Chinese Cookbooks - Recommendations

Ken Hom's Asian Ingredients: A Guide with Recipes
by Ken Hom
A book that provides detailed information on over 150 Asian ingredients, including details about purchasing, storing, and how to use. Where possible, Hom also provides substitutions for harder-to-find ingredients. Paperback.

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. She includes an overview of the types of noodles found in the book, along with cooking instructions and, where possible, substitutions. Hardcover.

Asian Soups, Stews & 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.

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.

Chinese Cooking for Dummies
If you purchase only one book on Chinese cooking, this should be it. Yan thoroughly covers every aspect of Chinese cuisine, from cooking techniques to choosing and using both Asian and western ingredients. There's even a quick how-to on reading a USDA poultry label. The recipes, while good as always, really take second stage to the wealth of information. An excellent resource.

Chinese Dim Sum
By the Wei-Chuan School, 1990.
For the cook who has mastered the basics of dim sum and wants to go to the next stage, this book by Taiwan’s Wei-Chuan school is a good choice. Just be prepared to do a bit of conversion work with the recipes. Paperback.

Chinese Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Chinese Cooking
by Ken Hom with Harvey Steiman
An indispensable guide with over 1,000 illustrations. A must have for the serious fan of Chinese cooking. Hardcover.
Your Guide's Review

Classic Chinese Cuisine
by Nina Simonds, Alan Richardson (Photographer), Kathy Bray (Illustrator)
A book that makes Chinese cooking accessible to westerners. Includes a detailed description of China's four regional cooking schools, and a variety of recipes from each region. Each recipe includes a sidebar with cooking tips, hints on serving, etc. The only weakness I found is that the book is not indexed by region as well as by type of food. Paperback.

Cuisines of Asia: Nine Great Oriental Cuisines by Technique
by Jennifer Brennan
Few books attempt the in-depth exploration of several Oriental cuisines that is found in Jennifer Brennan's book. Originally published in the 1980's, it remains an indispensable addition to the kitchen bookshelf. Paperback.


Dim Sum
by Vicki Liley, in the Essential Kitchen series
A food stylist who has traveled extensively throughout Asia, Vicki Liley takes the mystery out of dim sum cooking. Hardcover.

Dim Sum: Delicious Asian Finger Food
By Fiona Smith, 2001.
Food stylist Fiona Smith provides innovative twists on traditional dim sum dishes. My personal favorite is Bok Choy Rolls with Spicy Chicken – an interesting variation on Lettuce Wraps. Also not to be missed are the Pearl Balls made with black and white glutinous rice. Hardcover.

Charmaine Solomon's Encyclopedia of Asian Food
by Charmaine Solomon
This book provides a comprehensive overview of all the ingredients found in Asian cooking, from exotic items such as kaffir lime to ingredients more familiar to westerners, such as beef. Includes color illustrations, although unfortunately not of every item, and recipes. Hardcover.

Every Grain of Rice: A Taste of Our Chinese Childhood in America
by Ellen Blonder and Annabel Low
Annabel Low and her niece Ellen Blonder pay tribute to their families' favorite Chinese dishes. Includes charming watercolor illustrations.
Hardcover.