Are you nuts about noodles, or wild about wraps? An all-purpose Chinese cookbook is indispensable, but sometimes you want to perfect your skills making a specific dish. These specialty cookbooks will help.
1. Asian Soups, Stews, and Curries: 200 recipes from the Far East
by Alexandra Greeley. A delightful book containing an interesting assortment of recipes for one-pot dishes from throughout Asia, including China. Begins with a discussion of how Asian soups, stews, and curries differ from those found in the west. Hardcover.
2. Asian Noodles: Deliciously Simple Dishes to Twirl, Slurp, and Savor
by Nina Simonds. As a student traveling abroad in the 1970's, Simonds was captivated by the variety of noodle dishes found throughout Asia. She has succeeded in transferring her passion for this dish to the reader in this book filled with interesting recipes, from cinnamon beef noodles to Thai pork with slippery noodles and pineapple. Hardcover.3. Asian Wraps: Deliciously Easy Hand-held Bundles
By Nina Simonds, 2000. Quick and easy recipes that make use of a wide variety of wrappers, from nori (seaweed) to spring roll wrappers, lettuce and pita bread. Includes lots of traditional Chinese dishes, such as Szechuan won tons and steamed dumplings, but there are other Asian snacks as well. Hardcover.4. Every Grain of Rice: A Taste of Our Chinese Childhood in America
In this book, Ellen Blonder and her aunt Annabel Low pay tribute to the home cooked Chinese dishes they enjoyed (but, alas, never really learned to recreate until writing this book) while growing up in North America. Appetizing recipes such as Soy Sauce Chicken and Tomato Beef Chow Mein are intermingled with childhood reminiscences. An added plus are the drawings by Blonder, a professional illustrator.