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Summary: A walk down memory lane
Review: I have long ago moved out of my parents house and never learned to cook the way my mom did. This book brought back great memories of sitting around watching my mom cook - wheter it was just for a family meal, or for a special occasion. After reading the stories and drooling over the pictures, I had to get a copy for my sister. This book is not your ordinary cookbook - it's more a walk down memory lane. So if you want some Chinese resturant dishes - don't buy this. But if you want to see receipes and stories of growing up in a Chinese family in the States, this is a great book.
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Summary: A charming and beautiful book.
Review: I haven't read the whole book (because it hasn't been published) but I work with Annabel (one of the authors) and have seen many of the stories and got to look at a copy of the book sent to her by the publisher. This is a book of Chinese recipes and stories about the childhoods and families of Annabel and Ellen (her niece that she grew up with). The recipes often include instructions for how to do things, complete with illustrations. And many have pictures of the end product, also. So even though I'm a pretty cautious cook, I think I might try some of them! But for me my favorite part is the stories - they really make you feel like you were there, and have a real charm that makes you want them to go on and on. I laughed at some and some brought a tear to my eye -- and some did both! The book's illustrations were done by Ellen and are absolutely gorgeous -- worth the price of the book just by themselves! I recommend this book to anyone interested in Chinese food, beautiful pictures, and/or wonderful stories.
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Summary: A treasure!
Review: I must have thirty or forty books on Chinese cooking, and most are full of the kinds of restaurant dishes and banquet dishes that aren't terribly representative of what Chinese families actually eat when they dine together. This book is different. It's full of what you might call Chinese comfort food- the food the authors grew up eating, and that reminds them of home. A lot of it is the kind of food most Westerners never get to taste unless they're lucky enough to be the guest of Chinese hosts- food like winter melon soup, or humble food like jook. Add to that the beautiful watercolors and the authors' stories of growing up together (and eating together) and you have an absolute treasure of a book. No matter how many Chinese cookbooks you may own, you need this one.
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Summary: An irresistable introduction to Chinese home cooking.
Review: I've always loved Chinese food, and am a big fan of personal family narratives, so when I sw a book that combined these two elements in a very evocative and accessible way, I knew I had to publish it! Not only are the recipes extremely well crafted and easy to follow, the personal stories bring the foods and flavors to life -- you can feel the poignancy of two young Chinese girls on their first day in an American kindergarden class, the gala atmostphere at a formal birthday banquet, and the bittersweet memories of working on the family farm. These stories will have special resonance for Chinese American readers--especially those who, like the authors, never learned to prepare the foods of their childhoods and now wish to reconnect with that very tangible part of their heritage--but this is a book that will speak to any reader who knows that families often express their love through food. And the lovely watercolor illustrations make this a perfect gift book as well.
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Summary: Eat every grain, and celebrate life with us!
Review: Our book began as a handful of family recipes and anecdotes--hand-bound into a wedding shower gift for Annabel's sister. Our attempt to turn it into a book grew from our wanting to have more of the recipes for ourselves, and stories to pass on to our children. The more we talked, the more we realized that food was how we learned about Chinese culture, how our parents eased their transition to America, and how they best demonstrated their love for us. Annabel referred to recipes from her late father, a chef-owner of a Chinese restaurant, and Ellen spent many hours transcribing notes into English as her mother dictated in Chinese from a fifty-year-old collection. We tested every recipe, and knew we got it right when we closed our eyes and inhaled the exact aroma of a dish we might not have eaten in thirty years. One of our favorite things that happens often at book-signings is hearing readers bubble over with similar stories, or thanking us for rescuing recipes that were familiar but lost in their families. They glow as if they have found unexpected treasure. Now, after nearly four years of effort, we look forward to sharing our recipes and stories with you.
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Summary: Just like the food my Grandpa used to cook
Review: The best Chinese cookobook bar none. Easy to follow recipes. Taste like the stuff my grandfather used to cook.
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Summary: Takes you by the hand into authentic Chinese cooking
Review: This book is a wonderful gift, to give or to receive. It is not only a cookbook of authentic Chinese flavors, but a story of growing up Chinese-American in California. The recipes are familiar from my own childhood growing up in New York City. The ingredients described are even illustrated in Ellen Blonder's beautiful watercolor miniatures; to the novitiate, one could walk into a Chinese market, book in hand, and actually find the correct ingredients. These are the recipes for everyday and holiday dishes that were passed on mother to daughter. To have them presented in this fashion makes them available to a whole generation that, like Annabel and Ellen, missed the opportunity to learn from their mothers and grandmothers. They make available to a much wider audience the flavor of "real" Chinese cooking. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn good Chinese cooking, and anyone who loves good Chinese food.
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Summary: Lovely and calm cooking
Review: This is a joyful, thoughtful, and respectful approach to food as part and parcel of one's family life. The recipes I've found to be not super-easy, but yet very doable -- not fancy restaurant cooking, but delicious at-home Chinese cooking at its best. Try the siu mai (a type of dim sum) recipe -- it's fantastic.
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Summary: Came for the stories, stayed to cook!
Review: What wonderful stories, incredible illustrations, and tasty recipes. Don't read this if you are hungry! Thanks for such a great book!
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Summary: A fortunate melding of the traditional and modern
Review: When these beautifully written family stories-- woven into the magnificent tapestry of recipes--are not touching the reader's heart poignantly, they are pulling the smile strings with charming humor. The wide variety of recipes ranging from rice and noodles to vegetables, entrees, and holiday specialties are sure to please the most perceptive palate. Throughout the finely crafted book are marvelous illustrations by co-author Ellen Blonder. A lightness and fun aspect emerge from the illustrations putting the reader in a festive mood.
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