Key to Chinese Cooking [Hardcover]

Irene Kuo (Author), Carolyn Moy (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1977

Illus. throughout. 6 1/8 x 9 1/4.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 532 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (September 12, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394496388
• ISBN-13: 978-0394496382
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Chinese

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely the Best Chinese Cookbook Ever Written, June 5, 2004

By 

Hayford Peirce (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Key to Chinese Cooking (Hardcover)

The eleven other reviews of this remarkable book (as of early June, 2004) all give this book 5 stars, an equally remarkable achievement. As one of those eleven people said, this is truly the Julia Child of Chinese cookbooks. I've been using it now since 1978 and there are still hundreds of recipes I haven't tried because the ones that I *have* cooked are so wonderful that I go back to them time after time. Most of the recipes are reasonably simple, with ingredients that can be found in even the most modest Asian market, or even in a Safeway these days, but some of them are a lot easier to make if you live in San Francisco (as I did for a number of years) and can find *everything* she calls for without undue trouble.

If I were marooned for life on a well-stocked desert island, this would be one of my two cookbooks, Julia being the other one. As wonderful as Italian food is, and as great as Marcella Hazen's Italian cookbook is, Chinese cuisine (with its many regional diversities) is far richer and with far more subtleties -- only French cuisine is its equal. Haunt the used book stores, or on-line sources, and try to get this unparalleled book.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best chinese cookbook you will ever see., February 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Key to Chinese Cooking (Hardcover)

My husband is from China, he tells me I cook like his mother now. The copy I have is old and broken I've used it so much. I was hoping to get another copy. It's a great cookbook. Cooking techniques and recipes are explained in depth. There is also a glossary of ingredients so you can figure out what something is and where to buy it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best, most authentic, very thorough Chinese cookbook, January 28, 2002

By 

apfb (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Key to Chinese Cooking (Hardcover)

... I was thrilled to find a used copy. I have been making the food from my Chinese childhood, and yes, the recipes make dishes that taste exactly how I remembered everything. Her instructions are clearly-written and concise.