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Summary: In Search of Xian
Review: Fuchia Dunlap's first book on Sichuan cooking is a very strong entry into the world of works on regional cuisines. I heartily agree with blurbs by such notables as John Thorne and Alan Davidson that the work puts Dunlap in the company of Diana Kennedy and Paula Wolfert. One can hope that future works validate this initial judgement. We can use a lot more books like this.I believe it is common knowledge among foodies that there is a big difference between Sechuan and Cantonese cuisine, and that the former is characterized by very spicy foods. Viewing a few episodes with the Iron Chef Chinese will fill you on this. What this book covers is to characterize with great clarity and thoroughness what Sichuan cooking is all about. The first impression I get is that Sichuan cooking is very highly codified, almost on the same level as French cuisine. This immediately reveals to the reader that, for example, there are easily a half dozen different types of stir fry cooking within Sichuan cuisine alone. It also means that the Sichuan doctrines on taste match or exceed Western culinary tradition. They have, for example, the concept of 'xian' which describes the 'indefinable, delicious taste of fresh meat, poultry, and seafood'. This is in addition to the real magic the cuisine does with the more familiar sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The author effectively captures and communicates the importance of these tastes in Sichuan cuisine to the reader, including experiments so one can experience these tastes first hand. The second impression I get is that chilis, that is, plants of the genus capsicum from the new world, had as big an impact on Sichuan cuisine as the tomato had on Italian cuisine, at roughly the same time in history. Before new world chilis arrived, the heat in this cuisine came primarily from a local red pepper, a berry similar to our familiar black pepper. In the seventeenth century, the genus capsicum really took over. Yet, the cuisine is not as fiery hot as one may find in Mexico or the Caribbean. The peppers most commonly used are just moderately hot and the author constantly warns against substituting Thai chili peppers for the Sichuan peppers, as the result would be painful. Following Ms. Wolfert and Ms. Kennedy, the author has successfully translated the Chinese techniques for English speaking readers. However, one would not be able to fully appreciate or execute these recipes without some basic ingredients and equipment. I really believe that one would loose something in these recipes if one did not have a round bottom wok and it's tools. Fortunately, even very good Chinese woks are very inexpensive, especially at restaurant supply stores. For those with electric ranges, a flat bottomed wok may be a reasonable approximation. I would also recommend that one make the effort to get the authentic canned and bottled ingredients. Substitutions, even from other Asian cuisines may give very misleading results. For the non-foodie recipe hunter, I recommend the chicken recipes and the vegetable recipes. The Kung Pao recipe is worth the price of admission and one always needs a way to make veggies more interesting. (I was surprised when the grean bean recipes used the French haricort vert and not the long Asian grean bean.) If Ms. Dunlap is not presenting authentic recipes, she has done a very good job of fooling me. She has also succeeded in keeping me thoroughly entertained with her headnotes and stories about how she came across the various dishes. The only heads up I would give you, dear reader, about the recipes is that sometimes important information about the recipe is given in the headnote, which people in a hurry may not read. Otherwise, this is a first class job of recipe writing. The photographs are gathered in color sections and are of reasonable, but not extraordinary quality. The introductory background on Sichuan cuisine and appendices are superb.
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Summary: A peppering of photos enhances the presentation
Review: Fuchsia Dunlop's Land Of Plenty is an impressive gathering of authentic Sichuan recipes personally gathered by Dunlop in the Chinese province of Sichuan provides dishes both available in other cookbooks and unique to this culinary guide. Access to a well-stocked Chinese market will aid in the appreciation of a guide which includes such regional specialties as Pork Steamed in Lotus Leaves and Braised Chicken with Chestnuts. A peppering of photos enhances the presentation but the 'meat' lies in its unusual dishes.
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Summary: question
Review: I got Fuchsia'first book wich is a real treasure.But I do not understand whether this one is new.Want to hope it is.If anyone has red it, please let the world know.Thank u.
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Summary: Great memories of Chengdu
Review: I have prepared many of the dishes found in this book and have been amazed at how close the flavors were to what I've experienced while living in Chengdu and other places throughout Sichuan province.
The introduction discusses the development of Sichuan cuisine, also its traditions and flavors. Notes on cooking methods, equipment, and an extensive section on ingredients found in a Sichuanese pantry help to highlight the uniqueness of the gastronomical delights found in this region of China.
The recipes are divided into the following sections:
-Appetizers
-Meat Dishes
-Poultry
-Fish
-Vegetables and Bean Curd
-Stocks and Soups
-Sweet Dishes
-Hotpot
The book is complimented by the translation into Chinese (both characters and pinyin) of every dish's name and major ingredient found within.
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Summary: A real Chinese cookbook
Review: I'm an Asiaphile, and have been for a long time. And as a result, I'm only too aware of how hard it is to find really good Chinese cookbooks in English. This is one of them. Dunlop shares the recipes she learned at Sichuan's highest-profile cooking school, and puts them in context - not only do you learn how to cook the dish, you learn how to taste it as well. If you're the kind of cook who'd rather eat after hours with the kitchen staff at your local Chinese restaurant than order the Americanised stuff on the menu, this book is for you. Enjoy!
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Summary: Rare book on Chinese regional cooking
Review: If you're a fan of Sichuan cuisine, this is the only book available in English that provides authentic recipes! Some items, particularly in the street food section, you'd be hard pressed to find in any restaurant here.
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Summary: Astoundingly good cookbook
Review: The mark of a good cookbook is that it get used a lot, and in just a few months my copy of Land of Plenty has acquired a variety of drips, splotches, and stains from its very frequent trips into my kitchen.
I was fortunate enough to spend several weeks in Chengdu and Chongqing a few years ago, and the recipes in this book do a fantastic job of recreating the smells and flavors I remember from my trip. Literally every single recipe I've tried from this book has been a winner, and the Gong Bao Ji Ding (Kung Pao Chicken) has become a weekly standard around our place. My girlfriend, a native Chinese, has repeatedly commented that the flavors of these recipes taste authentic to her memories of eating at Sichuanese restaurants in China.
As previous reviewers noted, Sichuan peppercorns, which are a key flavoring ingredient in some of these dishes, are indeed slowly making a comeback in the US. However, they still seem to be very hard to find outside of major Chinatowns like NYC and San Francisco. I eventually found a few Internet sources, such as the CMC Company, and was able to purchase them that way (and it was well worth it).
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Summary: A real Chinese cookbook
Review: this is a WONDERFUL cookbook. i am truly enamored of the in-depth descriptions of the origins of the recipes and accompanying folklore about life and food for the sichuanese. our oldest daughter, adopted from chongqing in '98, loves to cook congee, or "zhou". i was so glad to find the recipe and name for the "strange but delicious purple porridge" we ate in chongqing in '98. we have priceless photos of a restaurant waitress shovelling spoonsful of the porridge into our then-10-month-old daughter, who loved it! now i know how to make that "zhou" at home. our second daughter from china, adopted in guizhou province this past spring, may have to wait for her "guizhou cookbook". i wish i could find one! in the meantime, i highly recommend this book about the splendors of sichuan cuisine. "huo guo" (hot pot) for everyone!
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Summary: simply lovely
Review: this is a WONDERFUL cookbook. i am truly enamored of the in-depth descriptions of the origins of the recipes and accompanying folklore about life and food for the sichuanese. our oldest daughter, adopted from chongqing in '98, loves to cook congee, or "zhou". i was so glad to find the recipe and name for the "strange but delicious purple porridge" we ate in chongqing in '98. we have priceless photos of a restaurant waitress shovelling spoonsful of the porridge into our then-10-month-old daughter, who loved it! now i know how to make that "zhou" at home. our second daughter from china, adopted in guizhou province this past spring, may have to wait for her "guizhou cookbook". i wish i could find one! in the meantime, i highly recommend this book about the splendors of sichuan cuisine. "huo guo" (hot pot) for everyone!
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Summary: A Great Coobook, but with one very SERIOUS caveat
Review: This is a wonderful treatise on Sichuan cooking, but be advised that this book was originally written for the UK market and has only recently been adapted for US readers. Unfortunately, one of the most key ingredients in Sichuan cooking, the Sichuan Pepper or "fagara" which is used in at least half of the key recipes on this book, has been BANNED in the USA by the US Department of Agriculture because it carries a devastating canker virus that kills citrus plants. The US is not expected to lift this ban anytime soon, it may be decades before they consider the spice to be safe for import. The two mail-order sources listed in the appendix in the book for Sichuan Peppercorn turn out to be duds, as they themselves have had their inventories seized. So the aspiring home chef looking to replicate these dishes at home will have to find the Sichuan Peppercorn via illicit means. Check out egullet.com for more information on this.
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