ISO...REAL Chinese cookbook

[Susan]

Hello Fellow CLers~

I am looking for a cookbook that gives authentic Chinese recipes (not the Americanized versions). I would like to learn the difference between the various types of Chinese food like Hunan, etc. If anyone can direct me to a source for this I would be forever grateful!

~~Susan~~

[RunnerKim]

I'm not going to give a very good reply but I'll give it anyway :-)

I got as a birthday gift last year, A Spoonful of Ginger and it has made a huge improvement in how authentic my Asian cooking has been. It's a fairly healthy book and talks a lot about the Yin and Yang of foods and what combinations should be eaten together and at what time of year. The role of food in Asian life and medicine. Very interesting. I've made several great recipes from this book. However it's not strictly a Chinese cookbook and doesn't talk about regional variations very much, so I'm not sure it's what you're looking for.

Kim

[Ohioan]

Susan, here are a half-dozen to get you started. The first three are my old standbys. Of course, because they are so "old," they may be out of print, but they're worth tracking down; they're simply superb:

Robert Delfs, The Good Food of Szechwan.

Pei Mei, Pei-Mei's Home Style Chinese Cooking.

Madame Chin Hau, The Chinese Gourmet.

Some more recent ones that are authentic and yet accessible to the American kitchen (not to mention full of yummy stuff) are:

Kenneth Lo, Chinese Regional Cooking.

Yan-Kit So, Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese Cookbook.

Martin Yan, Culinary Journey Through China.

For still more, why not browse through the cookbook section of your local library? I'd suggest doing the same at your local bookstore, but (a) there's probably a bigger selection at the library, and (b) at the library you aren't tempted to spend a fortune on new books!

Hope this helps,
Phoebe

[Carrie W]

We have frequently used "The Ultimate Chinese and Asian Cookbook", Consultant editor Linda Doeser. Things we've tried from it are similar to what my husband's mother makes -- she cooks multicourse Taiwanese dinners every night. There are plenty of photos and technique descriptions, too.

[Terri-Lynn2]

Hi Susan,

We cook mainly Chinese food and I have used a couple of cookbooks as my base. My husband is Chinese and his Chinese co-workers cant believe what he comes to work with for lunch. My favorites are:

The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines BY: Jeff Smith (my favorite)

Chinese cooking class cookbook BY: The Australian Womens Weekly

Chinese Cuisine BY: Huang Su-Huei

The Chinese Gourmet BY: William Mark

Although nothing beats standing in the kitchen with my in-laws taking notes while they cook up a feast. I have been able to replicate many of the dishes my husband grew up with by searching through cookbooks. If you type in Chinese recipes in your search engine you will get a wealth of information, there are some good sights (you could probably put in specific regions and get more specific information). I am currently looking for THE WISDOM OF THE CHINESE KITCHEN BY: Grace Young

Hope this helps

Terri

[Ohioan]

Oh, I almost forgot: there's also a very good website where you can get not only recipes and information about regional cuisines but also links to other good sites with the same: http://chinesefood.about.com

Phoebe

[Susan]

Oh, thank you everyone for the titles and information! I am printing this resource list off for reference when I go to the library and bookstore.

~~Susan~~