ask, what exactly is that Chicken dish over there? Or, is that soup special on the English menu?
   However, the book has not been updated since its debut in 1984 and Chinese eating habits have changed. What was popular then, is not popular today. Also the author uses traditional characters which are fine for America but I believe the book is limited in northern China where they have had a "spelling reform" in which characters have been simplified. Elsewhere in china where the reform has not taken place, it should be very useful. The author uses Pinyin pronunciations and has a clever lookup system where recognizing radicals is not necessary. The food dictionary which comprises most of the book is comprehensive.
   It is great fun even if you are otherwise linguistically challenged.

5 comments about Chinese Cuisine: Szechwan Style.

1. Wei Chuan's collection of cookbooks are fabulous. All the recipes are as authentic as it gets. Recipes are easy to follow and it actually TASTES good. I am planning to get the whole collection of Wei Chuan's cookbooks.



2. I had hoped that there would be a fair amount of vegetarian recipes in this book but was very disappointed to find precious few.



3. The Wei Chuan series of cookbooks are must haves for anyone interested in cooking Chinese cuisine. I am particularly fond of SzeChwan style food so this cookbook was a natural choice for me. This book has descriptions for preparations of special food items that is very helpful. I especially recommend this book for anyone who loves spicy food (the kung pao recipes alone make the book worth buying). For anyone who wants vegetarian food Sze Chwan style won't be the right choice--I would recommend buying Wei Chuan's Indian cuisine cookbook or their Simply Vegetarian cookbook instead.



4. We love Chinese foods and spicy foods. I bought this book thinking I'm going to cook up some spicy and delicious meals. However, when the book arrived... I was highly disappointed to discover the recipes - did not appeal to me, not not as impressive as I expected it to be. Not enough recipes for meat... and more like a vegetarian cookbook! I found more delicious and practical recipes from the book "Chinese Cuisine" which I also bought along with this book.



5. This is not a book that will allow you to revisit dishes that are made at your typical Chinese restaurant. First of all this is Szechwan Cuisine - China has many different Cuisines - Mandarin, Hunan, Beijing, Cantonese, etc. This book is for someone that wants to make an authentic Szechwan dish, and not for making a bastardization that one has become accustomed to in the U.S. For authenticity, this is the book for you. For a novice, pick up a title that has the word "Beginner" in it. This is an excellent book!

2 comments about The Complete Chinese Brush Painting Set.

1. At last, a book that clearly demonstrates the seductive prinicples of Chinese Brush Painting.
   A clear way to increase my ability to paint! I have a book where I can follow all the Projects and be well on my way to Mastering the basics of Chinese Brush Painting.
   Well Done to Reader's Digest for managing to find an artist with such talent.
   I feel really enthusiastic.



2. This book is mostly for the novice. If you are looking for more advanced, inspirational, and creative illustrations; this book is not for you-look elsewhere. The author gave a broad coverage of basic Chinese brushwork, supplies, and techniques. The illustrations are very straight forward, colorful, and easy to follow. The supplies that come with the book are really good and the cost for the total package is a great price. If you are looking to get your feet wet in Chinese Brush art-this is an excellent start.

5 comments about The Take-out Menu Cookbook: How to Cook in the Foods You Love to Order Out.

1. I bought this for a relative who loves to eat out and has good cooking skills. Lots of foreign take-out, not too much American. Finding ingredients might be a problem. But she found lots of interesting recipes to try.



2. I am an experienced home cook with over 100 cookbooks. This book has been a very positive surprise for me. There are a variety of different recipe organized categories by ethnic cuisines. The recipes that I've cooked have turned out well and I keep returning this book to try out different recipes. There are some more unusual tasty recipes that I didn't' expect such as chicken with preserved lemons and green olives. There is even the simple recipe to create the preserved lemons. In general, the recipes are relatively quick to prepare and don't require someone who is very experienced. However, the experienced cook will still find a lot of worthwhile recipes.



3. I wanted to really try this cookbook out before writing a review. I have to say that after trying many recipes, ALL of them turned out absolutely fantastic. I am very comfortable giving this a 5 STAR review.
   
   Just last weekend, I had my mom's 91st Birthday, and although I had tried none of the recipes, based on my previous successes with this book, I made an entire German meal from this cookbook: Sauerbraten, Spaetzel, Red Cabbage with Apples, and the Apple Cake. I got RAVE reviews for every single item! (Incidentally, I made her Multi Grain Bread from her Mixer Bible, and likewise, was phenomenal, and a bread I will make often.)
   
   From her Italian section, I've made the Minestrone, Alfredo Sauce, Marinara Sauce, Bolognese and Basic Pizza Crust. On these, except for the longer cooking Bolognese, all I have to say is that the premise of this book is that you can "eat in" for less money AND less TIME than going out - was absolutely true.
   
   In the French Section, the Sole Meuniere was so quick and so delicious I could barely stand it, and after dinner immediately typed it out and sent it to my married daughters and sisters. I made the Champagne Viniagrette, and it has now become a staple in my refrigerator. I've made the French Onion Soup, the Quiche Lorraine, Beef a la Bourguignonne, and Chocolate Mousse.
   
   I could go on and on with many other recipes and nationalities, but all I can say is that you can't go wrong with this cookbook. Some I love because they are quick and easy, and for others that may take more time when you have the time, they are equally delicious.
   
   This cookbook has become such a reliable source for me, that I would not hesitate to make another entire company menu (naturally a family meal) from this cookbook! Some International type cookbooks are so complex, so fat and thick, and so many obscure recipes, and so hard to "get through" and "make decisions." Carla and Meredith make international cooking a safe and exciting prospect all at the same time!



4. Great little book. Haven't made any yet but am looking forward to trying some of the recipes.



5. I really can't knock this book much. It does have nice recipes in it. However some are not the kind that you can make out of the blue. Some items that are needed are things you are not likely to have in your home at any given time. This is one reason I order out alot! Also, when I look for a cookbook, I look for color! Beautiful, colorful pictures. In this you won't find any. If these things don't bother you like they bother me, by all means, buy this book.

1 comments about Chinese Cuisine: Shanghai Styles.

1. Having been born and raised in Shanghai I remember the wonderful dishes we used to eat which are not available in most Chinese restaurants not specializing in Shanghai food. What a pleasure it was to see and use a cookbook of Shanghai food, containing a good sampling of the cuisine, and authentic to boot.

No comments about Quick and Easy Chinese Cooking.