Customer Reviews

From the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This cookbook has been one of the best sources of delicious tofu recipes that I have been able to find. I have been cooking from this book for a few years and I have loved every recipe that I have tried. The author uses both traditional and non-traditional ingredients (like sundried tomatoes) to create flavorful chinese recipes that are at home in the western kitchen.

I have a sagging shelf of cookbooks, most of them vegan. This is the one cookbook I have other than my Betty Crocker (that has so many recipes fun to veganize) that includes mention of meat. Another reviewer gave this cookbook a bad rating due to the author's lack of clarification concerning oyster sauce (vegan versions are readily available at Asian food markets and elsewhere). I think this is a bad move on the reviewer's part. This omission is regrettable, but it in no way diminishes the fine job that the author does in doing what her job was: to come up with awesome recipes and provide readers with instructions on how to duplicate them.

My only complaint about the cookbook is that many of the recipes end up being pretty heavy on oil. I have taken to halving the oil recommendations in most recipes, replacing the remaining volume with water or another liquid. I find it makes the recipes much lighter, with very little loss in taste.

Overall, highly recommended.

This is one of the better books written on vegetarian cookery (biased towards Southern Chinese cooking). There is a pretty good exposition of ingredients at the beginning of the book, and I was able to locate most at the Chinese market. Ms. Lo makes extensive use of flavored cooking oils that you make yourself. This could be a bit time consuming, but worth the extra flavor. Also a good idea is making her recipe for stock; good stock she explains is crucial for good chinese cooking, especially vegetarian cooking. There is also a section on fish, which might seem a bit out of place (fish is not in the same category as land dwelling animals in Chinese tradition). Some of the recipes seem a bit repetitive. The book does include the chinese name as well which might be handy for some of us. All in all a good book for vegetarians who want to inject a bit of Chinese flava into their diet.

I bought this book years ago and only in the last two years took it down from my bookshelf and started experimenting. To my delight, I have uncovered all kinds of incredible gems that have become part of my regular dinner menus. In particular the chapter on vegetables has paid for itself many times over. We've perfected "Mushrooms with Broccoli" on page 91 and absolutely love it. The scallion oil and other seasoned oils add depth to the recipes, and the vegetable stock makes a huge difference. While it's true that oyster sauce is called for in some recipes, vegetarian oyster sauce is sold in many Chinese markets, so I don't think this is a serious issue for concern. However, it is true that one of the chapters is on "the occasional fish," which may not be useful to strict vegetarians. My husband raves about these recipes whenever I make them- and said my cooking (and these recipes) was better than that a Chinese restaurant. Granted, he's biased, but we love this book!

I have always enjoyed watching the author cook on TV. It is a treat to be able to sit and leisurely read of the customs and learn background and history before trying the dish.

I find the book well written, and full of exciting and new (at least to me) dishes to try.

It is easy to follow for the novice and "moves" rapidly enough for the experienced cook.

I feel as though I have had a history lesson and made a friend at the same time. Eileen Yin-Feilo is one of my favorite chefs and I have great respect for her culinary *and* writing skills.

This is not another cookbook of recipes of dishes found in Chinese restaurants in America, thank goodness! Ingredients are both those used in China and those found in the US, and the difference is explained in each recipe. The ingredients and recipes are simply explained, and the recipes are quick, simple, and light. The author explains seasonality of vegetables, and significance of vegetable combinations, among other things. This cookbook is not pure vegetarian in that a few recipes include seafood and oyster sauce, but most recipes are completely vegetarian.

I think this book was written by an artist.From the way the author decorates the dishes to the way she explains how to cook very detail , I am very satisfy ! I lost my book . I would like the publisher will reprint it in the very near future.

This is a preliminary review, but I am writing it because I would want others to do the same for my information. This is not a vegetarian cookbook or a vegetarian cookbook with an addition of a sea life (non-vegetarian) section. The supposedly vegetarian recipes contain oyster sauce, so everything that contains this item is omnivorous, along with the sea life recipes. While these items are easily overcame by the experienced vegan cook by using vegan sauces and such, it is quite annoying that an author of a book doesn't know the definition of one of the words in the title. Also, a beginner cook or someone who doesn't have extra time in the kitchen will not want to make the effort of fixing these recipes to actually be vegetarian.

This is my preliminary review only, but since any recipe I make will be modified to be really vegetarian, I don't know that I can provide any further review of this cookbook.

I think this book was written by an artist.From the way the author decorates the dishes to the way she explains how to cook very detail , I am very satisfy ! I lost my book . I would like the publisher will reprint it in the very near future.

These recipes solve the mystery of how to cook vegetables Chinese style.


In my opinion, acquiring all of the author's cookbooks first before buying the other English language Chinese cookbooks makes an important foundation to understanding what you eat in America and how the food is cooked at home. Then proceed to the other cookbooks and hopefully to eating the more elaborate levels of Chinese cooking. I didn't pick up the author's cookbooks until very recently and only after learning that the author is from Sun Tak. I wish I had bought her books long ago.