Synopses & Reviews
andlt;iandgt;The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen,andlt;/iandgt; with its 150 recipes culled from a lifetime of family meals and culinary instruction, is much more than a cookbook.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchenandlt;/iandgt; is a daughter's tributeand#8212;a collection of personal memories of the philosophy and superstitions behind culinary traditions that have been passed down through her Cantonese family, in which each ingredient has its own singular importance, the preparation of a meal is part of the joy of life, and the proper creation of a dish can have a favorable influence on health and good fortune. Each chapter begins with its own engaging story, offering insight into the Chinese beliefs that surround life-enhancing and spiritually calming meals. In addition, personal family photographs illustrate these stories and capture the spirit of China before the Revolution, when Young's family lived in Canton, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The first part, and#8220;Mastering the Fundamentals,and#8221; provides instruction on the arts of steaming and stir-frying; the preparation of rice, panfried, and braised dishes; the proper selection of produce; and the fine arts of chopping and slicing. Part Two, and#8220;The Art of Celebration,and#8221; concentrates on the more elaborate, complex, and meaningful dishesand#8212;such as Shark's Fin Soup and West Lake Duckand#8212;that are usually made with rare ingredients, and sweets such as Water Chestnut Cake and Sesame Balls. The final part, and#8220;Achieving Yin-Yang Harmony,and#8221; explores the many Chinese beliefs about the healing properties of ginseng, gingko nuts, soybeans, andlt;iandgt;dong quai,andlt;/iandgt; and the many vegetable and fruit soup preparations that balance and nourish the body. The stories and recipes combine to demonstrate the range of Cantonese cooking, from rich flavors and honored combinations to an overall appreciation of health, well-being, and prosperity.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In addition to the recipes, Young provides a complete glossary of dried herbs, spices, and fresh produce, accompanied by identifying photos and tips on where to purchase them. Unique traditional dishes, such as Savory Rice Tamales and Shrimp Dumplings, are also illustrated step by step, making the book easy to use. The central full-color photo section captures details of New Year's dishes and the Chinese home decorated in celebration, reminding one that these time-honored traditions live on, and the meals and their creation are connections to the past.
Review
Amy Tan A cookbook of family secrets that the Kitchen God's Wife would have been proud to write for her daughter.
Review
Ken Hom author of andlt;Iandgt;Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhoodandlt;/Iandgt; Grace Young's andlt;Iandgt;The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchenandlt;/Iandgt; is a poignant, touching look at her Chinese-American past. Each page is filled with delicious recipes written straight from the heart. This is more than a cookbook; it is a social history that deserves a place in every American library.
Review
Paula Wolfert author of andlt;Iandgt;Mediterranean Grains and Greensandlt;/Iandgt; It's so rare to come across a cookbook that I fall in love with at first sight. I heartily recommend andlt;Iandgt;The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchenandlt;/Iandgt; for its terrific recipes, intimate view of how Chinese-Americans eat, and charming writing. The sections on yin-yang harmony and shopping like a sleuth are worth the price alone!
Synopsis
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, with its 150 recipes culled from a lifetime of family meals and culinary instruction, is much more than a cookbook.
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen is a daughter's tribute--a collection of personal memories of the philosophy and superstitions behind culinary traditions that have been passed down through her Cantonese family, in which each ingredient has its own singular importance, the preparation of a meal is part of the joy of life, and the proper creation of a dish can have a favorable influence on health and good fortune. Each chapter begins with its own engaging story, offering insight into the Chinese beliefs that surround life-enhancing and spiritually calming meals. In addition, personal family photographs illustrate these stories and capture the spirit of China before the Revolution, when Young's family lived in Canton, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
The first part, "Mastering the Fundamentals," provides instruction on the arts of steaming and stir-frying; the preparation of rice, panfried, and braised dishes; the proper selection of produce; and the fine arts of chopping and slicing. Part Two, "The Art of Celebration," concentrates on the more elaborate, complex, and meaningful dishes--such as Shark's Fin Soup and West Lake Duck--that are usually made with rare ingredients, and sweets such as Water Chestnut Cake and Sesame Balls. The final part, "Achieving Yin-Yang Harmony," explores the many Chinese beliefs about the healing properties of ginseng, gingko nuts, soybeans, dong quai, and the many vegetable and fruit soup preparations that balance and nourish the body. The stories and recipes combine to demonstrate the range of Cantonese cooking, from rich flavors and honored combinations to an overall appreciation of health, well-being, and prosperity.
In addition to the recipes, Young provides a complete glossary of dried herbs, spices, and fresh produce, accompanied by identifying photos and tips on where to purchase them. Unique traditional dishes, such as Savory Rice Tamales and Shrimp Dumplings, are also illustrated step by step, making the book easy to use. The central full-color photo section captures details of New Year's dishes and the Chinese home decorated in celebration, reminding one that these time-honored traditions live on, and the meals and their creation are connections to the past.
About the Author
Alan Richardson is an award-winning photographer and designer whose work has appeared in
Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Saveur, Food and Wine, and
The New York Times Magazine. He has done the photography for countless cookbooks and is the co-author of
The Four Seasons of Italian Cooking. He lives in New York City. I grew up in San Francisco surrounded, on the one hand, by the immigrant Chinese traditions of my family and relatives, and, on the other, by an innovative American culinary culture. My earliest memories of food are of the extraordinary meals my mother and father prepared for us (my brother and me) and of the efforts they made to ensure that we ate well. Their care was not only a matter of selecting the freshest ingredients, but also for the authenticity with which they replicated the traditional Cantonese dishes of their youth in China during the 1930s and forties. This connection to the cooking of old-world China coupled with the discovery of Julia Child on television (and her “exotic” dishes) shaped my lifelong affair with food and cooking. At the age of thirteen I began an apprenticeship with Josephine Araldo, a French cooking teacher. Those lessons initiated an exploration of other cuisines and led me, eventually, to my career in food.
I spent much of my early professional life as the test kitchen director for over forty cookbooks published by Time Life Books. In the early nineties, after growing weary of producing what had become soulless work with formulaic recipes, I developed a yearning to reconnect to the tastes and foods of my childhood. Over the next few years, I made numerous trips back to San Francisco from my home in New York to cook with my 70-year old mother and 82-year old father. It took much cajoling and great persistence to convince them to teach me their recipes. At the beginning, my focus was on a precise recording of the recipes. Eventually, and to my great surprise, as we cooked my parents, who had always been reticent about their past, began to share memories of their lives in China and accounts of their early days in America. This is how I came to learn a large part of my family’s history. What started as a little recipe project soon blossomed into a memoir cookbook, The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, which was published by Simon & Schuster [simonandschuster.com] in 1999. The book was awarded the IACP [iacp.com] Le Cordon Bleu Best International Cookbook Award, in addition to being a finalist for an IACP First Cookbook Award, and a James Beard [jamesbeard.org] World International Cookbook Award. It was also featured in a special segment on CBS Sunday Morning. Many of the relatives and friends who taught me their recipes and shared their stories have since passed away. The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen feels to me now almost like a treasured family album.
My second cookbook, The Breath of a Wok, grew out of the realization that most Chinese Americans know little about their own culinary traditions, specifically wok cooking. I had become aware also of how cooks in China were abandoning their classic, well-seasoned iron woks for inferior nonstick cookware. In a tribute to wok cookery and out of a desire to reignite its popularity, I partnered with Alan Richardson to create what the acclaimed food historian and author Betty Fussell described as, “a bridge between cultures for a Chinese-American in search of history and destiny. It is a remarkable collaboration between a writer and a photographer that reveals what the wok symbolizes---a craft, an art, a container of communal harmony and balance.” That book won the IACP Le Cordon Bleu Best International Cookbook Award, the Jane Grigson Award for Distinguished Scholarship, and the World Food Media Awards’ Best Food Book [worldfoodmediaawards.com] and was selected as one of the best cookbooks of the year by Food & Wine[foodandwine.com], Fine Cooking [finecooking.com], Bon Appétit [bonappetit.com], and Epicurious[epicurious.com].
The Breath of a Wok led me to the adventure of traveling with my carbon-steel wok (in my hand-carry baggage) on a 25-city tour for the culinary retailer Sur la Table [surlatable.com] to teach the art of wok cooking. I published further articles on Chinese cooking in Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Eating Well [eatingwell.com], and Saveur [saveur.com], where I am a contributing editor. The book also brought me speaking engagements at the Culinary Institute at Greystone [ciachef.edu/California], China Institute [chinainstitute.org], New York University Asian/Pacific/American Institute [nyu-apastudies.org/new/index.php], the San Francisco Asian Art Museum [asianart.org], The French Culinary Institute [frenchculinary.com], and the Chinese Historical Society of America [chsa.org].
In 2006 I began work on Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge. This effort was dedicated to the effort of empowering home cooks to stir-fry with confidence. It explores everything from the origins and health benefits of stir-frying to the technique’s great economy of time and fuel. In 2011, the book won a James Beard Foundation Award for best international cookbook. I was also awarded an IACP Culinary Trust [theculinarytrust.org
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Introductionandlt;BRandgt;Notes to the Readerandlt;BRandgt;Remember China, Nan Chungandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;MASTERING THE FUNDAMENTALSandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;THE MEANING OF RICEandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Steamed Riceandlt;BRandgt;Flavored Sweet Riceandlt;BRandgt;Fried Riceandlt;BRandgt;Tender Chicken on Riceandlt;BRandgt;Tender Beef on Riceandlt;BRandgt;Chicken Porridgeandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Frog on Riceandlt;BRandgt;Savory Rice Dumplingsandlt;BRandgt;Peanut Rice Dumplingsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;THE BREATH OF A WOKandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chicken with Cashewsandlt;BRandgt;Tomato Beefandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Chicken with Baby Corn and Straw Mushroomsandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Eggs with Barbecued Porkandlt;BRandgt;Baba's Stir-Fried Butterfly Fish and Bean Sproutsandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Asparagus with Shrimpandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Squidandlt;BRandgt;Beef Chow Funandlt;BRandgt;Singapore Rice Noodlesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;THE ART OF STEAMINGandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Steamed Oyster and Water Chestnut Pork Cakeandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Pork Cake with Salted Duck Eggandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Egg Custardandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Tangerine Beefandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauceandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Spareribs with Plum Sauceandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Sole with Black Bean Sauceandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Chicken with Lily Buds, Cloud Ears, and Mushroomsandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Rock Codandlt;BRandgt;Steamed Sponge Cakeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;SHREDS OF GINGER LIKE BLADES OF GRASSandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Fried White Fishandlt;BRandgt;Drunken Chickenandlt;BRandgt;Braised Beefandlt;BRandgt;Braised Sweet and Sour Spareribsandlt;BRandgt;Nom Yu Spareibsandlt;BRandgt;Lemongrass Pork Chopsandlt;BRandgt;Rock Sugar Ginger Chickenandlt;BRandgt;Lemon Chickenandlt;BRandgt;Seafood Sandpotandlt;BRandgt;Sandpot Braised Lambandlt;BRandgt;Chestnuts and Mushrooms Braised with Chickenandlt;BRandgt;Chicken and Corn Soupandlt;BRandgt;Seafood Noodle Soupandlt;BRandgt;Clear Soup Noodlesandlt;BRandgt;Fuzzy Melon Soupandlt;BRandgt;Cabbage Noodle Soupandlt;BRandgt;Family-Style Winter Melon Soupandlt;BRandgt;Hot-and-Sour Soupandlt;BRandgt;Sweetened Tofu Soupandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;GOING TO MARKET WITH MAMAandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Shrimp with Spinach and Tofuandlt;BRandgt;Braised Mushroomsandlt;BRandgt;Braised Cabbage and Mushroomsandlt;BRandgt;Sprouting Soybeansandlt;BRandgt;Grandfather's Stir-Fried Soybean Sproutsandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts and Yellow Chivesandlt;BRandgt;Lotus Root Stir-Fryandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Egg and Chinese Chivesandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Five Spice Tofu and Vegetablesandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoliandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli and Baconandlt;BRandgt;Braised Taro and Chinese Baconandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Long Beans with Red Bell Peppersandlt;BRandgt;Long Bean Stir-Fryandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Amaranthandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Water Spinachandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Cloud Ears and Luffaandlt;BRandgt;Eggplant in Garlic Sauceandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Bitter Melon and Beefandlt;BRandgt;Vegetable Lo Meinandlt;BRandgt;Stuffed Fuzzy Melonandlt;BRandgt;Braised Fuzzy Melon with Scallopsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;COOKING AS A MEDITATIONandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;THE ART OF CELEBRATIONandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;THE GOOD OMEN OF A FIGHTING FISHandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Poached Steelhead Fishandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Bok Choyandlt;BRandgt;White-Cut Chickenandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauceandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Snow Pea Shootsandlt;BRandgt;Glazed Roast Squabandlt;BRandgt;Shark's Fin Soupandlt;BRandgt;Oyster-Vegetable Lettuce Wrapsandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Garlic Lettuceandlt;BRandgt;Pepper and Salt Shrimpandlt;BRandgt;Sweet and Sour Porkandlt;BRandgt;Eight Precious Sweet Riceandlt;BRandgt;Stir-Fried Scallops with Snow Peas and Peppersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;NEW YEAR'S FOODS AND TRADITIONSandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Buddha's Delightandlt;BRandgt;Turnip Cakeandlt;BRandgt;Taro Root Cakeandlt;BRandgt;New Year's Cakeandlt;BRandgt;Water Chestnut Cakeandlt;BRandgt;Nom Yu Peanutsandlt;BRandgt;Candied Walnutsandlt;BRandgt;Sesame Ballsandlt;BRandgt;Sweetened Red Bean Pasteandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;A DAY LIVED AS IF IN CHINAandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Fancy Winter Melon Soupandlt;BRandgt;West Lake Duckandlt;BRandgt;Braised Nom Yu and Taro Duckandlt;BRandgt;Stuffed Chicken Wingsandlt;BRandgt;Savory Rice Tamalesandlt;BRandgt;Sweet Rice Tamalesandlt;BRandgt;Pork Dumplingsandlt;BRandgt;Won Tonandlt;BRandgt;Pot Stickersandlt;BRandgt;Shrimp Dumplingsandlt;BRandgt;Stuffed Noodle Rollsandlt;BRandgt;Spring Rollsandlt;BRandgt;Scallion Cakesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;DUTIFUL DAUGHTER RETURNS HOMEandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Salt-Roasted Chickenandlt;BRandgt;Soy Sauce Chickenandlt;BRandgt;Chinese Barbecued Porkandlt;BRandgt;Barbecued Spareribsandlt;BRandgt;Roast Duckandlt;BRandgt;Chinese Baconandlt;BRandgt;Uncle Tommy's Roast Turkeyandlt;BRandgt;Mama's Rice Stuffingandlt;BRandgt;Turkey Porridgeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;ACHIEVING YIN-YANG HARMONYandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;COOKING AS A HEALING ARTandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Walnut Soupandlt;BRandgt;Green Mung Bean Soupandlt;BRandgt;Foxnut Soupandlt;BRandgt;Sesame Tong Shuiandlt;BRandgt;Lotus Seed "Tea"andlt;BRandgt;Sweetened Red Bean Soupandlt;BRandgt;Peanut Soupandlt;BRandgt;Almond Soupandlt;BRandgt;Dried Sweet Potato Soupandlt;BRandgt;Sweet Potato and Lotus Seed Soupandlt;BRandgt;Dragon Eye and Lotus Seed "Tea"andlt;BRandgt;Double-Steamed Papaya and Snow Fungus Soupandlt;BRandgt;Double-Steamed Asian Pearsandlt;BRandgt;Homemade Soy Milkandlt;BRandgt;Savory Soy Milkandlt;BRandgt;Fresh Fig and Honey Date Soupandlt;BRandgt;Soybean and Sparerib Soupandlt;BRandgt;Dried Fig, Apple, and Almond Soupandlt;BRandgt;Ching Bo Leung Soupandlt;BRandgt;Green Turnip Soupandlt;BRandgt;Four Flavors Soupandlt;BRandgt;Chayote Carrot Soupandlt;BRandgt;Watercress Soupandlt;BRandgt;Yen Yen's Winter Melon Soupandlt;BRandgt;Herbal Winter Melon Soupandlt;BRandgt;Mustard Green Soupandlt;BRandgt;Gingko Nut Porridgeandlt;BRandgt;Snow Fungus Soupandlt;BRandgt;American Ginseng Chicken Soupandlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;BABA'S MAMA'S andlt;Iandgt;DONG QUAIandlt;/Iandgt; AND RESTORATIVE FOODSandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Dong Quai Soupandlt;BRandgt;Lotus Root Soupandlt;BRandgt;Korean Ginseng Soupandlt;BRandgt;Homemade Chicken Brothandlt;BRandgt;Double-Steamed Black Chicken Soupandlt;BRandgt;Chicken Wine Soupandlt;BRandgt;Pickled Pig's Feetandlt;BRandgt;Beef and White Turnip Soupandlt;BRandgt;Shopping like a Sleuthandlt;BRandgt;Glossaryandlt;BRandgt;Index