For those who relish the delights of classic Chinese cuisine, here, at last, is the most all inclusive book ever compiled. It has more than 1000 intriguing recipes plus many variations with over half of these appearing for the first time in English. Others, perhaps more familiar to connoisseur‘s have been revised and authenticated to meet the most exacting standards of oriental master chefs. All have been carefully tested in American kitchens. All regions of China are represented, with emphasis on the four major ones: Canton, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Peking, and the geographical origin for each recipe is indicated.
But beyond the vast collection of recipes, this major work is an indispensable sourcebook of the background of Chinese cuisine, cooking techniques, styles of cooking, ingredients, and all there is to know about Chinese culinary arts.
This comprehensive guide to the very best in Oriental cooking is also nutritionally sound in every way. In accordance with the latest US government food research this is the only book in which all recipes are completely free of MSG or any other questionable additives. A complete chapter is devoted to nutritional guidance, with calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc. analyzed and charted. The cook can choose from an abundance of recipes totally safe for a different special diet— ulcer, diabetic, low sodium, low calorie— based on the work of a professor of internal medicine.
The range of menus and recipes is truly abundant, covering everything from snack to banquet. Here are “instant dishes” for appetizers, side dishes, light luncheons, unexpected guests. Menus covered dining out, family meals, and dinner parties, with a wide choice of exotic delicacies such as shark fin soup, hot and sour soup; main dishes like rock sugar chicken, spareribs and plum sauce; unusual vegetable dishes including ginger juice eggplant, freckled Ma Poo bean curd; succulent sauces and stuffing and delicate salads as jade and snow; subtle desserts like silver ears with tangerine and happy smile new year cake. Collar photos of completed dishes provide a further guide to the book. All necessary instructions on serving and dining in genuine Chinese style or given, with detailed, informative guides to teas and wines.
Every aspect of cooking technique from stir frying and steaming to “red cooking“ is explored. Utensil uses are detailed fully, with complete information on available western adaptions. One of the books most important features is it’s in cyclopedic listing of over 100 authentic Chinese ingredients, all available in the United States, used throughout the recipes, carefully illustrated with specially prepared photographs. Birds nests, water chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, lily flowers, lotus roots, cellophane noodles, and many others are catalogued with detailed information on where and in what forms they are available, as well as their taste, texture, uses, storage methods, possible substitutions, and costs. Mail order sources in major cities are given for those located outside large urban areas. Included is an invaluable English/Chinese shopping list preceding the recipe section with a Chinese ideograph for each ingredient as an aid to quick and easy identification and for communicating with sales personnel.
For both the novice and the serious culinary student, and onto the expert, and encyclopedia of Chinese food and cooking will be a relevant ocean of truly superior cooking and dining.