Authentic Chinese Cookbook

[Seven S]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations... i have added several to my wishlist

 

[TATTRAT]

All the "Authentic" chinese books I have come across, I can't read....

 

[Shunka]

Me neither!!!! Not when you are talking "real" authentic!!.

 

[suzyQ3]

Judging by the amount of cooking stains on numerous pages, one of our favorites is "The Good Food of Szechwan" by Robert A. Delfs -- especially now that Szechwan pepper is once again available in the U.S.

 

[XeniA]

I probably have at least a dozen Chinese cookbooks, but I have two that I use CONSTANTLY & have never steered me wrong. Every recipe I've tried from these 2 treasures has been delicious. I don't think either of these are currently in print, but you can probably find them at one of the great on-line used & out-of-print booksites (Alibris, Abe, Amazon, etc.).

Madame Chu's Chinese Cooking School, by Grace Zia Chu, published in 1975 by Simon and Schuster.

The Key to Chinese Cooking, by Irene Kuo, published in 1977 by Wings Books, a division of Random House. (This one was particularly recommended as "the most literate, clear, and comprehensive of all the Chinese cookbooks on the market" by James Beard.)

Both of these are definitely worth searching out & using regularly. My copies are positively dogeared now - lol!!

Breezy, thanks SO much for this tip! I just found (and ordered PDQ) the Irene Kuo book, thanks to your recommendation and all the others on Amazon who agreed completely that it's an absolute classic.

And I only paid $2.07!!

 

[XeniA]

I love shrimp and snow peas! Chinese food is always so pretty.....

Kind-of related question:

Has anyone ever grown their own snowpeas? I just love them as well, and yet, snif, I can't get them here. Poor hungry me.

 

[Ishbel]

I grow some, most years. We call them by their French name here in the UK, ie Mange Tout

 

[XeniA]

I grow some, most years. We call them by their French name here in the UK, ie Mange Tout

Morning, Ishbel!

Any tips, then? Did you buy plants, or from seed? Did you require any special additives (peas take something weird to grow, don't they ... ... some hormone?)

 

[Caine]

If all you want is traditional Chinese restaurant fare, just about any Chinese cookbook will do. If you want sensational, original recipes in the Chinese style, try any Martin Yan cookbook.