Chinese Cookbooks by Authors from Martin Yan to Stephen Wong

Heartsmart Chinese Cooking
by Stephen Wong, 1998
Wong's extensive knowledge of Asian cuisine is apparent as he provides healthy variations on traditional favorites and combines exotic ingredients in new and interesting ways. Includes low fat cooking tips and recipes for chicken and vegetable stocks that are low in fat and sodium. 100 recipes with nutritional breakdown.

Helen Chen's Chinese Home Cooking
by Helen Chen
A book of easy to prepare Chinese recipes, with tips on meal planning, serving, and using Chinese ingredients. Chen's reminiscences about her mother, Joyce Chen, founder of her own line of cookware products, give the book an added poignancy and depth. Hardcover.

Martin Yan's Culinary Journey Through China
Written following a trip to China for his television series, Yan explores China's four main regional cooking schools. But don't worry about scouring the market for exotic ingredients like bird's nest or shark's fin - the over 120 recipes consist of home-cooked dishes you might find eaten in any Chinese household. Yan's personal observations of the different regions enliven each section.

Martin Yan's Feast: The Best of Yan Can Cook
This book would make a great companion to "Chinese Cooking for Dummies". The recipes, from appetizer to dessert, are excellent. One of my readers says Yan's recipe for Har Gau dough is the best she's found: yet - easy to work with and producing a very translucent skin. Yet the recipe itself is quite simple. An added bonus are recipes for regional Asian specialties such as Nonya Top Hats.

Remembering Diamond Head, Remembering Hawai'i: A Cookbook Memoir of Hawai'i and Its Foods
by Shirley Tong Parola and Lisa Parola Gaynier
A charming cookbook/memoir by a mother and daughter team who introduced patrons at their Ann Arbor, Michigan café to the exotic tastes and flavors of Hawaiian cuisine. Paperback.

Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine: The Fabulous Flavors & Innovative Recipes of North America's Finest Chinese Cook
by Susanna Foo, Louis B. Wallach (Photographer)
A famed Philadelphia restaurauteur, Susanno Foo is renowned for creating tasteful Chinese dishes that make use of both Eastern and Western ingredients - the recipes in this book are no exception. As an added touch Foo introduces each chapter with ancedotes about her childhood in China to portray a sense of the role food plays in Chinese culture. An excellent collection of original recipes. Hardcover.

The China Moon Cookbook
by Barbara Tropp
A former San Francisco restaurateur, Barbara Tropp is known as the woman who brought Chinese cooking to the west. However, critics have argued that the recipes in this book are too complex for recreational cooks. I've included a review by John Thorne which does a nice job of pointing out the book's strengths and weaknesses. Paperback.

The Food and Cooking of China: An Exploration of Chinese Cuisine in the Provinces and Cities of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
by Frances Halvorsen
In addition to describing the evolution of Chinese cuisine, Frances Halvorsen outlines specific methods of preparation, ingredients used, and recipes in 12 regions of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. An excellent book for anyone wanting to understand the regional differences in Chinese cooking throughout China and Asia. Paperback.

The Yan Can Cookbook
by Martin Yan
A excellent book for beginners or more experienced cooks, with over 200 recipes and a preface on cooking equipment and tips for preparing Chinese-style meat and vegetables. Paperback.

True Thai: The Modern Art of Thai Cooking
by Victor Sodsook, with Theresa Volpe Laursen and Byron Laursen
A comprehensive collection of Thai recipes, along with a detailed section on ingredients and equipment, and a menu planning guide. Hardcover.

The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking
by Barbara Tropp
Published four years after the "China Moon Cookbook", this is an excellent book. While the recipes are very good, what really makes the book stand out are the detailed instructions. For example, a recipe for making Flower Rolls covers nearly four pages. There are no photographs, but between the clear explanations and detailed drawings you'll never miss them. Paperback.

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