Chinese Vegetarian Cookery [Paperback]

Jack Santa Maria (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Out of religious conviction and economic necessity, Chinese cooking has a broad and vital vegetarian tradition. Thus one is disappointed by the timid and repetitive treatment Santa Maria gives the subject. Part of the problem may be that the book, a British import, is written for a home audience perhaps new to Chinese cooking. The most basic shortcoming is that the instructions are neither vivid nor precise, and little effort is made to convey the niceties of technique and menu planning. Rather, the reader encounters an array of uninspired stir-fried, braised or steamed dishes, rice, noodles, eggs and sweets. The English nomenclature and weight measurements have not been converted for American readers.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Book Publishing Company (TN) (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570670935
• ISBN-13: 978-1570670930
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,683,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's too 'American'., September 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Chinese Vegetarian Cookery (Paperback)

Now, the recipes listed are great. If you want to get most all your ingredients at any American supermarket, then this is for you. But if you want recipes for produce and condiments you will find at a typical CHINESE grocery store, then you will have to find a more esoteric book.
For instance there is no mention of: bitter melon, Chinese okra, ong-choy, Chinese broccoli, lotus root, etc etc. Also, the seasonings for most dishes are pretty much the same.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, August 10, 2002

By 

merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chinese Vegetarian Cookery (Paperback)

I guess this is the best one for chinese vegetarian that I've found so far so it's pretty good but I'm still looking for more. It has lots of good tofu recipes, a variety of vegetable stir frys, soups, etc. I'm ginig it 4 stars because all the recipes have been really really tasty so far and they're authentic, they're just not really inspiring. Like I said though, best one I've found so far.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FLAVORFUL & DELICIOUS, February 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Chinese Vegetarian Cookery (Paperback)

This is one of the most used cookbooks in my house. Everything I've made from these pages is absolutely delicious. In fact, I am often in the mood for a specific dish from this book. The book is simple to use. The ingredients are easy to find. The aunthentic flavors you find in Chinese restaurants are at your fingertips. It's been a wonderful way to get my children to eat those vegetables that they wouldn't touch. When I come home from the grocery store with my cart of veggies, I look for ways to start preparing.