The Pleasures of Chinese Cooking

by Grace Zia Chu

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671805193
• ISBN13: 9780671805197
• Release Date: May 1976
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great recipes from a pioneer introducing chinese cooking to the american kitchens

This book was written in the early 1960's, a time when the typical American cook was completely unfamililar with Chinese cooking or cuisine, and when it was near impossible to find Chinese ingredients unless you lived in a big city with a Chinatown. Madame Chu wrote this book for the novice, yes, to demystify the process, and included simple, delicious, and basic recipes adapted to American ingredients. This is simple, everyday Chinese home cooking, not banquet food, and it is completely authentic. The inclusion of MSG is a relic of that era --everyone used it, including Western cooks (e.g. "Accent," a meat tenderizer). You can omit the MSG & it is all fine. I recommend this book highly!

Old is Good

This book, while perhaps dated by time, is still a bookshelf must. Just look and try the Roast Pork, Sour and Hot Soup and Asparagus Salad. They work, they are simple and they taste good. If someone is starting out and trying Chinese cuisine...it is an appropriate book. I have been cooking for over 55 years and still use this book for certain recipes. Discard the ingredients, i.e. MSG, which were used long ago, and better the recipes with fresh meats and vegetables...the flavor is still there.