Chinese cookbooks

[muichoi]

I had the privilege of dining with Yan-Kit So once. A remarkably cultivated woman, unabashedly more an academic than a cook. I like her books very much, the recipes are excellent apart from the stir-fries, which don't really address the issues.

[hzrt8w]

I just finished browse-reading Ming Tsai's cookbook:

Simply Ming : Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals

I like about 30% of his recipes. His style is blending East and West, and his food presentation (at least in the pictures used in this book) is very good. I would like to try some of his fusion recipes, instead of always be an "orthodox" Cantonese cook.

Someday if I travel by his restaurant(s), I would definitely want to dine there for the experience.

[CtznCane]

A friend has loaned me her copy of Grace Young's "Breath of a Wok" which came out last year.  It looks pretty good but I wonder if any one has comments from experience in using it over the last year?

Thanks in advance!

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Very poor, emasculated recipes, in my experience. The author is no kind of cook.

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I happened to read this thread today as somewhere on e-g I had seen mention (I think it was by hzrt8w) about Mrs. Chiang's Szechuan Cookbook which I found (and bought) today at a fine used book store I found in Walnut Creek. I'm prompted to respond though by the harsh criticism towards Grace Young.

Having had the good fortune to attend a cooking class by Grace Young I can assure you the lady can cook, and quite well. She knows what she's talking about.

As to her last book, 'The Breath of a Wok', I've found it to be an excellent book. While I've found the recipes I"ve tried thus far to be quite good, I think the recipes play a supporting role in the book as opposed to being the main focus. Ms.Young is not trying to show the glitzy type of recipes found in fancy restaurants here but more the type of recipes made in the Chinese home and along the way some restarurant style dishes are thrown in as well.

Hrzt8w made mention of the mango chicken being something he hadn't encountered or wouldn't expect in Hong Kong. The Mango Chicken recipe was from Susanna Foo's restaurant in Philadelphia.

Personally, I like the book and I've enjoyed the recipes and will continue to do so. Beyond that, I think this is an excellent book even without the recipes.

[Ben Hong]

How many authors of cookbooks really have the breadth of experience to claim that every recipe in their book is a personal one, developed over time by themselves? Kind of harsh language flung against a well meaning person who tries her best to expose a facet of Chinese cooking to a general audience. Not many of this general audience are sophisticated and skilled enough with pen or spatula as some here who profess to be critics. The perfect cookbook that is 100% valuable to everyone hasn't been nor ever will be written I say BRAVO to Grace Young and all the others who TRY.

[jo-mel]

There is simple no accounting for taste. When I give my cooking classes. the people are facing some my bookshelves --- and there are 4 shelves of Chinese cookbooks in that spot. Most people are intrigued and ask question about what I would recommend. But one woman, one time, asked if I had something simple -- like a Better Homes and Gardens Chinese Cookbook with easy recipes! AAARRGGGHHHH!

Every single book may not be the perfect for any one person, but there has yet to be a book that I have not learned something from. (or is it -'from which I have learned something')!!!

Pictures are always nice, but none match the wonderful instructive photos that hzrt offers. The books that have no pictures, or only a few, but which have personal accounts along with recipes are fonts of information.

[Dejah]

I always figure if I can get one good recipe or reference from a book, then it's worth buying. Good excuse, huh?

I love pictures, especially when I am making something for the first time.

[zaskar]

I've enjoyed "Chinese Home-Style Cooking", which I bought in Shanghai. I think it might be a government sponsored book but I'm not sure

Here's a link: Shanghai online bookstore for foreigners

Also, many of the recipes are available  here. Does anyone else have this book?

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I picked that up when I was in Bejing in December, it could have been a similar/same store. It was a bookstore for foreigners.

It's pretty good the few I've tried.

-z

[Franci]

I am going to be in Hong Kong next week, any suggestion on a good bookstore for cooking books?

Thank you!

[Piers]

Check out Fuchsia Dunlop's new book on Hunan cookery, "The Revolutionary Cookbook" - I now have a huge jar of homemade salted chillies sitting in my fridge.

Incidentally, if anyone in or near London wants to try some Hunan food, Shangri-La in Colindale rocks (try the Bear's Paw bean curd or the minced pork with coriander). For those in the U.S., few of the recipes use Sichuan pepper, if that's still a problem...

[JasonZ]

Sichuan peppercorns are no longer a problem in the US. Someone finally educated the Food & Drug Administration ... or they flip-flopped again. I'm buying as many bags as I can ...

Do you know if Fuschia's Hunan book is available in the US ... I live on her Sichuan book!!

Edited to add:

Never mind, answered my own question -- Amazon.co.uk has had it available since early August 2006, while Amazon.com (the US website) lists availability at end February 2007.

Interesting pricing, also -- GBP 16.50 (originally, now GBP 23.15 for outside sourcing) vs. USD 19.77 -- far more expensive in the UK, even factoring in shipping and customs. In fact, Amazon US offers both her books together for what the new one would cost me if I ordered from Amazon UK ...

Edited November 2, 2006 by JasonZ (log)

[bluesman13]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bruce Cost's books: Asian Ingredients and Big Bowl. I like both of them. I also like all of Hugh Carpenters books especially Pacific Flavors, Fast Wok, and Fusion Food Cookbook. Ken Hom's "The Taste of China" is good as well as Martin Yan's "Culinary Journey through China". Helen Chen's Chinese Home Cooking is good for fast and few ingredients recipes (also for beginners). They may or may not be "authentic" CHinese cooking, but they taste good to me.

And, in response to the person who gets frustrated when people ask her about the Better Homes and Gardens Chinese Cookbook, I say great - as least they want to learn how to cook something they like. Everyone has to start somewhere. Who's to say that she may start with that cookbook and move from there to more "authentic" style Chinese cookbooks (or maybe not). There's always going to be someone who orders "sweet and sour pork" from their local dive and thinks it's the best Chinese food they've ever tasted.

[Majra]

My most used Chinese cookbook is Chopsticks, Cleaver, and Wok by Jennie Low. It was given to me as a bridal shower gift 15 years ago by an ABC whose mother gave it to her when she married. For me the recipes are just plain accessible. If I am staring at a vegetable and a piece of meat late in the day, I know that I can put on a pot of rice, pull that book off the shelf, and put out a great tasting meal that my family will enjoy.

For Christmas my husband gave me Fuchsia Dunlop's Land of Plenty, along with an outdoor wok burner and a ginourmous new wok. Whatta great guy! The recipes that we've tried (spicy noodles with soft bean curd, dan dan mein, vinegar chicken, dry-fried green beans 2, ma po tofu, kung bao chicken, something else that I can't remember) have *all* been winners. And with the outdoor cooking setup, I continue to be amazed that my house doesn't stink at dinnertime. Maybe I'll invest some time learning about ImageGullet and start posting photos.

I see that Fuchsia's new Hunan book is available on Amazon...does anyone have experience with it yet? Based on these past few weeks' experience with the Sichuan book, I am tempted to order it.

[peony]

I love going to bookshop to browse at all the lovely pic in the books.

these are some of the books I bought recently.

[XiaoLing]

Do you know if Fuschia's Hunan book is available in the US ... I live on her Sichuan book!!

Edited to add:

Never mind, answered my own question -- Amazon.co.uk has had it available since early August 2006, while Amazon.com (the US website) lists availability at end February 2007.

Interesting pricing, also -- GBP 16.50 (originally, now GBP 23.15 for outside sourcing) vs. USD 19.77 -- far more expensive in the UK, even factoring in shipping and customs. In fact, Amazon US offers both her books together for what the new one would cost me if I ordered from Amazon UK ...

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I was just in Barnes and Noble yesterday and they were selling her Hunan book already!!! I would have picked one up but I already pre-ordered one from Amazon and I have to wait until February to get mine.

This book is great! I browsed through it and there are TONS of pics this time. And the recipes looks to die for!!

[leviathan]

Did you see Martin Yan’s cooking show?

He is a funny guy with Cantonese English accent, and he explains Chinese food in English very well.

I've seen snippets of the guy on TV, but I won't buy any of his books or help support him in any way. Martin Yan purposely plays up and exaggerates his accent for the TV audience. To me, that would be similar if a african-american purposely exagerrated the way he spoke and acted until it becamea cariacture to appeal to his non african-american viewers. Its one thing if he actually speaks like that, and another matter if he does that on purpose.

[sheetz]

Did you see Martin Yan’s cooking show?

He is a funny guy with Cantonese English accent, and he explains Chinese food in English very well.

I've seen snippets of the guy on TV, but I won't buy any of his books or help support him in any way. Martin Yan purposely plays up and exaggerates his accent for the TV audience. To me, that would be similar if a african-american purposely exagerrated the way he spoke and acted until it becamea cariacture to appeal to his non african-american viewers. Its one thing if he actually speaks like that, and another matter if he does that on purpose.

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Actually, you may think he's exaggerating his accent for American audiences, but in reality his mannerism are a lot like those of many comic entertainers in Hong Kong.

[hzrt8w]

... Martin Yan purposely plays up and exaggerates his accent for the TV audience. To me, that would be similar if a african-american purposely exagerrated the way he spoke and acted until it becamea cariacture to appeal to his non african-american viewers. Its one thing if he actually speaks like that, and another matter if he does that on purpose.

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Really? I would not have thought that. I have no knowledge how fluent his English is. His accent is typical of those who are from Hong Kong though. Other people said my accent is just like Martin's. I did hear him speaking fluent Cantonese to some of the cooks during his shows, so his accent seems natural to me. But then, all TV chefs do a little bit of acting... It's show business after all.

And I do like his cookbook "Chinatown".

[sheetz]

It's a cultural thing. His manner might seem strange to people not used to it, but in Hong Kong it's considered funny. I know guys from Hong Kong who act the same way.

[prasantrin]

I never thought his accent was fake or put-on, though I do think it's a bit annoying (and I do know other HK Chinese who act the same way...). I even once asked my mother if he was married. Not because I wanted to marry him (as my mother thought), but because he kept repeating everything he said, making me think he must be lonely...

"First you chop the vegetables. Ya, see that? Chop the vegetables like that. Just like that. Chop the vegetables...."

For those that have used his cookbooks, are they any good? I have this image that they are more "Americanized" that "Chinese", but I've never really investigated them. (And I do like some Americanized Chinese food, like S&S pork...).

[insomniac]

I never thought his accent was fake or put-on, though I do think it's a bit annoying (and I do know other HK Chinese who act the same way...).  I even once asked my mother if he was married.  Not because I wanted to marry him (as my mother thought), but because he kept repeating everything he said, making me think he must be lonely...

"First you chop the vegetables.  Ya, see that?  Chop the vegetables like that.  Just like that.  Chop the vegetables...."

For those that have used his cookbooks, are they any good?  I have this image that they are more "Americanized" that "Chinese", but I've never really investigated them.  (And I do like some Americanized Chinese food, like S&S pork...).

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I can't find who you are talking about but if it's Martin Yan, he drives me crazy counting out loud the number of 'chops' he makes...I found myself inadvertently doing the same thing which was disconcerting, sort of mental Tourette's

found your posts...some seem to not appear on the thread?? I'm sure that's the way Martin Yan talks all the time leviathan. After 18 years in Hong Kong (me, that is, not Martin )he just sounds normal to me and is distinctively a HKer (mainlanders speaking English who are not from Guangdong sound totally different, always remind me of the Wessex accent from where I am living at the moment in the UK )

Edited February 13, 2007 by insomniac (log)

[prasantrin]

I can't find who you are talking about but if it's Martin Yan, he drives me crazy counting out loud the number of 'chops' he makes...I found myself inadvertently doing the same thing which was disconcerting, sort of mental Tourette's

found your posts...some seem to not appear on the thread?? I'm sure that's the way Martin Yan talks all the time leviathan. After 18 years in Hong Kong (me, that is, not Martin )he just sounds normal to me and is distinctively a HKer (mainlanders speaking English who are not from Guangdong sound totally different, always remind me of the Wessex accent from where I am living at the moment in the UK )

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Sorry, yes, it was Martin Yan. Thought I had quoted, but I guess I either forgot, or I accidentally deleted the quote. Oops...

[sheetz]

For those that have used his cookbooks, are they any good?  I have this image that they are more "Americanized" that "Chinese", but I've never really investigated them.  (And I do like some Americanized Chinese food, like S&S pork...).

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I wouldn't say his recipes are particularly "Americanized" (FYI, Sweet and Sour Pork really is an authentic Chinese dish.) but more "dumbed down" for beginners. His Chinatowns book is pretty good, IMO. One fairly major issue I have is that some of the photos of the final dishes look nothing like what you'd get if you follow the actual recipes themselves.

[wonderbread]

I've seen snippets of the guy on TV, but I won't buy any of his books or help support him in any way. Martin Yan purposely plays up and exaggerates his accent for the TV audience. To me, that would be similar if a african-american purposely exagerrated the way he spoke and acted until it becamea cariacture to appeal to his non african-american viewers. Its one thing if he actually speaks like that, and another matter if he does that on purpose.

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Martin Yan's Chinatown book is good and well researched.

What's the goal here? To have everyone sound white just because they can? Most African American comics know how to talk white - check out Dave Chappelle - but they choose to do their routines in their own cultural language.

[leviathan]

What's the goal here? To have everyone sound white just because they can? Most African American comics know how to talk white - check out Dave Chappelle - but they choose to do their routines in their own cultural language.

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From what I've heard, Martin Yan speaks with a accent but then he strategically exagerrates it to a cariacture for TV viewers. I wouldn't have any issue with it if that's how he normally speaks but I do have one if he's taking a page out of Sixteen Candles and decided to speak like Long Duk Dong just for the sake of being a funny cariacture for his white audience.

Let's take your example with Dave Chappelle. I wouldn't take exception if that's how Chappelle normally speaks. But, if Chappelle spoken in a different manner normally but decideded that in order to attract a larger, whiter audience he needed to speak 'black' and break out in song and dance... Then, yeah, I'd be perturbed by that.

[Ben Hong]

I have no problem with M. Yan's accent. I don't believe that it's embellished or false in any way, shape or form. It's not cute or charming or quaint. It justis. A lot of my friends and relatives who grew up in HK speak with the same "accent", inflection and cadence.