Secrets of Fat-Free Chinese Cooking

by Ying Chang Compestine

Chinese food has gotten a bad rap in the press for its high levels of fat. American Chinese restaurants often use deep-frying, excessive amounts of meat, and plenty of oil to prepare their dishes.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0895297353
• ISBN13: 9780895297358
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Avery Publishing Group
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.5" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I think its a great book

I first tried dry cooked green beans I had a load from my garden. My son is not a big fan. He loved these. I made moo shui chicken big hit. To stay healthy we need more vegetables less fat and salt. I need to enjoy my food. This book lends me a helping hand. I didn't try the recipes that other reviewers said were tasteless. I am not a spinach fan.Its too hot for soup right now. I think its a good book and I would definetly buy another of hers

Easy to prepare, great tasting, authentic Chinese dishes!

I picked up this book a few months ago in Boulder, CO. I've been looking for a "traditional" rather than "trendy" cooking light "ethnic" foods book. All those "foofy" recipes out there stray far from their original origins. The recipes that I have tried (my favorite is the cold eggplant in garlic sauce) are quick & easy & taste great! My only suggestion is that there should be more color photos of the dishes would be nice to see within the book - but that's just my personal preference.Lots of recipes to choose from.

A Great and Healthy Way to Cook!

As a single guy that wants to stay in shape and does not have the time or patience to make a career in the kitchen, this book is a great find. What is fresh tastes best and the recipes in this book promise dishes that are fun to prepare, healthy and come out tasting remarkably good. For those who believe healthy and nutritious is the way to go and enjoy Asian cuisine, this cookbook will find a prominent place in your kitchen.

Finally a Chinese cookbook with a goal of healthy receipes

For years I had been looking for a good Chinese cookbook because I like Chinese food and know that it is a very healthy way to eat if prepared correctly. Evey book I found seemed to offer tasty looking but heavy, heavy solutions. I found this inexpensive excellent book to be just what I was looking for. I have found the dishes to be very tasty, and the sauces more than sufficiently zippy. I appreciated the unique way that many meat dishes use the meat as a complement to other ingredients instead of just piling it on. This achieves a healthy tradeoff in protein and fat. There is lots of background information on preparation, finding and choosing ingredients, and many other interesting sidlights. The pictures are gorgeous and a big help in choosing and putting toghther the dishes.To me the strength of the book is that once you get the hang of the way to cook Chinese dishes using little or no fat, you can modify and extend any receipe you come across in the future using the principles used in this book and know you are eating food prepared in a manner that is healthy. For me, I have found the receipes in the book to be pretty much everything I need for now. I think this is an excellent buy.

An Excellent Book

Ying Compestine has written an excellent book. She correctly points out that traditional Chinese cooking is both healthy and tasty. (In sharp contrast to Americanized Chinese food, which is tasty but not so healthy!) In her book, she introduces us to this traditional cuisine, and gives us step-by-step instructions on how to prepare these dishes. As you might expect with this type of book, Ying includes a host of useful tips on shopping and selecting the various ingredients. She offers a lot of insights, and does a good job of familiarizing us with the various ingredients needed. And the many instructional diagrams are well-drawn and very helpful. Now for the important part: These dishes taste great! Ying is correct in her assertion that high fat content is not a requirement for good food. My wife & I, and our two toddlers, have thoroughly enjoyed every meal that we've made. If the book could be improved in any way, it might be by the addition of some suggested meals, or serving combinations. We are still experimenting to see which dishes best compliment each other. A highly enjoyable task! All in all, this book is highly recommended. We've purchased multiple copies as gifts for our friends and relatives. I'm really looking forward to her next book