Yum Yum Dim Sum (World Snacks)

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant way to introduce our baby to cultural diversity... through food!!!.......2007-09-23

My husband and I are both foodies. We love ethnic cuisines quite a bit. So, we are so happy that our little boy, who's almost a-year-and-half, already loves items like pasta, onigiri, dim sum, fried rice, taco, quesadilla, etc.

I was so excited when I discovered this book series one day. I thought it would be a great addition to his little library, as well as being a great supplement to our effort to introduce him to all the various yummy food different people throughout the world eat. I began with "Yum Yum Dim Sum." It provides lots of fun, helps him associate these yummy dishes with exciting pictures. I cannot wait to get more.

Highly recommended!!!

LOVE this book--love the entire series!.......2007-06-27

My son *loves* this book, as well as AWS's other books in the World Snacks series. You should have seen him labeling the siu mai and other dim sum on the carts at our local restaurant! So fun, educational and beautifully illustrated too.

cool and quirky board book.......2007-05-07

My one year old son loves this board book! We actually have the entire series. It's fun and creative, and I don't have to worry about him ripping the pages. We are hooked!

Wonderful, informative book........2007-01-17

I love this book, my son loves this book, it's all good. Plus, when we go out for dim sum, he can ask for siu mai by himself. Actually, it's even educational for adults who might want to learn a bit more about dim sum. Very creative, fun illustrations, too.

Bad Illustrations.......2007-01-09

Although the idea of this book is excellent and the illustrations are creative, my son cannot tell that it is even food, so he will not even let me read it to him. He is an avid reader (2 yr old) and loves all of his books...except this one. I would love to see this series of books with a different type of illustration.

Average customer rating:

Brought back memories...
Wonderful Tasts & Very User Friendly
informative!
Dim sum-yum!
Helpful illustrations and vegetarian alternatives

Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch
Ellen Leong Blonder
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0609608878
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Amazon.com

Who doesn't love dim sum, those enticing dumplings, buns, and pastries served in Chinatowns everywhere? But making it at home? This seemingly formidable business now proves infectiously doable, thanks to Ellen Leong Blonder's Dim Sum. Coauthor of the IACP-award-winning cookbook Every Grain of Rice, Blonder has found a way, through lucid explanation and her own telling illustration, to help readers reproduce dim sum favorites themselves. Ranging from Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai, Potstickers, and Chinese Chive Dumplings to Scallion Pancakes and Three-Mushroom Dumplings and more, these delicious nibbles--great cocktail fare as well as wonderfully tasty meals--are also fun to prepare.

Beginning with a discussion of the dim sum restaurant experience and the kinds of tea involved, the book then offers concise data on setting up a steamer, making doughs, and advance preparation. The 80 recipes follow in chapters that include breads and baked dishes, such as Steamed Char Siu Bao (barbecued-pork-filled buns), and rice and rice flour specialties, like Chicken and Sausage Rice Bowl and Rice Flour Rolls with Beef. Greens and pan-fried dishes are also covered with the tempting likes of Pea Shoots with Garlic, as are deep-friend and bean curd specialties, including Deep-Fried Stuffed Eggplant and Salt-Fried Whole Prawns. Recipes for dim sum sweets like Almond Pudding and Egg Custard Tarts are also offered, as are interesting sidebars--A Trip to the Luk Yu Tea House is one--and ingredient notes, menus, and supply resources. This is one of those happy cookbooks that tackle a potentially problematical subject beautifully, delivering the kitchen ease and good eating it promises. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

In Cantonese, “dim sum” means “touch the heart,” and Ellen Blonder’s charming celebration of China’s famed tea lunch does just that. More than sixty carefully crafted, authentic recipes, each illustrated with Ellen’s exquisite watercolor paintings, put the key to re-creating these delectable morsels in every cook’s hand.
Anyone who has enjoyed the pleasures of a dim sum meal has inevitably wondered what it would be like to create these treats at home. The answer, surprisingly, is that most are quite simple to make. From dumplings to pastries, Dim Sum is filled with simple, foolproof recipes, complete with clear step-by-step illustrations to explain the art of forming, filling, and folding dumpling wrappers and more. Ellen Blonder offers her favorite versions of traditional Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai, Turnip Cake, and Shrimp Ha Gow, each bite vibrantly flavored, plus recipes for hearty sticky rice dishes, refreshing sautéed greens, tender baked or steamed buns, and a variety of pastries and desserts—all the ingredients required for an authentic, restaurant-style dim sum feast. Practical advice on designing a tea lunch menu and making dim sum ahead of time round out this irresistible collection.

Lovingly created from years of tasting, refining, and seeking out the best dim sum recipes from San Francisco to Hong Kong, Dim Sum is a gem that any student of Chinese cooking will treasure.

Customer Reviews:

Brought back memories..........2007-03-19

I not only loved this as a cookbook but also for the stories that are recounted throughout.

I have loved Dim Sum from my first experiences in Singapore and wanted to try something at home that was more creative than normal. I have already tried 8 of the recipes with varying success (through NO fault of the book - only my lack of practice creating some of the delicate folds in the wheat starch dough).

Couple of hints:
1) Practice, practice, practice
2) Before doing a full meal, there is a resources section at books end that has great suggestions for combinations that can mostly be made ahead.
3) Finally - if you really want to do alot and often, invest in multiple bamboo steamers. I just purchased my fifth and sixth. Dinner table now reminds me of Dim Sum houses from my past...

Wonderful Tasts & Very User Friendly.......2007-01-22

I was delighted to see recipes in the book for some of my dim sum favorites like turnip cakes and different green vegetables. We fixed a dim sum banquet last night and every single dish we prepared was wonderful - we wouldn't have changed a thing in the recipes. It's wonderful to see my 9 and 10 year old children taking 2nds and 3rds of green vegetable dishes!

informative!.......2007-01-10

Initially loved the book for the beautiful illustrations which made my mouth water. Some recipes require a few trials & errors to get the most authentic result but it's a good start!

Dim sum-yum!.......2007-01-04

I really like this book. The illustrations are nice and clear and the instructions and lists of ingredients are easay to understand. Great book.

Helpful illustrations and vegetarian alternatives.......2006-10-26

Finding veggie dim sum is a big challenge, but the author provides a number of alternate fillings for dishes as well as others I can creatively substitute on my own.

Average customer rating:

Another Cute Grace Lin Book
Great for Multicultural Learning
FANTASTIC!
Dim Sum for Everyone is OK
Great Intro To Dim Sum

Dim Sum for Everyone!

Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0440417708
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Book Description

In English, dim sum means “little hearts,” or “touches the heart,” but to this young girl, dim sum means delicious. On a visit to a bustling dim sum restaurant, a family picks their favorite little dishes from the steaming trolleys filled with dumplings, cakes, buns, and tarts. And as is traditional and fun, they share their food with each other so that everyone gets a bite of everything.
Just right for young children, Dim Sum for Everyone! celebrates a cultural custom and a universal favorite activity–eating!

Customer Reviews:

Another Cute Grace Lin Book.......2007-08-05

My 3-year old daugher loves Grace Lin books with colorful pages. I think she likes seeing the same family in many of Ms. Lin's books.

Great for Multicultural Learning.......2007-01-09

I bought this book for a classroom lesson on Multiculturalism, I included a puppet with the book and the students loved it. This is a great book, and a must have for all teachers and classrooms.

FANTASTIC!.......2006-02-02

This is a fantastic book to teach young children about the Chinese brunch called dim sum. It has excellent illustrations and even has the correct names for some of the most popular dim sum dishes. My husband who is Chinese loves to buy this book for our god children and read it to them before we have dim sum! I completly recomend this book for anyone but especially those who are interested in the Chinese culture.

Dim Sum for Everyone is OK.......2005-08-03

I expected a little more from this book. A little more storyline, a little more dialogue, a little more substance. I think for an early intro to Dim Sum this books does the job, but lacks a real story. The brief history at the end included good info.

Great Intro To Dim Sum.......2005-07-27

My three year old daughter loves this book. She enjoys picking out her favorite pieces of dim sum in the book and then pointing out my favorites. The illustrations are beautiful. My daughter likes to bring the book with her when we go out for dim sum and then she matches up the food items at the restaurant with the pictures in the book. It is a good book to introduce dim sum to a child.

Average customer rating:

Entertaining and harmless
Horrible and hypocritical
I'm bummed that I bought the sequel and this book at the same time
Twinkies unite!
HILARIOUS!

The Dim Sum of All Things
Kim Wong Keltner
Manufacturer: Avon A
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060560754
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Book Description

Have you ever wondered:

Why Asians love "Hello Kitty"?

What the tattooed Chinese characters really say?

How to achieve feng shui for optimum make-out sessions?

Where Asian cuties meet the white guys who love them?

Then you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll realize this book is better than a Broadway production of Cats when you read scenes that include:

twenty-something Lindsey Owyang mastering the intricacies of office voicemail and fax dialing

an authentic Chinese banquet where Number One Son shows off his language skills by speaking "Chinglish"

dating disasters with grandsons of Grandma's mahjong partners

the discovery that the real China looks nothing like the pavilion at Disney World

karaoke

And all the while Lindsey is falling in lust with the "white devil" in her politically correct office. But will Grandma's stinky Chinese ointments send him running? Or will Lindsey realize that the path to true love lies somewhere between the dim sum and the pepperoni pizza?

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining and harmless.......2007-06-03

I enjoyed reading this book, and liked it. It was a quick, breezy read, I liked some of the characters, and many of the situations they found themselves in were humourous and entertaining. But as a white male (I know, probably not the intended audience for the novel), I kept feeling the need to defend myself against Lindsey's allegations that all whites who show interest in anything asian are out to find themselves a little "Chinese Sex Slave". Wether or not Keltner intended to have Lindsey's closet (and, albeit largely harmless) racism towards caucasions be a naive personality trait is up for grabs, but Lindsey was just downright awful in many of her generalizations towards the socalled "Hoarder of All Things Asian" (I feel bad for anyone named Don or Steve who happened to read the book). The ultimate cullmination of her ignorance is when she accuses Michael of not understanding what it's like to be raised different and called names based on race, ignoring the fact that it is said in the novel that he grew up in Honolulu (At least partially, and to any white people who have done that, you have dealt with your share of racism).

But aside from this large personality "flaw", I would say (and it may have entirely been part of the character, I'm sure many Asian-American do in fact feel that way, although I can't speak for them), Lindsey seemed a nice, but shallow protaganist. I didn't read start reading this book because I expected some incredibly insightful view into the world of human nature, I read it because it looked like it would be interested, and it was. It was a harmless book, there's little in the terms of deeper meaning here, but it is very well written and it goes by quickly. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for some relaxing reading that won't require too much concentration.

Horrible and hypocritical.......2006-10-20

This book seems like a series of complaints. The main character complains about some Asian-Americans are too "Asian" or "not Asian enough". It is as if she can't find a happy medium to live in. A guy she goes on a date with is into fast cars and karaoke, which is supposedly too "Asian". But a guy who can't use chopsticks well enough isn't "Asian" enough.

The author seems to like to add name brands of clothing into the soryline as well. I don't think the public really cares that the character is wearing something Kenneth Cole or Gap. Is she trying to promote something that I'm not aware of?

Perhaps because I am also Asian-American, and can't understand why someone would write a book of complaints about being Asian-American. Maybe it is because I don't entounter these problems on a daily basis like the character.

I'm bummed that I bought the sequel and this book at the same time.......2006-07-15

This was a nice, fast read and kept me awake during my commute but in NO way should be compared to Amy Tan.

I found the cliches and overly descriptive scenarios very dull and annoying. Seemed to me that the author was trying too hard (as if overboard description makes for good writing).

The character of Lindsey was shallow and ran away from anything remotely unsafe. She annoyed me also.

I found the characters of Pau Pau and Michael were most endearing, though.

I bought both "The Dim Sum of All Things" and "Buddha Baby" at the same time. "Buddha Baby" was very similar to "Dim Sum" and annoyed me for the exact same reasons.

Twinkies unite!.......2006-07-04

There was no doubt from the moment that I read the first page that this was going to be a description of my life. Keltner does capture the flavor of the ABC but there is also a lot of hostility in this book towards the "American/caucasian folks" for their little stereotypical behaviors. However, there are some very funny passages especially, the stinky medicinals that her grandmother keeps trying to smear on her (Oh, I remember those stinky goo moments as well.) and the smelly, bizarre concoctions often served at restaurants. So true. I think it could be enlightening and amusing for a summer beach read so I will give it a "thumbs up." But yes, as others have commented, the sexual innuendos are just a little too coy and maybe could just be left out altogether. I did like the "hoarder of all things asian" concept. That really made me laugh! I would recommend it to ABC's, ABK's and Twinkies as well as people interested in a view into our world.

HILARIOUS!.......2006-01-24

This book is one of my favorites. It made me laugh out loud. The characters are so real and you can totally relate to them, especially if you've got some kind of asian descence. I would recommend this book to anyone. READ IT! BUY IT! WHATEVER! ITS HILARIOUS

Average customer rating:

Great Dim Sum restaurant companion!
Great guide to dim sum
excellent resource for non-Chinese dim sum enthusiasts
Dim Sum

Dim Sum: A Pocket Guide
Kit Shan Li
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0811841782

Book Description

With its small plates and endless assortment of dishes, dim sum is an increasingly popular way to do brunch. For those new to this fun feast, or regulars looking to try a different dish, Dim Sum is the ultimate guidebook to this traditional Chinese meal. Perfect for popping into a purse or pocket, this handy guide identifies the 50 most popular dim sum dishes with full-color photographs, short descriptions of the ingredients, the names of the dishes in English and Cantonese, and how to pronounce them. As the carts roll by, a quick glance at the book will tell a jean gow choy bang (chive dumpling) from mong gwor bo deen (mango pudding), and demystify the contents of that bamboo steamer. With tips on restaurant etiquette and how-tos for everything from refilling the teapot to handling chopsticks, Dim Sum is yum yum for everyone.

Customer Reviews:

Great Dim Sum restaurant companion!.......2007-03-09

Though it isn't an all-inclusive encycolpedia of all things dim sum, It's a great portable primer, with many common favorites featured. It doesn't have my favorite custard bun in it (someday I'll find out what they're called...), but it pictures many of the items you usually find on the carts. It's great to have both a photo, a description, the characters and a shot at a pronunciation when you want to try something. A great help when broadening your cuisine horizons!

Great guide to dim sum.......2007-01-07

If you've never eaten China's famed tea lunch, dim sum, this is a great guide; if you're a fan of dim sum (touch the heart) this is a great guide! Pocket size with excellent brief descriptions and good pictures, this little book covers virtually all aspects of eating and enjoying dim sum and identifies the major types of food. This is a guide to understanding, eating and enjoying dim sum and is not a cook book.

excellent resource for non-Chinese dim sum enthusiasts.......2006-07-09

This little book packs so much information to help non-Chinese speaking dim sum lovers-- descriptions and photos of common ingredients and dishes along w/ both the Chinese names & pronunciations. It even covers the customs/etiquette of dim sum dining. I've seen it help even the most experienced dim sum enthusiasts. This probably goes without saying, but dim sum is a totally different experience when you can actually ask for things by name. And the book is small enough that you can hide it in your lap or under your leg, if you don't want to be completely obvious. Or, you can hold it out in full view and point to what you want.

Dim Sum.......2004-10-18

I bought this book at the check out counter as I was leaving the bookstore. I took it with me to China when I went to adopt my son two weeks later. I loved it and had so much fun with it. I was able to order all sorts of things. I was able to attempt Cantonese pronunciations and if all else failed I could point to the picture and characters. I loved the little book and it was so easy to tuck in my purse.

Cornbread and Dim Sum: A Memoir of a Heart Glow Romance

Average customer rating:

WONDERFUL!!
Top Pick - a must read book!
deeply personal memoir
A compelling read, all the way through.
Wonderful!

Cornbread and Dim Sum: A Memoir of a Heart Glow Romance

Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0961026413

Product Description

Rated:TOP PICK - A Must READ BOOK by Critics. CORNBREAD AND DIM SUM tells the story of an interracial courtship and marriage between an African-American woman and an American born Chinese man in San Francisco during the 1960s civil rights era. It is an authentic delightful romance with dynamic honesty.

Customer Reviews:

WONDERFUL!!.......2007-09-26

The entire book was so warm and inviting. It was truly nice to be invited into the Authors life. Being in a BW/AM relationship it was nice to finally read a book with experiences that related close to my own. Thanks to the author for the courage and time spent writing this enriching memoir.

Top Pick - a must read book!.......2006-06-06

I was fascinated and riveted by this personal love story between a Chinese man and African-American woman. The sad part is that I normally would not have picked up this type of genre of a book to read it. That would have been a shame and I would have missed a wonderfully told tale of the heart and the soul.

Cornbread and Dim Sum is more than a look at the lives of two people caught up in the racial tensions caused by their inter-racial relationship - we also get a look at marriage, love, family values and cultural differences. Being a white male, this book afforded me an insider view of their unique life together that I would not otherwise have been afforded. I came away a better person for having read this book. It opened my eyes to what love is all about. Their lives are fully exposed on the pages of this book and honestly dealt with through the easy to read emotional prose of author, Jacqueline Annette Sue. She takes you along her life journey as reflections and remembrances while preparing for her younger daughter's wedding. The writing style works to weave the past and present into a mosaic of emotional and spiritual imagery of where their life took them.

This book is not so much about racial differences that tend to separate us, but about what is means to be a human being. I found this book hard to put down once I got into the first several pages - I was hooked. I had devoured the entire book in less than 24 hours on having it in my hands. I give this book my highest rating and recommendation. This is not just a book for women or ethnic readers - this book does deal with some racial issues that divided people but their love story transcends all that. You will come away seeing these two people not just as an African-American and Chinese couple but as human beings who endured all that happened in their lives because they found a love much greater than anything that would harm that relationship. I fell in love with their story and think that other readers will as well.

Note:

Author Jacqueline Sue is now writing a screen play about Vietnam where she recently made a heartfelt journey. We look forward to reviewing it when it is completed.

deeply personal memoir.......2005-08-18

Cornbread and Dim Sum has received the INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD.

A compelling read, all the way through........2004-08-28

I was hooked by this book from the first words I read. Mrs. Sue uses a warm and direct style to convey scene and emotion in a way that can almost be felt viscerally by the reader. In describing her unique experience of a life built upon a love between people of different races, the author pulls few punches when describing both the pain and uncertainty of being faced with obvious discrimination as well as the joys and deeply felt passions for her husband and daughters that were a part of her journey through life. This book earns my highest recommendation.

Wonderful!.......2004-07-17

What a wonderfully written novel. I related so well with this book, it spoke to me and help me get a better understand of inter-racial marriage.

Dim Sum: The Delicious Secrets of Home-Cooked Chinese Tea Lunch

Average customer rating:

An Astonishingly Good Dim Sum Cookbook
the dim sum bible

Dim Sum: The Delicious Secrets of Home-Cooked Chinese Tea Lunch
Rhoda Yee
Manufacturer: Random House Inc (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0394734637

Customer Reviews:

An Astonishingly Good Dim Sum Cookbook.......2005-02-27

Why do I say "astonishingly good"? Because this slim volume with its terrible puns, pseudo-folksy text, and grainy black-and-white pictures, is the last place you would expect to find such really good, authentic, yet easy-to-make recipes for dim sum.

As another reviewer--with whom I completely agree--points out, things like Swansdown cake flour (a substitute for rice flour in the "old days," but still useful if you can't get to an Asian market) seem bizarre, but actually produce a product that is 99% indistinguishable from the real thing. I used this book for years when it was the only one available; even now it's still in my Top Five (others are Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's "The Dim Sum Dumpling Book," Mai Leung's "Dim Sum and Other Chinese Street Foods"--also known in another edition as "The Chinese Peoples Cookbook"--and the three dim sum books published by Wei-Chuan Publishing). If you want to make dim sum at home, whether you're a beginner or an experienced cook, get a copy of this book!

the dim sum bible.......2005-02-24

This is the random house imprint of the 1977 "Dim Sum" by Rhoda Lee published by Taylor & Ng.

If you have ever been to a Chinese tea house, you will know that Dim Sim is a culture upon itself. Part of this book is Rhoda Yee's childhood experiences with dim sum in her village in China, the move to Hong Kong, and finally to America; all well-written in distinctive conversational 1970s-style prose.

The dim sum recipes are spectacular; and most come with a story or legend about how the dish came about. All the dishes are authentic (siu mai, har gow, fun gor, char siew pow), and most of the famous dishes have a BW photo to show the finished dish. The only minor criticism is some of the commercial ingredients used are archaic (swanson cake flour?), but you can make sensible substitutions.

This is one of the 2 cookbooks considered as the bibles of dim sum, the other being Chinese Dim Sum by the Wei-Chuan Cooking school.

This imprint is out of print, but because it was reasonably well distributed in its day, you can get a used copy at a reasonable price.

Otherwise you can order new reprints from Taylor and Ng directly.

I am puzzled by why Rhoda Yee and the published never came out with new editions of this wonderful gem of a cookbook.

Dim Sum: Delicious Finger Food for Parties

Average customer rating:

Fusion cuisine at its most delicious
"Dim sum?" Hardly.
Little Heart's Delight......
Large Chinese Appetizer Treasure in Small Package

Dim Sum: Delicious Finger Food for Parties
Fiona Smith
Manufacturer: Ryland Peters & Small
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Appetizers | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1841721492

Book Description

Fiona Smith shows you how to make some of the best dim sum -- and lots of modern variations. She has included dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Japan, as well as from China -- all ready for you to recreate when you entertain. Fiona's ideas are based on tried-and-true, easy-to-prepare recipes that she uses in her own catering business. The emphasis is on lots of flavor, finger-food-sized morsels, and cooking methods that are simple enough for home cooks to manage. Just one or two of these recipes will make all the difference to your next party.

Customer Reviews:

Fusion cuisine at its most delicious.......2007-08-31

Every recipe comes with an artfully arranged photo as background, showing what the recipe will (ideally) look like when you're done with it. The photos are gorgeous and wonderful to look at, and sometimes aid you in figuring out exactly what the author means when she gives an instruction on how to put something together. (Not that her instructions are confusing, but sometimes pictures can say things that are difficult to get across through words.)

The recipes are fairly simple and short, and simply arranged. Ingredients are nicely separated from directions, and directions are divided into short paragraphs. Each recipe comes with a brief paragraph commenting on some aspect of the recipe or the tradition behind it.

The book includes a very brief introduction to the idea of dim sum-this really isn't an introductory text, and would not be best as a first dim sum book unless the cook using it is experienced and confident in the kitchen in general. (Ellen Leong Blonder's Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch makes a great starting text.)

Recipes range from "crisp vegetables with roasted salt and pepper dip" (read: tempura), to sweet and sour pickled vegetables, wilted bean sprout and peanut salad, salmon and Asian pesto packages, mussels with egg noodles and black bean sauce, shrimp and scallion fritters (which are "based on a Mexican original" with "a Chinese twist"), little Szechuan chicken steamed buns, steamed dumplings with kaffir lime and lemongrass, peking-style duck pancake wraps, and a decent spread of dips and sauces-as well as other dishes.

The recipes don't call for a lot of unusual ingredients. We can find many of them at our local generic grocery store (and it doesn't have a lot of odd stuff), and sometimes substitutions are suggested. For example, when making sticky rice in banana leaves with chicken skewers, it's suggested that you could use foil instead of banana leaves.[...]can be a good source of some harder-to-find ingredients such as lemongrass.

The recipes come out uniformly delicious and delightful in our experience. The chile beef wontons are, so far, our favorite of the various fried wonton recipes we've made. The tiny pork, tofu, and broccoli spring rolls are delicious. The mango wontons with lime sauce were to die for. And this book is one of the best sources, among the dim sum books we have, for sauces and dips. There are only four of them (technically there are a few additional ones to be found among the other recipes), but they're perfect: a sweet chile sauce that goes well with almost anything, plum sauce, soy and ginger sauce, and a sweet and sour sesame sauce that's even better than the sweet chile sauce (and beats every other "sweet and sour" sauce we've tried so far, hands down).

Fiona Smith's approach to dim sum may be slightly unorthodox, but if you enjoy dim sum in specific or small appetizer foods in general, it's well worth a look. The recipes are fresh and creative, fairly easy, and absolutely delicious!

"Dim sum?" Hardly........2006-07-21

From the title of this book one would expect to find real dim sum recipes inside. Instead, most of the recipes are Asian-inspired finger food, which is not at all the same thing. Dim sum is a Chinese food, not a general Asian-ish type of cuisine. To call these recipes "dim sum" is almost as inaccurate as calling French hor d'oevres "dim sum" simply because they are small, bite-sized treats.

I might come across as a bit pedantic here, but this is not simply a matter of semantics. If the author had used a more accurate title such as "Asian Finger Food" I would not have lowered my rating by 2 stars. The actual recipes are good and certainly creative, but they do not fit the title of the book.

Bottom line: if you are looking for true, traditional dim sum recipes, look elsewhere. There are better books on the topic. If you are thinking of getting this book, know ahead of time what you are getting and you will not be disappointed, because this is a good recipe book.

Little Heart's Delight.............2005-06-07

Beautiful little book with a treasure of recipes. Dim sum translates from the Chinese as "heart's delight". Tiny dishes that make up the great yum cha lunches served in Chinese
Restaurants. Yum cha means drink tea. Dim sum are usually, little bits of deliciously seasoned foods wrapped in a delicate dough and either steamed, boiled or fried. Nowadays, some dim sum are wrapped in lettuce leaves instead of dough. Dim sum are served with savory dipping sauces.
Just think of Dim Sum as Chinese Tapas.
It is a great little cookbook and one I am very pleased to have.

Large Chinese Appetizer Treasure in Small Package.......2005-01-05

Truly a beautiful collection of Dim Sum in a small book, only 64 pages. Don't let the small size bother you, though this is serious great food.

30 recipes of asian inspired snacks from potstickers to egg rolls to wraps to soup to custard tarts, this is just beautifully done photographed and step-by-step instructions.

Feast your tastebuds on such as: Steamed Dumplings with Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass; Fish Balls with Shredded Wonton Coating; Salmon and Asian Pesto Packages; Jicama and Lime Salad; Shrimp and Scallion Fritters; Peking-style Duck Pancake Wraps; Orange and Almond Fortune Cookies; Five-Spice Custard Tarts; Steamed Pear and Ginger Puddings.

There are five great dipping sauces recipes included.

Great gift idea for party giving friends or for yourself to throw that casual finger food party.

Chopstix: Quick Cooking With Pacific Flavors

Average customer rating:

Chopstix: Quick Cooking With Pacific Flavors
Hugh Carpenter , and Teri Sandison
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1556701330

Average customer rating:

If you're an Asian looking for a dim sum book, this is not the one for you.
misguided
great book
Disappointed
The Ultimate Dim Sum Book

Chinese Dim Sum
Wei-Chuan School , and Wei-Chuan Publishing
Manufacturer: Wei-Chuan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0941676242

Customer Reviews:

If you're an Asian looking for a dim sum book, this is not the one for you........2007-07-26

I would like to start off by saying that I am Chinese. I grew up eating dim sum on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

This book does not have the classic dim sum that you would find in restraunts. You'll be disappointed finding a few recipes out of the woderful 128 page book. This is far from what you really want to find. If you're trying to find a book that you can call a teacher, look for the chef in the kitchen of your restaurant instead. This book won't help you on your quest to learn how to make dim sum at home.

But if you like some desserts, pick this up.

misguided.......2007-02-17

i am chinese and i love dimsum. my family would have dim sum every sunday morning in chinatown growing up. now i married and there's no chinatown or good chinese food around where i live. so i decided to learn how ot make them. however i can't read chinese very well. i bought this book because the recipes come in both chinese and english.

Anyway, this book tittle is "Chinese dimsum" but the recipes in there isn't as true to it's title. There are great variety of food in Dim-Sum food. most steamed meat dishes, variety steam dumplings and stuffed rice rolls, and rice cake. However, this book offers only 3 dumpling recipes. those dumpling recipes are definitely NOT the kind you get from a dimsum restaurant. Dim-sum is the heart of southern cantonese cuisine. it's originate from canton china and is a southern style cooking. mostly steamed cooking recipes. However, the dumpling recipes in the book are water dumpling, just like northern style. a lot more blend. Northern style are the dumpling called for boiling method rather than steam cooking. well those aren't dim-sum. northern chinese people eat them as a real meal. the basics such sui-mai, cao ji. ha-cao. si long bao, are not in the book. there great variety of appetizer size meat dishes are also missing. 80% of the books teaches you how to make chinese desserts. quite honestly, chinese desserts are the grossest thing on earth. only old chinese people like stuffs like black sesame past bun, red bean paste cake, red bean past sweet rice soup, peanut paste, and yam paste type desserts. it has 5 or six different king of steam buns recipes, same dough but different meat stuffing. well, i like steam buns, but it's not the main focus of chinese dim-sum.

i am very upset that i can not find a single recipe that i can call dimsum food.

great book.......2005-07-06

It is a very good way to learn how to cook Dim Sum. I haven't got so good books for cooking Chinese foods before. But I have it now!

Disappointed.......2005-05-01

i'm basically a dim sum addict, and that's why i decided to buy this book after reading all those glowing reviews. however, after getting the book, i found that some recipes are quite dull. for example, the shrimp wanton soup called for a chicken stock that didn't suit the shrimp taste at all (my taste bud was conflicted). yes, i stuck to the recipe word for word so i know it's not my fault. also, the siu mai recipes used rice, which was weird (i'm accustomed to eating siu mai at the restaurant with only meat inside). i have yet to try the dessert section, and hopefully it will redeem the book's value. but so far, this was a disappointment.

The Ultimate Dim Sum Book.......2005-03-03

This is the ultimate dim sum book--along with Wei-Chuan's other book, "Chinese Snacks" (which is essentially a dim sum book as well, but for the Peking and Shanghainese schools). If you want to have the ultimate in authenticity, this/these are the book(s) for you.

That said, there is one drawback: the recipes are written by Chinese for Chinese, and although the recipes are in both English and Chinese--and the English is very respectable--there is no denying that some effort will have to be made for English speakers, especially neophyte dim sum chefs, to bridge the gap.

Despite that one shortcoming, I can heartily recommend these two books to the enthusiastic amateur.

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