Cookbook Reviews - Authentic Chinese Cuisine

Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen

Authentic Chinese Cuisine
Publisher: The Book Publishing Company
© 2000 by Bryanna Clark Grogan
ISBN: 157067101X

Review This Cookbook

Try out a Sample Recipe: Mapo Doufu

From the Author

Bryanna Clark Grogan:

I love to cook, I love to eat good food, I love the animals and the earth, and I want to keep myself and my husband healthy. Those are my motivations, and they are just about in that order of importance.

I've cooked since before I can even remember, according to my mother (and I'm a 54 year-old grandmother now!), so cooking has always been something I love-- love to read about, love to do, love to share, love to write about. It kind of defines me, or part of me, anyway.! (More...)

Nice Extras:

A short history of Chinese Vegetarian Cuisine. Includes information on Yin and Yang foods.
The regional cooking of China.
Detailed guide to ingredients.
Chinese cooking; equipment, techniques and the modern kitchen.
How to plan, orchestrate, and serve a Chinese meal.

Reviewer: Søren from Copenhagen, Denmark:

I became a fan of Bryanna when I purchased her Nonna's Italian Kitchen - I was simply amazed that she managed to veganize an entire cuisine with such magnificent results and in-depth information - and now she's done it again, this time with the Chinese cuisine. What makes this book so outstanding is not only her extensive background research on Chinese cookery, but also her inclusion of traditional buddhist munks' seitan meat analogues (much needed when you learn about the Chinese's horrendous treatment of animals). Contents:
I - A short history of Chinese vegetarian cuisine
II - The regional cooking of China
III - A guide to ingredients
IV - Chinese cooking equipment, techniques, and the Modern Kitchen
V - How to plan, orchestrate, and serve a Chinese meal
VI - Homemade "mock meats"
VII - Savory snacks and appetizers - Dim Sum
VIII - Dumplings and breads
IX - Rice
X - Noodles, soups and sauces
XI - Stir-Fried Dishes
XII - Braised, Steamed and Stewed Dishes
XIII - Deep-Fried or Oven-Fried Dishes
XIV - Sweets
Some of the recipes are more elaborate (like the filled steamed buns - but they're well worth the work!) - but the book also serves for everyday use, the stir-fried dishes are put together in a snap. You may need to seek out a few ingredients (like, say, specific sauces) in a Chinese grocery shop but don't despair if you don't have one near-by, there's a mail order list included as well. Get it - vegan cooking doesn't get any better than this!