My China: A Feast for All the Senses [Hardcover]

Kylie Kwong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 2007

An extraordinary, intimate tour through the rich food and culture of China and Tibet, told through lavish photography, stories, and recipes.

My China is a sweeping culinary travelogue through modern-day China and Tibet. Here, Kylie Kwong, renowned chef and author of Simple Chinese Cooking, journeys to ten cities and provinces, beginning in the Toishan district, the home of her own ancestors. Along the way, she meets and cooks with an array of spirited locals and samples a range of wonderful regional meals and tastes?from the haute cuisine of glamorous Shanghai restaurants to the simple bowls of noodles and pickles at the wooden stalls of Lhasa, and the altogether different and intense spicy heat of traditional Sichuan dishes. With a chef?s passion for new flavors, Kwong discovers authentic recipes and traditional techniques and adapts them to eighty new recipes that readers can make simply at home.

A rich collection of stories, recipes, and beautiful photographs, My China will transport readers to the sights, smells, and flavors of a world that inspires. It is an intimate, captivating look at modern China and all its treasures, and the perfect gift for the holidays for any armchair traveler.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Sunday Telegraph, 15th June "Kwong writes with a chatty, easy style, and her enthusiasm for Chinese food bounces off the pages! the book is packed with excellent recipes and beautiful photographs of market stalls and mountain kitchens." Sainsbury's Magazine, August 08 "Beautifully packaged, with a red and gold cover and printed on lovely matt paper, this is an addictive, utterly absorbing feast of treats - definitely not to be missed." --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Kylie Kwong was born in Sydney to a fourth-generation Australian-Chinese family. She learned the fundamentals of Cantonese cooking at her mother's side, and then went on to hone her skills with several of Australia's most respected chefs. After working at some of Sydney's finest restaurants—Rockpool, Wockpool and Restaurant Manfredi—Kylie realised her dream of pouring her heart and soul into her own restaurant, billy kwong, in Sydney's Surry Hills.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Studio (November 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670018791
• ISBN-13: 978-0670018796
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you've been there, this is for you!, January 1, 2008

By 

Andy Knapp "behavioral scientist" (Fairport, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My China: A Feast for All the Senses (Hardcover)

Having lived in southern China for nearly 3 years, our family had nearly given up on finding authentic Chinese cuisine here in upstate NY. Thankfully, there is this wonderful book. Our daughter made us a holiday feast (including dumplings, yum!) from a few familiar recipes found here and we were almost back in Xiamen! Outstanding photos, stories, and great recipes. If you've ever lived in China, this is for you. If you've ever wanted to visit or live in China, this is for you, too! Try some of these meals and you will understand what real Chinese food is about.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic book - her best so far, January 31, 2008

By 

Sally Bodman "Cook book addict" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My China: A Feast for All the Senses (Hardcover)

I have all of Kylie Kwong's books and they are all great but this is her best so far. The stories add to the book but the real stars are the recipes. I've only tried a few so far, but there are so many already on my do list. There is a fabulous rare beef with Ginger sauce which got rave reviews from the family. Last night we tried the Hot and Smoky chicken with Ginger and Chilli - YUM. We do have an industrial strength wok burner which probably helped with the smokiness, but it was very good on all levels. I am a bit of a cookbook collector (500 or thereabouts)and I have a shortlist of books I think are really excellent. This one has already made it to that list - I knew from the moment I opened it!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars `A feast for all of the senses', March 13, 2008

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My China: A Feast for All the Senses (Hardcover)

Kylie Kwong was born into one of Australia's oldest Chinese families. She is a 29th generation Kwong, and a 4th generation Australian-Chinese. Kylie is known to many Australians through her wonderful television series, as the proprietor of the Billy Kwong restaurant in Sydney and through her magnificent books.

`My China' is the fourth of Kylie's books, and invites the reader to travel with her as she rediscovers her Chinese heritage and explores the history, culture and cuisine of China and Tibet. This book contains magnificent photographs of places, people and food. The book is also a travelogue containing recipes specific to particular regions. There is a map, as well, so the reader can see where these places are.

The recipes themselves are easy to follow, clearly explained and are accompanied by delicious photographs. Ms Kwong provides serving numbers based of shared meals (ie a recipe will serve 4 to 6 as part of a shared meal) thus enabling someone to plan how many dishes they might wish to prepare based on the number of guests and type of gathering. I particularly like her section on ingredients, and found the paragraph on the relative uses of different soy sauces especially helpful.

In summary, `My China' is a delightful addition to the home library for anyone who enjoys Chinese cuisine. Those interested in Chinese culture and history will also enjoy this book. The photographs are simply stunning.

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith