Simple Chinese Cooking [Hardcover]

Kylie Kwong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2007

Cooking Chinese food at home has truly never been easier--all you need is this book, a wok, and a quick trip to the supermarket

Simple Chinese Cooking offers Kylie Kwong’s philosophy of marrying the freshest ingredients and the simplest techniques to create amazing flavor. Kylie grew up devouring the mouthwatering heartiness of her mother’s traditional Cantonese cuisine. Armed with the fundamental techniques, she set out to give ancient tradition a modern twist and bring the joys of Chinese cooking to all. Now, people from all over the globe flock to her popular restaurant in Sydney, billy kwong. But in this book, she brings her delicious recipes to Chinese food lovers everywhere.

Simple Chinese Cooking demystifies the preparation of Chinese cuisine—with ingredients that are readily available in any grocery store, and recipes that are friendly and easy-to-follow. From soy sauce chicken and steamed fish fillets with ginger and spring onions, to prawn wonton soup, this book offers delicious everyday meals, as well as dishes that are perfect for entertaining. With succulent 4-color photographs throughout and step-by-step instructional pictures, Simple Chinese Cooking will guide anyone to create a delectable feast.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A companion to her second Australian television series, this appetizing and beautifully illustrated collection will earn Kwong a large American following. Seeking to demystify Chinese cooking for the uninitiated, she allocates ample space to the basics: equipment, ingredients and techniques along with recipes for tasty yet simple dishes. The well-known Sweet and Sour Pork is balanced by the less familiar Sung Choi Bao of Pork, providing treasures for both those learning about the cuisine and those who are looking for more diversity. Kwong offers a comprehensive look at all aspects of Chinese offerings—from stocks, soups and rice to meats, poultry and tofu. Soy Sauce Chicken is not to be missed, and neither is Crispy King Prawns with Honey and Garlic Sauce. Sections on Salads, Wontons and Pickles are an added bonus, highlighting such gems as Pickled Asparagus and Mint Salad and Button Mushroom Salad. Kwong also provides tips on menu planning, saving time, food for kids and what to drink with Chinese food. Highly recommended for all fans of Chinese food, this collection is a welcome addition to a crowded field. 150 full-color photos. (Feb.)
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Review

This is an incredible book and it will change the way you cook forever. Kylie is an absolute inspiration! (Jamie Oliver)

A Martha in the making . . . Down Under’s homemaking heartthrob. (Time magazine)

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Studio (February 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670038482
• ISBN-13: 978-0670038480
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 10.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Chinese

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The recipes truly are simple!, June 28, 2007

By 

E. Cho "echomyst" (Petaluma, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Chinese Cooking (Hardcover)

Aptly titled, Simple Chinese Cooking is indeed filled with very simple recipes.

So far, every single dish I have tried have been a hit with my non-Chinese in-laws. I myself am Chinese and have grown up eating home-cooked Chinese food... I must say that most of the recipes are pretty authentic.

Like someone else who'd posted a review before me, I'd made minor adjustments to the recipes, such as cutting out the peanut oil and reducing the amount of other oils.

The ingredients are all very easy to find, which is good because I no longer live close to large Asian supermarkets.

The photos are all very beautiful and colourful.

My only "complaint" is that many of the sauces and ingredients are recycled throughout the book, but it's not a major drawback as it shows how versatile some key ingredients are.

Overall, a great book to boost one's confidence in cooking home-style Chinese food.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars User friendly and great recipies, July 6, 2007

By 

Ivan W. Ong (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Chinese Cooking (Hardcover)

I found this book to be very well written indeed. As a Chinese I am pretty fussy about Chinese food and I find myself very happy with Kylie's recipes and approach. The stress on fresh ingredients and fresh preparation is the cornerstone to great tasting Asian food, and Kylie imposes that discipline throughout the book. You might want to experiment with sauce proportions- some might want to tweak degree of saltiness and taste. Remember, Chinese food ingredients do not scale up or down linearly, so you need to experiment when scaling up or down a meal. For American readers, you will notice differences in naming cuts of meats and some ingredients- not a big deal, just look it up on the internet. On the whole, a great book and it will continually be a useful reference for me.

Jan 16 2009 Update: Still using it and loving it! We've tried many recipes and have our favorites.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars three out of three winners, February 23, 2007

By 

Susan W. Shepard (Redwood City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Chinese Cooking (Hardcover)

The three recipes I have made so far have been great hits. Have had to make some minor adjustments ( such as not using heated peanut oil over a finished dish) because of dietary concerns but these adjustments have not made a major change in the over all "deliciousness" of what I have tried.

I have an extensive collection of Chinese cookbooks and this one looks as if it will become a favorite...easy to follow recipes and easy to find ingredients.