Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine (Hardcover)

by Susanna Foo (Author), Hermie Kranzdorf (Contributor) "Cooked mushrooms combined with cellophane noodles and Parmesan cheese make a light and airy stuffing for these dumplings..." (more)
Key Phrases: Vegetable Stock, Three Crabs, Japanese Benriner (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Fusion has earned a bad reputation, mostly due to silly combinations that, while intellectually interesting, are often just not that appetizing. Foo (chef/owner of two restaurants and a two-time James Beard Award winner) keeps things lively yet appealing by not going too wacky. Yes, Panko-Crusted Goat Cheese with Tomato and Asparagus Salad uses Japanese bread crumbs, but Alice Waters has been making goat cheese crunchy for years. Likewise, Grilled Lamb Chops with Roasted Sesame Marinade replaces the lamb tenderloin more commonly used in Mongolian shish kabob with a different cut, but preserves the classic flavors. Sometimes Asian ingredients shake hands with Western techniques, as in a savory Rice Noodle Flan and Asian Pear Tatin. There are more traditional dishes, too, like Braised Red Snapper with Thai Curry Sauce and Braised Lion's Head Meatballs "the size of a fist." Foo shares encyclopedic knowledge about everything from long beans (which are part of the black-eyed pea family) to braising (great for tenderizing cheaper cuts of meat). If there is a flaw, it may be that Foo is too wide-ranging, so that the selection occasionally feels unfocused. Overall, though, this is a thoughtful collection of fresh, elegant recipes. Photos. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Foo keeps things lively yet appealing...a thoughtful collection of fresh, elegant recipes.
Publishers Weekly

This collection of 150-plus recipes will inspire home cooks with Asian-influenced Western dishes [...] and lighter versions of classic Chinese items. [A] closer look reveals intriguing flavor combinations.
Library Journal

"She provides recipes both homey and exotic - grilled lamb chops in a roasted sesame marinade, a velvety chicken pumpkin soup." Corby Kummer.
The New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (September 2, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: 0618393307 ISBN-13: 978-0618393305 Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10 x 1.4 inches Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,588 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Cooked mushrooms combined with cellophane noodles and Parmesan cheese make a light and airy stuffing for these dumplings. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Vegetable Stock, Three Crabs, Japanese Benriner, Yukon Gold, Cilantro Pesto, Cucumber Mint Relish, Morel Sauce, Port Wine Sauce, Salmon Braised, Braised Pork Belly, Caramelized Red Pepper Sauce, Duck Stock, Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, Inner Mongolia, Long Island, Other Side Dishes, Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts, Quick-Seared Sichuan Beef Tenderloin Stew, Roasted Five-Spice Pork Tenderloin, Smoked Duck Breasts, Citrus-Cured Salmon, Coconut Panna Cotta, Crisp Roasted Poussin, Korean-Style Grilled Sirloin, Kumquat-Fuyu Persimmon Sauce

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• The Other Side of the Doctor-Patient Relationship by Ralph F. Hudson on page 191
• Blue Moon by Peter Duchin in Back Matter

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3 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 21 of 22 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Chinese with a French/American Slant, October 30, 2005 By  John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    One trouble with a lot of Chinese (or other ethnic for that matter) cookbooks have is that they often call for items that might be readily available in Hong Kong but which are very difficult to find in you local supermarket -- expecially if you live in a small town like I do. Susanna Foo on the other hand is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and had developed a series of dishes that: taste better to American palates use commonly found ingredients are simple to make. The resulting dishes are lighter, fresher tasting and all around better than you find in other Chinese cookbooks. She even adds that you don't have to be a slave to her recipies. Cooking should be fun and it should please your and your families tastes. This is a large cookbook. 352 pages and the book is of large format. There are a lot of recipies, a lot of things to try that are different that what you've seen before, a combination of Chinese with French, molded to fit America. Maybe that's why her two restaurants have been such a success. 16 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Superior celebrity chef cookbook. Good tips. Luscious recipes., December 9, 2005 By  B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    `Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration' is the second book by Chinese-American Restaurateur / Chef Susanna Foo who has some James Beard awards to her credit plus the usual celebrity chef endorsement blurbs on the back of her book from the likes of Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, Jacques Pepin, and Lidia Bastianich. One thing which impressed me is that in spite of the oversize format, the book's list price is no more than the standard $35. As the author makes clear in her introduction, this is not a book on standard Chinese cooking technique. And, her suggestions on wok cooking early in the book also make it clear this is not traditional fiery hot carbon steel wok cooking. Rather, it is adapted to the familiar western flat bottomed wok which I suspect most purely Chinese cooks would consider not a wok at all. It took me no more than reading two recipes to sense that this book is mostly a fusion of Chinese and Mediterranean ingredients and techniques. The very first `dim sum' recipe had western ingredients portobello mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, shallots, Parmesan cheese, and truffle oil paired up with Oriental ingredients shiitake mushrooms, dumpling skins, soy sauce, and cellophane noodles. This dish could be billed just as accurately as a ravioli or empanada dish as a dish of dumplings. Except for the terms `Dim Sum' and `Tofu' in the chapter titles, this would look for the entire world like a typical western cookbook. All the chapters are: Dim Sum and first Courses - Not too much different from antipasto dishes. Soups and Stocks - Oddly, no chicken stock, but just about every other kind, plus tofu recipes. Salads and Cold Vegetable Dishes - Again, evenly divided between Asian and European ingredients. Fish and Shellfish - Mostly worldwide ingredients such as shrimp, scallops, salmon, and black sea bass. Poultry - Finally a primarily oriental recipe selection of duck and chicken, plus roasted Poussin. Meats - Primarily oriental dishes, including Korean grilled dishes. Noodles, Rice, and Other Side Dishes - Total mix of east and west with soba noodles to chestnuts. Tofu and Eggs - this may be the most oriental chapter of all, as most of the recipes involve frying or braising tofu. Vegetables - A very western group of recipes. Condiments and Relishes - More western pickling than Korean or Chinese fermented preparations. Desserts - Very, very western selection. The placement of recipes in chapters is sometimes illogical, but you will hardly notice or be annoyed by the fact. The value to people with few cookbooks is that for a standard price, you get a very nice selection of recipes from around the world. The value to people with lots of cookbooks is that this is a better than average read as `celebrity chef ` cookbooks go, and it has several excellent refinements on tips which are not shortcuts but the kind which arise from a monomaniacal devotion to doing the very best cooking you can possibly do. While many of the tips may be just a bit too excessive, they can lead you in the right direction when you need just a little extra effort. For example, Ms. Foo suggests freshening salad greens by preparing a water bath by adding ice cubes to cold water until the ice cubes no longer melt. Then, remove the ice cubes and use the freezing temperature water to refresh the greens. Overall, this is a slightly better than average celebrity cookbook with a slightly misleading concept. It may have been better to bill it as a Chinese / Mediterranean fusion cookbook. 5.0 out of 5 stars Susanna Food Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese cuisine, July 8, 2008 By  Marilyn J. Ganz "cookbook diva" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine (Hardcover) Although I live in Los Angeles now, I remember an exquisite dinner at Susanna Foo's restaurant in Philadelphia, PA, years ago. This book is not a surprise. She is an ace at creativity with fresh ingredients and this cookbook with its fascinating recipes is an exceptional work. I am so pleased that I discovered it.		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (September 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618393307
• ISBN-13: 978-0618393305
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,588 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chinese with a French/American Slant, October 30, 2005

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One trouble with a lot of Chinese (or other ethnic for that matter) cookbooks have is that they often call for items that might be readily available in Hong Kong but which are very difficult to find in you local supermarket -- expecially if you live in a small town like I do. Susanna Foo on the other hand is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and had developed a series of dishes that:

taste better to American palates
use commonly found ingredients
are simple to make.

The resulting dishes are lighter, fresher tasting and all around better than you find in other Chinese cookbooks. She even adds that you don't have to be a slave to her recipies. Cooking should be fun and it should please your and your families tastes.

This is a large cookbook. 352 pages and the book is of large format. There are a lot of recipies, a lot of things to try that are different that what you've seen before, a combination of Chinese with French, molded to fit America. Maybe that's why her two restaurants have been such a success.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superior celebrity chef cookbook. Good tips. Luscious recipes., December 9, 2005

By	B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

`Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration' is the second book by Chinese-American Restaurateur / Chef Susanna Foo who has some James Beard awards to her credit plus the usual celebrity chef endorsement blurbs on the back of her book from the likes of Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, Jacques Pepin, and Lidia Bastianich. One thing which impressed me is that in spite of the oversize format, the book's list price is no more than the standard $35.

As the author makes clear in her introduction, this is not a book on standard Chinese cooking technique. And, her suggestions on wok cooking early in the book also make it clear this is not traditional fiery hot carbon steel wok cooking. Rather, it is adapted to the familiar western flat bottomed wok which I suspect most purely Chinese cooks would consider not a wok at all.

It took me no more than reading two recipes to sense that this book is mostly a fusion of Chinese and Mediterranean ingredients and techniques. The very first `dim sum' recipe had western ingredients portobello mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, shallots, Parmesan cheese, and truffle oil paired up with Oriental ingredients shiitake mushrooms, dumpling skins, soy sauce, and cellophane noodles. This dish could be billed just as accurately as a ravioli or empanada dish as a dish of dumplings.

Except for the terms `Dim Sum' and `Tofu' in the chapter titles, this would look for the entire world like a typical western cookbook. All the chapters are:

Dim Sum and first Courses - Not too much different from antipasto dishes.
Soups and Stocks - Oddly, no chicken stock, but just about every other kind, plus tofu recipes.
Salads and Cold Vegetable Dishes - Again, evenly divided between Asian and European ingredients.
Fish and Shellfish - Mostly worldwide ingredients such as shrimp, scallops, salmon, and black sea bass.
Poultry - Finally a primarily oriental recipe selection of duck and chicken, plus roasted Poussin.
Meats - Primarily oriental dishes, including Korean grilled dishes.
Noodles, Rice, and Other Side Dishes - Total mix of east and west with soba noodles to chestnuts.
Tofu and Eggs - this may be the most oriental chapter of all, as most of the recipes involve frying or braising tofu.
Vegetables - A very western group of recipes.
Condiments and Relishes - More western pickling than Korean or Chinese fermented preparations.
Desserts - Very, very western selection.

The placement of recipes in chapters is sometimes illogical, but you will hardly notice or be annoyed by the fact.

The value to people with few cookbooks is that for a standard price, you get a very nice selection of recipes from around the world. The value to people with lots of cookbooks is that this is a better than average read as `celebrity chef ` cookbooks go, and it has several excellent refinements on tips which are not shortcuts but the kind which arise from a monomaniacal devotion to doing the very best cooking you can possibly do. While many of the tips may be just a bit too excessive, they can lead you in the right direction when you need just a little extra effort. For example, Ms. Foo suggests freshening salad greens by preparing a water bath by adding ice cubes to cold water until the ice cubes no longer melt. Then, remove the ice cubes and use the freezing temperature water to refresh the greens.

Overall, this is a slightly better than average celebrity cookbook with a slightly misleading concept. It may have been better to bill it as a Chinese / Mediterranean fusion cookbook.

5.0 out of 5 stars Susanna Food Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese cuisine, July 8, 2008

By	Marilyn J. Ganz "cookbook diva" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine (Hardcover)

Although I live in Los Angeles now, I remember an exquisite dinner at Susanna Foo's restaurant in Philadelphia, PA, years ago. This book is not a surprise. She is an ace at creativity with fresh ingredients and this cookbook with its fascinating recipes is an exceptional work. I am so pleased that I discovered it.