Chinese Cookbooks

[Anna N]

 That is an awful lot of mushroom soup recipes.   Are there any there that are particular favourites of yours? 

[liuzhou]

On 10/04/2016 at 6:15 PM, Anna N said:

 That is an awful lot of mushroom soup recipes.   Are there any there that are particular favourites of yours? 

 

There are few, if any, I wouldn't eat but I tend to go for the chicken ones, but less so for the wood ear recipes. Wood ears are OK, but all texture rather than taste. I do use them occasionally.

 

I'm planning on a mushroom soup for tomorrow, but it will be a combination of some of these recipes rather than any particular one.

Edited September 1, 2016 by liuzhou (log)

[Anna N]

23 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

There are few, if any, I wouldn't eat but I tend to go for the chicken ones, but less so for the wood ear recipes. Wood ears are OK, but all texture rather than taste. I douse them occasionally.

 

I'm planning on a mushroom soup for tomorrow, but it will be a combination of some of these recipes rather than any particular one.

Thanks. I am inclined to the same old, same old cream of mushroom soup which is not to be sneezed at but seems less than adventurous after reading this list!   Although I am seeing more and more fresh mushroom varieties in the markets here the selection pales in comparison to what is available in China. 

[liuzhou]

12 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Thanks. I am inclined to the same old, same old cream of mushroom soup which is not to be sneezed at but seems less than adventurous after reading this list!   Although I am seeing more and more fresh mushroom varieties in the markets here the selection pales in comparison to what is available in China. 

 

I know how lucky I am to have the range of mushrooms that I do. Isn't it odd. The common button mushroom is uncommon here! In fact, I can get more mushrooms than this book covers. Many of which I can't identify.

 

I certainly wouldn't sneeze at same old cream of mushroom soup, either. Believe it or not I can, if I choose, get Mr. Campbell's canned stuff here. I don't choose!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I work in a library.  Finally pangs of guilt compelled me to return Kian Lam Kho's Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees.  (Not that I don't own a Kindle copy.)

 

A friend picked up the book and admired it.  I showed her what I had made and she pointed out recipes for similar dishes that she liked.  "I only wish it were written in Chinese!" she added.  (Not that we don't have a cookbook section in Mandarin.)  Sadly English is not her primary language.  She said instead of "add half a teaspoon" a Chinese cookbook would say "add some".

 

She offered to help me source ingredients!

 

[liuzhou]

4 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

She said instead of "add half a teaspoon" a Chinese cookbook would say "add some".

 

Yes, normal. Or sometimes, ”add the correct amount”. And then ”cook until cooked.”

[Anna N]

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Yes, normal. Or sometimes, ”add the correct amount”. And then ”cook until cooked.”

No ambiguity there!

[liuzhou]

I have been asked by PM about English language cookbooks that I would recommend. I prefer to answer openly as other people may also want to know. 

 

However my answer won't be particularly illuminating. 99% of my Chinese cookbooks are in Chinese! I only have about five in English - all by Gullet embers as it happens, albeit inactive members.

 

First, Fuchsia Dunlop The Food of Sichuan (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) and Land of Fish and Rice (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). That latter covers eastern Chinese cuisine. These two are particularly good, but all her books are sound. Beware! Her Land of Plenty and Sichuan Cookery are earlier editions of the same book. The one I link to is the latest update. Hopefully, the last.

 

Second, Carolyn Phillips All Under Heaven (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) is a good introduction to regional Chinese food, although no one  book could cover all. That would require a library! She also has a short book on Dim Sum, but I can't find my copy. I very rarely eat dim sum anyway.

 

Beyond the Great Wall (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) - Naiomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford covers only a few regions but IS a good read. I no longer have a copy. I wonder what happened to it.

 

Generally (and I know there must be exceptions), I find English language books and websites tend at best to concentrate on western renditions of Cantonese food, rather than food you would find in most of China - if anywhere in China.

 

I'm really not the best person to answer the question.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by liuzhou (log)