I can't believe this classic cookbook is no longer in print. I've replaced mine at least once and it is now literally disintegrating. I might buy an older hardcover instead of another mass market paperback in the hopes of preserving it.

This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever come across. I was an overweight "starving student" with no cooking skills when someone gave this to me, and I taught myself to cook *and* lost weight with it in hand. The recipes are utterly non-intimidating. It was written in the 1940's, when Chinese food in the US meant chop suey, so the ingredients and equipment are generally simple, accessible, and economical. The results are healthier and taste better than some of the glop dished out in many a Chinese restaurant.

The dishes tend to be presented as a theme and variations--a basic stir fry (Dr. Chao introduced this term into English) is followed by the same recipe with slightly different ingredients. There is no food porn whatsoever--no styled photos, no line drawings, no nothing. Just words. The words are pretty amusing, though.

I can't praise this book enough. I've loved it to death a couple of times, and hope to continue.

Share/Like this Review?