The Art of Chinese Cuisine

Book condition as described / properly packaged ,/ fast service / Seller highly recommended.

I like this Book "The Art of Chinese Cuisine" a very informative Book about the way of Chinese Cooking and the History and Customs of China's Rich Culinary Traditions. The Authors Hsiang Ju Lin and Tsuifeng Lin have put together over 140 Recipes they have gathered from Ancient Manuscripts and also how the People used to make the Dishes in their Village, the way of Life and Traditional Cooking Methods, to the point that in the Introduction there is a Descriptive Explanation of Utensils and List used for Cooking as well as Several Lists of Common Practices for Control of Flavor by using other Ingredients to Modify Flavor and Texture. The Cookbook is divided in several Chapters:Ancient Cuisine. Flavour. Texture. Regional Cooking. Curiosities. Plain Cooking. Classic Cuisine. A Gastronomic Calendar. Glossary of Cooking Methods. Table of Equivalents. The Secret of Chinese Gastronomy is a simple one: Flavors should blend and Textures should Vary. Many ways to Modify and control all these Elements of Flavor and Texture are Explained in "The Art of Chinese Cuisine" In this Unusual Cookbook there are also many Poems describing many Feasts, Different Dishes and Characters and MenusIf you like Chinese Food you will find many old Recipes that are still New. Many of the Recipes use MSG which is a Flavor Enhancer it makes Foods taste Better, I like to stay away from as many Chemicals as I can so I don't use Monosodium Glutamate. The Recipes are Easy to Understand and to Follow, I like "Velvet Chicken II" there are two of them, Velvet Chicken and Velvet Chicken II, made with Snow Peas Mushrooms with a Nice Chicken Stock Sauce, I added some Dry Sherry to the Sauce and it was very Good. There are many Vegetables with Sauces, Spinach with Cream Stock, Cabbage with Cream Stock, Sesame Peanut Sauce...and many Vegetarian Dishes. "The Art of Chinese Cuisine" shows you how to make Fish Crunchy and Basic Rules for Fish Balls, in Soups with Vegetables, with Noodles. I learned how to make Vegetarian Ham with several Sheets of Dried Bean CurdIn the Chapter "Regional Cooking" contains Recipes from the Five Gastronomic Regions of China. Peking, Szechuan, Chekiang-kiangsu, Fukien and Kwangtung. The Regional Recipes of China are as different as its Dialects and in this Cookbook there are many of the Recipes from these Regions many Dishes and how they are Prepared according to Traditional Customs, here is an Example of two Dishes from each Region: Peking Duck, Duck Soup, Spiced Tangerine Chicken, Mock Fish, Minced Chicken, Juicy Buns, Shredded Fish, Shredded Pork, Dipped Snails and Lemon Chicken. In such small Cookbook there is so much Information and a Recipe for every Taste. "The Art of Chinese Cuisine" Cookbook doesn't have any Color Photographs only Black and White Illustrations, however, its filled with China's Rich and Wonderful Culinary Dishes! ...Thank You D.D.

This book is considered a classic, and contains recipes not commonly found in other cookbooks. The authors do us MSG (common in commercial Chinese cooking), but I just leave it out. If you are a cookbook collector, or someone who has a fascination with Chinese culture and cooking, this is an interesting little reference book.

Although this book is only 208 pages it is the finest and most informative Chinese cookbook I have ever read (and cooked from). Unlike other cookbooks each recipe or chapter is proceeded by a dissertation on the style and history of this particular dish. And at times poetry is included that relates to the dish or style of cooking. Unlike other cookbooks it deals with subjects rarely if ever covered. Here are some chapter headings: Ancient Cuisine, Flavor, Texture, Regional Cooking, Curiosities, Plain Cooking, & Classic Cuisine.For example; the authors point to the flavors captured by poor people who couldn't afford expensive ingredients and we are given recipes of simple albeit wonderful sauces to go on inexpensive boiled noodles.