Chinese Cooking For Dummies [Paperback]

Won Ton Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Rice, Mu Shu Pork--Chinese takeout again? Not with Chinese Cooking for Dummies, which brings the experience of the Chinese restaurant to your home, including everything but the big, exotic fish tank. Author Martin Yan, an award-winning celebrity chef, has put together everyone's favorite Chinese recipes all in the comfortable, familiar Dummies format, including his own signature brand of humor.

To get the full experience, the book requires an up-front time investment of reading before cooking, and includes background on Chinese history and its influence on Chinese cooking. It is long, but if you have the time, it is worth the read. Yan provides a window to the Chinese philosophy on cooking--the delicate balance of complementing flavors, textures, shapes, and cooking techniques--which makes it easier for the Westerner to better understand that what they're doing is more than frying rice.

The book is filled with more than 100 recipes as well as excellent preparation and handling tips for seafood, poultry, pork, and beef. Much of this information easily transcends cuisine borders to foods of all nationalities. As for presentation, Yan has provided fascinating instructions for easy-to-make garnishes that enhance the appearance of a traditional Chinese meal but don't require an art degree. The Chinese may boast of 3,000 varieties of rice but he recognizes that his reader is probably only going to use a couple of these. Another staple of Chinese cuisine, the sauces, are included, with recipes for sweet and sour sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese mustard, and black bean sauce. He recommends making sauces in batches, and offers storage instructions that make it possible to keep the various concoctions for weeks. This allows for a quick Chinese stir-fry, or other favorite dish, in a matter of minutes.

Practical and easy aren't often associated with Chinese food, but Martin Yan makes it seem so simple you may never order takeout again. --Teresa Simanton

Have you ever had a craving for fried dumplings or hot and sour soup at midnight? Ever wonder how your local Chinese takeout makes their food taste so good—and look so easy to make? Still don’t know the difference between Sichuan, Cantonese, and Mandarin cooking? Discovering how to cook the Chinese way will leave you steaming, stir-frying, and food-styling like crazy!

The indescribably delicious cuisine of a fascinating country can finally be yours. And in Chinese Cooking For Dummies, your guide to the wonders and magic of the Chinese kitchen is none other than Martin Yan, host of the award-winning TV show Yan Can Cook. In no time at all, you’ll be up to speed on what cooking tools to use, how to stock your pantry and fridge, and the methods, centuries old, that have made dim sum, Egg Fu Young, Kung Pao Chicken, and fried rice universal favorites. You’ll also be able to:

• Think like a Chinese chef—usin g the Three Tenets of Chinese Cooking
• Choose and season a wok, select a chef’s knife, plus other basic tools of the trade
• Find the essential ingredients—and ask for them in Chinese with a Chinese language (phonetic) version of black bean sauce, hoisin sauce, plum sauce, bamboo shoots, and more
• Cook using a variety of methods—including stir frying, steaming, blanching, braising, and deep frying

And with over 100 recipes, arranged conveniently like a Chinese menu, Chinese Cooking For Dummies lets you select from any column in the comfort of your own kitchen...which is when the fun really begins. Imagine putting together your ideal meal from the book’s rich offering of recipes:

• Delectable morsels—including Baked Pork Buns, Spring Rolls, Potstickers, Steamed Dumplings, and Shrimp Toast
• Seafood dishes—including Sweet and Sour Shrimp, and Oysters in Black Bean Sauce
• Poultry dishes—including Moo Goo Gai Pan, Kung Pao Chicken, and Honey Garlic Chicken
• Pork, beef, and lamb dishes—including Sichuan Spareribs, Tangerine Beef, and Mongolian Lamb

With sixteen pages of tempting, full-color photographs, several black-and white illustrations, and humorous cartoons, Chinese Cooking For Dummies gives you all of the basics you’ll need, letting you experience the rich culinary landscape of China, one delicious dish at a time—and all, without leaving a tip!

"Forget Chinese takeout! These recipes are simple and authentic." Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS's Ciao Italia!

Discover the pleasures of Chinese cooking with Martin Yan!

"Stay in" for Chinese food — cook it yourself the fun and easy way! Writing with his signature enthusiasm and humor, acclaimed chef Martin Yan offers simple recipes, techniques, and tips that masterfully blend Chinese tradition with American innovation. More than 100 delicious recipes include classics like Fried Rice and Mu-Shu Pork and wonderful surprises like Eight-Treasure Noodle Soup and Drunken Chicken.

Discover how to: Work with a work, steamer, and cleaver Make tasty dips and sauces you'll use all the time Properly select and cook meat and fish Prepare a banquet — for two or 20 Explore Chinese ideas on healing foods

Get smart! www.dummies.com

Martin Yan hosts the award-winning TV show Yan Can Cook, broadcast on 240 U.S. stations and in 70 countries internationally. His bestselling cookbooks include Martin Yan's Feast and Martin Yan's Invitation to Chinese Cooking.