Every Grain Of Rice [Hardcover]

I'm a pretty big fan of Fuchsias, having discovered her cookbooks when going through some nasty chinese food withdrawals in Texas after a move from NYC. Having been a chef, and not finding the Chinese food I craved, I set out to create, myself, what I needed. Ms Dunlop's books were by far above and beyond the other books I tried. Unlike most people, I preferred her second book Revolutionary chinese cookbook (Hunan recipes) over Land of Plenty (Sichuan), and when her first new book in seven years was coming out I pre-ordered it asap. It arrived two weeks before its release date (!) and I opened it up to...a recipe I already knew??
General Tso's chicken, on page 122, I didn't need. First of all it's already on page 120 of Revolutionary, and I know it by heart, having cooked it about eight times a year for years. The next recipe I see is Pock-Marked Old Woman's Tofu...Hmm, I know that one too. It's on page 313 of Land of Plenty. Then I read the introduction and she's retelling a story that's in her memoir Shark's fin and Sichuan pepper! Damn, her third cookbook is a greatest hits?
Not quiet. I was shocked at first, but the Pock-Marked tofu was a new vegetarian version, the book is a lot thicker than the last two (and I needed to dig more, I guess), and her General Tso's chicken is so good, it's ok to publish it twice. She noted in the end of her memoir she was thinking of going vegetarian, and a lot of these recipes are light on meat, or none at all. But the main emphases in this book are on lighter, healthier, more cost effective Chinese recipes, not on her own personal diet.
I've already cooked a few recipes, and have read a bunch more, I'm impressed. A lot of work has gone into this book. My only complaint is I've had trouble finding some of her ingredients here, even when I wrote down the English and Chinese names of what I needed, and asked for help from my local huge Chinese grocery store. But her list is a British version of Chinese ingredients that I'm looking for in Texas...I'll make up what I can't find (read Melissa Clark's cookbooks for the fine art of making it up as you go along). Well done, Fuchsia, you've impressed me again.

I was thrilled to see all the pictures upon opening this book! The photographs of many, many completed dishes helps with knowing great ways to present these tasty, tasty recipes. My family and I cooked our way through "Land of Plenty" and the "Revolutionary Chinese Cook Book." We preferred "Land of Plenty" and this book, "Every Grain of Rice," is a fabulous accompaniment because it has so many greens and vegie dishes. So far they have all been delicious and have not needed adjustments (which is not the case with other cook books!). Smokey Eggplant with Garlic and Spinach with Sesame Dressing are two recipes that my family wants to have a constant supply of in the refrigerator so they can snack on them whenever they can. We tried and loved the Stir-fried Black Bean and Chilli with Sichuanese Green Soy Bean Salad and Smacked Cucumber in Garlicky Sauce. In fact, we loved it so much we decided to make all of the recipes with cucumber (because it was unusual for us to cook cucumbers)in them and did not find a bad one. Finally, we use Nishiki Haiga rice instead of Thai Jasmine or the traditional short grain. It holds the sauces really well because, with haiga, the tough rice bran is removed, leaving the nutritious rice germ still attached to the kernel.

First, a little background on me--I'm Chinese American. I grew up in Los Angeles in an immigrant household eating a lot of Chinese food, and being exposed to lots of different Chinese food. I've taken many trips to China, and I absolutely love eating and cooking Chinese food. I probably have no less than 10 Chinese cookbooks (well maybe fewer as I've gotten rid of a bunch over the years), and I've continued to hunt for a great one. Well, this is it--this is a fantastic book filled with a variety of recipes, ranging from highly classic dishes to more modern ones (e.g., tofu with avocado? (it's delicious))

What separates this book from many other Chinese cookbooks are what's beyond the recipes. There's what I call a glossary in the back with a comprehensive set of ingredients, sauces (sometimes specific brands to buy) with detailed descriptions. Also, many recipes have suggested variations. I also really enjoy some of the background/stories on some of the recipes (e.g., some were highly extolled by current chefs)

What this isn't is a broad survey of Chinese cuisine, but there are so many recipes that are simple and delicious. I must have marked/tabbed so many recipes for cooking!

Enjoy! Another great book from Fuchsia Dunlop!