Customer Reviews

Mrs. Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook

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I bought this book 20 years ago, and many Chinese cookbooks later, am here to advise you that this is the best Chinese cookbook ever! When I started cooking from this book, I stopped eating out at Chinese restaurants because the food I could produce at home was so much better. Cooking techniques are described in exacting detail. You simply cannot go wrong if you make a reasonable effort to follow the recipes.

Mrs. Chiang tells a brief story from her childhood on a Szechwan farm about each one of the recipes, recounting how her mother prepared it. Without exception, single dish I have tried from this book has been excellent. Includes well-written "how to" info on many techniques.

This book, which we have now owned for 30 years or so, has made it virtually impossible to eat Chinese food out at restaurants, because the restaurants always fail to measure up.
Pork in the Style of Fish, Pork Stewed with Carrots and Potatoes, Chicken with Cucumbers, and Chicken with Celery are just a few of our favorites.
The book is starting to show its age because it's been used so often.

Note - I am writing this review from the first printing.

I bought this book back in 1977. I have purchased many other Chinese cookbooks before and after (perhaps 50) and this is still my #1 favorite.

Back in 1977 the introductory chapters were invaluable to help me start. Those chapters are 3: INGREDIENTS, 4: EQUIPMENT, 5: METHODS, 6: MENU PLANNING and 7: A GUIDE TO THE RECIPES. I would take the book to Chinatown in San Francisco and use the descriptions of the ingredients and equipment to guide my shopping. It helped me sort through the dozens of different pepper pastes, and to select a wok that still serves 30 years later.

Nowadays I turn directly to the recipes, which are organized in a fashion that is a little unusual to my western eyes - pork, ham and beef are grouped as chapter 8: MEAT. The next chapter is INNARDS, including kidney and liver. After that comes POULTRY, FISH, TOFU, VEGETABLES, SOUPS, STARCHES (noodles, dumplings, rice and pancakes), PICKLES and finally ... DESSERTS.

The recipies are all very well written. There are a few introductory paragraphs that describe the meal and the methods. Then there is the step by step instructions in two columns - one contains the ingredients and is a sort of widely spaced shopping and preparation list, the other column is the detailed instructions. VERY detailed... it includes very specific instructions as to the heat of the oil, how to perform the preparation, and the timings of the cooking. The timings are almost always foolproof, although I have had to adjust them to account for the lower temperature gas range I have now.

While some of the dishes are not favorites, each and every one of the dishes I have prepared has been good to excellent. I have never gotten a "dud" from this book. Friends love it... many have asked for the bibliographic reverence so they can buy their own copy. NONE of my friends who have bought this book has ever had anything other than praise for it.

In fact... the reason I am writing this review now (Dec 24'th) is that I am using the book to prepare CHRISTMAS DINNER ! We will be featuring Mrs Chiang's Fragrant Crispy Duck (xiangsu ya) and other delicacies... The recipes and food is so good I will use the book to prepare one of the years premiere holiday meals.

I bought my first copy of Mrs. Chiang's Szechuan Cookbook when it first appeared in the bookstores, and I wore it out! Mind you, I try to take excellent care of my books, and this book was well-bound, but kitchen use has stained many, many pages and broken the binding.
Buy either this book, or Szechuan Home Cooking. It's the same book. One is a later edition than the other, with the only difference being the introductory material.
This is my favorite Chinese cookbook ever, and I have given it as gifts to several friends who have enjoyed my cooking (due to this book) so much.

A book that educates and informs you, yet provides excellent recipes, written well and easy to follow.
I believe that simply reading the narrative will improve your cooking......buy it!!