The Chinese Way: Healthy Low-Fat Cooking from China's Regions (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Proper Chinese cooking, asserts Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, is low in fat, unlike what we are used to finding in many Chinese restaurants. She also claims that Chinese cooking is ideal for health conscious people who enjoy good food because it is authentic. A good cook, she insists, "Rather than replace fat with something else, cooks with care to blend, compliment, balance." This care is the essence of mei doh, or good taste.

Along with sections on proper equipment, technique, and ingredients, Yin-Fei Lo gives her version of popular classics: fat-free Hot and Sour Soup, Barbecue Pork and Spare Ribs, and more. She adds twists such as sun-dried tomatoes to Noodles with Shrimp and Broccoli, and uses swordfish in a stir-fry. Other unexpected recipes are Chicken Stir-fried with Melon and Romaine Lettuce with Brown Onions. Don't miss recipes for congee, a comforting porridge finally earning appreciation outside Asian communities. With these many pleasures, Yin-Fei Lo also offers a treasure in her chapter on tong soi. The Chinese eat these lightly sweetened soups, often made with fruits, nuts, herbs, or flowers, as dessert. Because tong soi are considered tonics, they serve as a fine introduction to the increasingly popular, reputedly therapeutic side of Chinese cooking.

Product Description

"Dear Eileen, I have cooked French with pleasure for forty-eight years and now that I have read your book, The Chinese Way, I have become enthusiastic about cooking Chinese. I am sure it will help me to get rid of any accumulated pounds." —Andre Soltner "As chefs in search of menu inspiration know, a new book by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo is always a mandatory buy. In her newest, she manages to hit a double bull's-eye, delivering both a superb repertory of easily cooked, complexly-flavored regional Chinese dishes, and a sophisticatedly-tasty solution for lowering intake of fats." —Michael and Ariane Batterberry Founding Editors/Associate Publishers Food Arts magazine "To live well is the definition of happiness. To dine well on Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's healthy Chinese food is the definition of divine." —George Lang The Chinese Way As anyone who has cooked it at home knows, Chinese cooking is almost inherently healthful. Traditional cooking techniques like water blanching, stir-frying, and steaming are not only healthy, they bring out the best, natural flavors in food. In Chinese cooking, oils are used minimally, marinated meats are used to flavor a dish, not dominate it, and healthful foods like vegetables, rice, and noodles are staples. With traditional, but lightened, Chinese dishes and many of the author's own creations, plus nutritional information for every recipe for calorie- and fat-gram counters, The Chinese Way is a must for anyone who loves the flavors of the Far East.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 326 pages
• Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company. (February 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028603818
• ISBN-13: 978-0028603810
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #237,787 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #72 in

  Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Chinese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chef Yin-Fei Lo Has Done It Again!!!!, March 27, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

No, I'm not surprised. Chef Eileen Yin-Fei Lo has a fan for life!

One would never guess that the recipes (complete with nutritional information) are "healthy".

As always, the chef explains all terms and methods in detail and the list of ingredients necessary will be helpful to beginners and those who infrequently cook Chinese.

I especially enjoy the comments at the beginning of each recipe.

The section titled "My Special Preparations" is invaluable! Here you will find recipes for almost all of the wonderful Stocks, Infused Oils, Pickled Veggies, and even Basic Rice (more difficult for some people than you might imagine!).

The recipes!! This Chef can cook! I have yet to find a recipe that I was not completely pleased with. I feel the personal touch she gives to each dish adds greatly to the over all appeal.

My favorites (at least this week) are "Steamed Duck With Pickled Peaches", Steamed Bean Curd With Shrimp, Veal Stir-Fried With Mushrooms and Tomatoes, Shrimp With Lobster Sauce, Stuffed Scallops, and Barbecued Pork Stir-Fried with Scallions.

Thank you again Chef, for another work of wonder and work of art. You *are* an artist and deserve much more praise than you seem to receive.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Chinese cookbook I've used, May 19, 2006

By	M. Chuong (San Diego, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have made several dishes from this cookbook and all of them have turned out great. My husband is Chinese and has not been impressed with dishes I've tried from other cookbooks, but he has really enjoyed the dishes prepared from this book. The flavors are very authentic, and not overly sweet or oily, like you normally find in restaurants.

The layout of the recipes are very easy to follow. She breaks the ingredient list into separate categories, such as "marinade", "sauce", "to complete the dish", so you can easily prepare the dish in stages.

I also like that the recipes are healthy, and I don't feel that taste is sacrificed to make the dishes healthy. She also uses many of the same ingredients throughout the book, so you'll probably need to stock your pantry with items that you'll need to go to an asian market for, but once it's stocked, you'll be set for a while.

The only modification I normally make is adding about double the meat to the dishes. Her versions are more authentic, being that in China meat is not as central to meals like it is in America, but I like having more meat.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasic food !!!, August 23, 2001

By A Customer

A great book. I had been searching for an authentic Chinese cookbook for some time. I took a gamble on this book by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, and it was a rewarding pay-off. This book has everything. Some information on the history of Chinese cooking, on buying and seasoning a wok, on steam-proofing dishes, on some of the more hard to find ingredients, and personal stories from her upbringing. Not to mention, some fantastic recipies including one I've wanted to try for some time, fish soup. While prep-work is not one of my favorite parts of cooking, (although somewhat necessary in these recipies)the reward of a fantasic dish is well worth it. Added bonuses are sections on how to properly make rice (harder than you may think), and calorie counting information for every dish. I can't wait to try some of the other books by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. If they're 1/2 as good as this one, they already have my approval.