Customer Reviews

The Art of Chinese Cuisine

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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.

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.