Susur: A Culinary Life, Books 1-2

Book Description

Over the past decade, Toronto-based chef Susur Lee has built an international reputation with his groundbreaking cuisine, winning raves such as "culinary genius" from critics and chefs alike. Borrowing heavily from French and Chinese traditions, Susur defies the ubiquitous "fusion" label with his wholly original and decidedly bold style of cooking, dubbed nouvelle Chinois. SUSUR: A CULINARY LIFE offers readers an intimate look at the evolution of this master chef. Toronto food writer Jacob Richler takes us on an enthralling culinary odyssey that begins with Susur's apprenticeship at Hong Kong's legendary Peninsula Hotel and follows the chef 's major Successes at his award-winning restaurants Lotus and Susur. This in-depth study also chronicles Susur's ambitious plan to modernize the ancient repertoire of classical Chinese cooking —a 5,000-year journey that ends in the creation of his vibrant new cuisine. A remarkable subject deserves a remarkable book, and SUSUR is as innovative as the chef it celebrates. Two colorful, gorgeously illustrated volumes — one describing Susur 's development as a chef, the other featuring his most sought-after recipes —are bound together in an intricate and innovative presentation that resembles a Chinese puzzle box. A sensuous treat for foodies and chefs alike, SUSUR is the definitive word on this cutting-edge chef.

Customer Reviews:

great for professionals.......2007-01-19

i bought it for my boyfriend, who is an aspiring chef and loves asian cuisine. he loves it - its a beautiful and inspiring book. i wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is just interested in cooking at home.

It is what it is.......2006-04-09

Pretty coffee table book...don't buy for the recipes unless you are a professional. I am a chef and have been at several for and five star establishments. I had the pleasure a few years ago to do a banquet with Susur and he is the real deal. Will his techniques translate to the amateur cook looking to learn from his book? No. These are professional recipes designed to be executed by a top class brigade with years of technique and time to prepare the needed mis en place. But as a professional, the way he approaches food as well as the culinary foundation that he has built for himself is unique and will be appreciated by those in the know. What isn't pretentious about a $50 coffee table book? This book gives exposure to a unique and talented chef who is grounded in solid technique and is able to translate that into well presented and balanced dishes that are not silly fusion. Definetly worth a look.

Susur Lee.......2006-03-20

This book its all about creativity by a man who has been over looked for too many years as one of the worlds Top Chefs. This book is in one simple word "Awesome"

Susur: Some Thoughts on Perfection in Cuisine.......2006-02-21

Given the acidity of previous reviews, let me start with some background on myself: I am an American not resident in Canada; I am a non-professional chef -- I cook for myself, my family and my friends. I love food, both from the philosophy that one can learn the history of a country or region by learning about its cuisine and from the perspective that I truly believe we are what we eat ... and the miserable record of American health and longevity is directly due to the poor quality of what we consume.

I first saw Susur on Food Network's "Chef du Jour", where well-regarded chefs would do a single 30 minute program on a topic of their choice. That was at least 8 years ago. I think he may have been on one or two "Ready, Set, Cook" programs, but I'm not certain. He certainly didn't push to become a "celebrity chef", at least in the TV sense. He did become a celebrity in the culinary world: becoming one of Food & Wine's "10 Best Chefs in the World" is not a self-serving proclamation -- it is an evaluation by those who can and do taste the food of all the best and near-best.

I've had the good fortune to have an expense account and a business that required me to take clients to dinner, so I've had the privilege of eating at many of the finest restaurants in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. My personal opinion is that Susur belongs among the finest and if in Toronto, it would be my first choice of a dining location -- yes, even if I were paying the bill myself -- some meals are worth every penny of the cost.

I've eaten at his restaurant in Toronto many times, on business trips. The food has always been spectacular, along with the service, along with the description of the philosophy behind each dish. A meal at Susur's not only satisfies the body; it's an education in itself. Again, this is not simply my opinion -- read the reviews in Toronto's newspapers, or read the reviews and look at the scores in zagat.com. Susur isn't the only "great chef" in Toronto, but he is clearly in that category.

Finally, to the book itself: Yes, the binding is unusual), as is the organization (would I count it as 2 books -- no -- do I think that volume 1 as a biography and volume 2 as recipes are two very different works -- absolutely yes). Most chefs don't provide a personal biography and discuss the evolution of their philosophy of cuisine. If you want lots of recipes you can make with ingredients found anywhere, there are thousands of such cookbooks to choose from (start with Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals" and go from there). On the other hand, if you want to learn about how to layer flavors, and see how a master puts together a pantry, this is the book to read. The same advice (for flavor, you need sauces, pastes, and other preps) is given by most chefs in cooking courses and is found in lots of other cookbooks -- just to mention a few in Chinese, try Barbara Tropp's "China Moon Cookbook", Nina Simonda "Spoonful of Ginger", Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's "From the Earth" or Emily Grace's "Breath of a Wok". Susur's are more complex, and more subtle, but taste the food and you'll see how it transcends anyone else's.

Is this a book I will cook from daily? No, and Susur is the first to admit that his cuisine needs a tremendous amount of manpower to achieve. Will this book teach me to be a better chef? Absolutely. Will it have a place of honor in my kitchen? Assuredly. Study it, think about it, and learn from it ... and if you have the opportunity, go to Toronto ... and taste it.

Delusions of Grandeur- You're Su-Su Vain!.......2006-02-17

Delusions of Grandeur-Self Proclaimed "Toronto's Local Hero"

I am an intermediate level amateur cook, and pretty aware of cutting edge chefs, cooks and well written cookbooks, and Susur Lee and his book's grandiose recipes may wow small town folks and some home cooks, however he is delightfully delusional in his self importance, proclaiming himself THE "Local Hero" of Toronto, when my long time Toronto friends have not even heard of him!

I highly suggest you first read his very complex, hours long recipes, before spending good money for just 50 or so difficult and few recipes.

Chicago's Chef Charlie Trotter has similar recipes in terms of ingredients unobtainable to less than high end restaurant chefs, and may also have 20-40+ ingredients per dish, requiring an army of assistants to pull it off, however he does not have an entire book devoted to a sycophant praising his own wonderfulness. His combinations also "taste well" together in reading the ingredients, and he has books with "doable" ingredients and they are quite cookable by home cooks.

Susur credits his departed wife Marilou with his success, but others who gave him a "leg up" don't rate even a photo in this paen to his brilliance, as Susur takes back stabbing jabs at better known chefs who helped his career.

Instead of, having say instructive photographs at different stages of a complex dish's creation, he has instead chosen such childish photo selections as photos of his wonderful doodles of his own name, his hand written recipes, and doodling of a seating chart...

Does "You're Su-su vain" come to mind?

Hold that song in mind, as you smile and flick through the first 113 pages of his ego inflating toady's drivel, without even seeing one real recipe.

Oh, the recipes are in the "second" bound book, tighly bound, like a dead Siamese twin to this "first" book. So yes, he has thus published "two" books...um, sure, Susu, we're counting with you. Clever ploy; publish "Susur's Cooking Triptych" next time, and get credit for 5 books, total! (Toronto is certainly still cleaning up from the ticker tape parades for this self proclaimed "Local Hero's" creations!)

Why pay $50 (now down to $30) for only fifty some pretentious recipes, each with 25-45+ ingredients that you are more likely to laugh at, than cook... even one bloated recipe? Borrow this from Susu's large stack of "returns", or from a library, first, before buying!

Forget about "The Emperor's New Clothes"...this is the "Emperor's Trendy Cook Book!"

I do like the professionally styled photos of his creations. You or I could cook them if we had 2 assistant cooks,the strange collection of fresh ingredients, and gratuitous foie gras and black truffles added to many recipes.

Susu's has a dreadful hodgepodge of instructions and techniques, having the reader hopping between both "books" to cobble together a dish, and there's no Table of Contents to organize this chaotic collection.

He knows cooking techniques. I'd happily dine at his restaurant. Teaching techniques by a book is another story. For beginning and intermediate cooks, the cooking techniques that he glides over are far, far better explained in many cookbooks that the professional chefs already consult.

Some well thumbed cookbook/testbooks include "On Cooking Techniques from Expert Chefs"-Labensky, "Essentials of Cooking"-James Peterson, Jacques Pepin's "Complete Techniques", "La Varenne Pratique"- Anne Willan"The Zuni Cafe"-Rodgers, "The New Making of a Cook"-Kamman, "Glorious French Cooking"-Peterson, "Modern Art of Chinese Cooking"-Trop, "The Key to Chinese Cooking"-Kuo, etc.

Big Propblem is...home cooks, without two helpers, will be very frustrated by the hard to find ingredients and the time consuming, convoluted recipes in this cookbook.

Try making Susur's "Pan-roasted scallops, with sunchoke puree, pancetta, periwinkles in truffle sauce and preserved lemon".

Hmmm, if someone mixing up 1000 snippets of culinary nouns in a hat, then let a trained gerbil randomly pick out, then line up the first 10 to 15 words that came out... the resulting recipe titles may even be more appealing to you and I than Susur's convoluted "con-Fusion" titles that easily awe rookie foodwriters and rookie cooks...

Make his "Elk striploin with yamaimo, arame, uni, with burnt butter soy sauce", (40+ ingredients) or try "Braised veal cheek, with parsnip puree, cocoa nibs, grapes stuffed with dry-cured olives, and parmesan (also with over 40 ingredients).

Maybe the "Tuna with wasabi and parsnip mousse on cucumber jelly with crispy squid ink noodle" would whet your whistle. I'd rather go to the grocery store and make "Spiced seaweed crusted red mullet with saffron mayonnaiase and zuchini flower fritters".

A memorable dish is "Roast squab and foie gras stuffed squab legs in port sauce, with lotus root and baby corn, blueberry preserve, and taro root fritters" (>30 ingredients).

Step aside, Charlie Trotter, you've been "out Trottered" by Susu and his caramelized nuts...

For the amusement value, the professionally styled photos of plates that would leave most folks hungry from the tiny portions, and the sad need for the dramatic Napoleonic pose and prose by the self proclaimed "Local Hero of Toronto"... I still give him 3 stars...it takes guts (braised with cocoa, blueberry and truffle oil), to be so sweet and childlike in his vanity!

Average customer rating:

A brilliant way to introduce our baby to cultural diversity... through food!!!
LOVE this book--love the entire series!
cool and quirky board book
Wonderful, informative book.
Bad Illustrations

Yum Yum Dim Sum (World Snacks)
Amy Wilson Sanger
Manufacturer: Tricycle Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1582461082

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:

The title maybe Ugly Vegetables, but it's beautiful story
The Ugly Vegetables
Enjoyable
An awesome book and receipe included, how great is that!
Should Be in Every Library!

The Ugly Vegetables
Grace Lin
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570914915

Book Description

Author/Illustrator: Grace Lin

The Ugly Vegetables was Grace Lin's first book for children and was inspired by her own childhood growing up in New Hartford, New York among her mother's gardens of ugly vegetables. Immediate response to this charming and effervescent book has been overwhelming, even earning a pointered review in Kirkus Reviews.

Grace lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews:

The title maybe Ugly Vegetables, but it's beautiful story.......2007-05-13

I was drawn to this book for several reasons. First off, I have a child born in and adopted from China and am naturally drawn to books relating to Chinese people. As much as I want her to understand her birth culture I am also learning at the same time. We have several Grace Lin books in our library at home and have loved everyone of them. What I love about this book is that it illustrates how we all have something to teach one another and that through our sharing and teaching we actually become comfortable with ourselves. This isn't just a book about some unusual vegetables, it's a story about people and what we each have to offer the world.

The Ugly Vegetables.......2006-03-15

One of my two year olds favorite books. Beautiful illustrations and a fun story, especially if coming from a gardening background. My daughter also loves trying to say the Chinese words for the vegetables at the end of the book.

Enjoyable.......2005-10-04

I bought this book for my 3 year old, but I think it's a bit too complicated for her. The story is lovely, and I bought this based on our enjoyment together of several other books illustrated and/or written by Ms. Lin. However, her attention span at 3 is too short to get through all of the narrative, so we just looked at the pictures while I summarized. The pictures, as usual, were colorful and intriguing, but we put this book aside for next Summer, when she'll be closer to 4, and we can read it together as we plan our own "ugly" vegetable garden.

An awesome book and receipe included, how great is that!.......2004-08-22

Each Grace Lin book I get, I am just so impressed by her talent! Every child loves to get their hands into dirt and growing flowers or vegetables is always fun and gives the child great pride to show everyone their hard work and or beautiful flowers!

Every child wants to be just the same as their friends, especially those in the neighborhood. Mom and daughter start in the spring to plant their garden and while everyone else in the neighborhood each have their own way of tending their gardens totally different from how her and her mom garden. When their plants appear they look like grass, where other neighbors' appear they look like normal plants.

The little girl constantly asks questions as all children do, why mommy, why mommy and her mommy patiently answers each of her daughters questions. When others in the neighborhood have beautiful flowersthat smell so good, the little girls garden has what she sees as ugly plants with no beautiful scents. Once the vegetables are ready to be harvested the little girl and mother gather their wheelbarrow with their vegetables. Later that afternoon the daughter is out playing in the yard and smells a wonderful smell and it's coming from her house! Her mom has made soup using their harvest and her mom gives her a bowl..... it tastes so good! Then there comes knocking at their door and it's the little girls neighbors wanting to trade their beautiful flowers for a bowl of soup. The Mom tells the neighbors about each vegetables and the next spring the little girl notices her neighbors growing " Ugly Vegetables" too!

I love that Lin includes a receipe to make using these so called "ugly vegetables" and that she included their names and even sounded them out. Keep up the good work Mrs. Lin and I'll keep on buying your books and singing praises to anyone who'll read my reviews!

Should Be in Every Library!.......2001-06-29

This was a wonderful story that my husband and children just loved. We learned about some new vegetables in the process. As a kid I wasn't fond of bitter melon, but I'm willing to give it a second try after reading the book! My 5 and 6 year old boys are clamoring for us to go out, buy some ugly vegetables, and make the soup! This book appeals to every member of the family and the illustrations are beautiful.

Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads

Average customer rating:

It's a classic.

Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads
Florence Lin
Manufacturer: Quill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688128459

Customer Reviews:

It's a classic........2007-10-04

Recipes for many of the classic chinese noodles, dumplings and breads are in this book. If you're looking for classic chinese comfort food this is the book to get.

Average customer rating:

Best Chinese Cookbook!
The best chinese cookbook I've seen...
Sunset Chinese Cookbook
Best simple chinese cook book I have used.

Chinese Cook Book
Sunset
Manufacturer: Sunset Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0376023023

Customer Reviews:

Best Chinese Cookbook!.......2004-02-22

I've got a lot of Chinese cookbooks and most of them gather dust on my shelf. This is the one I use over and over. In fact, I'm replacing my original copy because I've worn it out. The recipes are fantastic, the tips on how to prepare ingredients are priceless, and many of the sauces and techniques can be adapted for other uses. This book helped me go beyond its recipes and start creating my own. P.S. I heartily recommend the scallion pancakes.

The best chinese cookbook I've seen..........2002-09-07

I've had this book since 1983, when I was living in California. What I like about it is that the recipes use ingredients which are pretty easy to get, both in the US and Europe, and the recipes are easy to follow. I'm about to buy it as part of an engagement present for a friend; she's always asking about the chinese stuff I cook! My own copy is falling apart but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Sunset Chinese Cookbook.......2001-10-09

This is by far the best Chinese cookbook I've ever had. This is the third time I've bought a copy, I keep wearing them out!

Best simple chinese cook book I have used........1998-12-12

My current copy of this book is so worn out that I need to get a new one. The recipes are simple and delicious, the organization of the chapters makes sense, and the index is complete. The photographs are good too. All in all, the best simple chinese cook book I have used.

Average customer rating:

Crowd Pleaser
betty crocker's lee ann chin chinese cookbook

Betty Crocker Chinese
Betty Crocker
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394518810
Release Date: 1981-03-12

Customer Reviews:

Crowd Pleaser.......2004-01-20

The recipes are outstanding. Taste just like a restaurant made it. You can't go wrong with anything in this book. Food made from recipes in this book go over extremely well at parties!

betty crocker's lee ann chin chinese cookbook.......2000-11-20

this is an EXCELLENT cookbook filled with all the most popular chinese dishes. from sesame chicken to hot and sour soup, it gives all the tricks on how to make a delicious chinese dinner! if you aren't familiar with lee ann chin, her recipes produce meals similar to PF chang's and other chinese bistros. good luck and happy cooking!

Average customer rating:

Good Basic Start
Fast arrival, excellent conditions
Fantastic resource for beginners and experienced cooks
Chinese cooking........ a endless book
Surprisingly simple recipes, yet astonishingly delicious!

Thousand Recipes Chinese Cookbook
Gloria Bley Miller
Manufacturer: Weathervane
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517658704
Release Date: 1988-10-26

Book Description

An essential resource in the American kitchen and a classic for nearly four decades, this is the definitive Chinese cookbook, perfect for cooks at every level

Here is the largest, most comprehensive Chinese cookbook ever published for the Western world. A Tastemaker Award winner, Gloria Bley Miller distills centuries of Chinese recipes and techniques into concise and easy-to-follow directions that will enable any cook to produce dishes that please the eye, delight the palate, and suit the budget.

With verve and wit, Miller tells you how to prepare everything from egg drop soup and drunken pork to sizzling rice and delicate wontons. There are 150 recipes for chicken alone, plus dozens of variations on pork dishes, vegetables, and noodles, as well as other Chinese favorites. Using Miller's recipes, ordinary meat and seafood become delicacies, while vegetables retain their color and texture. And Miller's delicious recipes are splendidly high in nutrients and low in calories.

The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook contains everything the cook needs to know about Chinese cooking, including how to:

Use special Chinese cooking techniques such as steaming and stir-frying
Create unique seasonings and sauces
Substitute hard-to-find ingredients with those available in any supermarket
Plan menus suited to every time constraint, budget, and occasion

The classic Chinese cookbook, this is the only book you'll ever need to master one of the world's greatest and most versatile cuisines.

Customer Reviews:

Good Basic Start.......2007-01-18

I've had this book for many years and always go back to it. The recipes are very basic and like the ones my mom cooked but never documented. Who ever wrote down family recipes to pass on? How do you measure when the recipe is in the cook's head? This year I purchased a copy for each one my children to have. They are all grown and out of the house. This way they have a starting point and can embellish on the recipes. Unfortunately, it doesn't contain photos, but I know the dishes just by the topic, descriptive receipe name and the ingredients.

Fast arrival, excellent conditions.......2006-11-22

The book is excellent, with a wide variety of recipes and detailed explanations about chinese cooking.

Fantastic resource for beginners and experienced cooks.......2006-08-25

Have owned this book for about 20 years now, and have replaced my paperback with a hard covered book because I used it so much that my first book is now in two peices.

It is such a wonderful, uniquely written, simply to understand book that informs those who really want to understand cooking. I don't think it is written to impress professional chefs but to work with regular people who love to eat Chinese.

My best friend (who is Chinese) and I used to cook all the time, and I have lots of experience making Chinese food
and this book added to my knowledge and is still adding to my knowledge years later. The only Chinese cookbook I would own.

This is definitely worth owning!!!!
You will love this book!

Chinese cooking........ a endless book.......2006-03-17

I am 61 (2006). A male cosmopolitan who lived in Denmark, England, USA, Japan (11 years). I have travelled over and over all the world in my profession.
Cooking is my hobby. I wrote books on international cooking. Chinese is a speciality (won prices on my cooking).
This "1000 Recipe Chinese Cookbook" is a kind of "dictionary" more than a practical cookbook. Out of my collection of more than 60 Chinese Cookbooks, this is useless, unless you are an American with little knowledge to international cooking. And worse: MANY standard Chinese recipes are missing. To read at your disk, in the kitchen very unpractical. You will have to turn pages for ref. too many times.
No good book for the real "seeker" to good food cookbooks.
Per Gade.
professor of Music.
(Have written 61 books myself).

Surprisingly simple recipes, yet astonishingly delicious!.......2006-03-08

This is not a type of cookbook which you can just open, choose a recipe and start making it. If you tried that, you would probably feel confused and frustrated. This book reqires couple of hours of reading through and studying before actually using the recipes. However, once you understand its logic, it is wonderfuly simple to use. At first, many recipes look almost too simple; however, it surprised me that only couple of ingredients can produce quite complex, delicious, and satisfying tastes!

I have not cooked chinese food before and so I can't comment on how this books compares to other chinese cookbooks. However, since somebody mentioned that this book is not for beginners, I would like to say that I am not having any trouble with it and find it rather simple to follow. I would like to advise people who are new to cooking chinese cuisine, or just new to cooking, to relax and not worry about "right" and "exact" ingredients and special utensils - fear of all these unknowns kept me from trying to make different foods at home, but now after reading this book, I feel so much more confident in mixing different things, substituting, and using whatever I have...it doesn't have to be exact to the letter, and it still turns out fantastic. This book is really good about that: teaching you basics, giving you confidence, and guiding you in your development of knowledge and skill.

Average customer rating:

You may have fun if you are already fluent in Chinese
The Eater's Guide
An essential title for any Asian-loving foodie
Great Book, wish I read this when I was younger!
A Great Resource for Reading Chinese Menus

The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters
James D. McCawley
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226555925

Book Description

Lauded by Calvin Trillin as a man who "does not have to make to with translations like 'Shredded Three Kinds' in Chinese restaurants," in The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters, James D. McCawley offers everyone a guide to deciphering the mysteries of Chinese menus and the opportunity to enjoy new eating experiences. An accessible primer as well as a handy reference, this book shows how Chinese characters are written and referred to, both in script and in type. McCawley provides a guide to pronunciation and includes helpful exercises so users can practice ordering. His novel system of arranging the extensive glossary—which ranges from basics such as "rice" and "fish" to exotica like "Buddha Jumps Wall"—enables even the beginner to find characters quickly and surely. He also includes the nonstandard forms of characters that often turn up on menus.

With this guide in hand, English speakers hold the key to a world of tantalizing—and otherwise unavailable—Chinese dishes.

Customer Reviews:

You may have fun if you are already fluent in Chinese.......2007-08-01

I am not. The book is very well written (in the first 7 pages that I managed to read) but the print quality is poor to the point of unreadable. It would work for English, but try figuring out something to remember about character for eel on page 170 (the dictionary half of the book) or about anything on "delicious vegetarian dishes" menu example on page 30.

I though of just tearing out the first 14 pages to take with me to China. I still may, it may be useful for a dozen of most common ingredients shown there. But the rest of the book is unreadable.

Yes, I figured out that the author is dead (and I have no complaints to the text, I love it in fact) so it can't really be rewritten. But printing is crap (in case I haven't made my point yet).

Guys, can you look for a better publisher?

The Eater's Guide.......2007-07-31

It is an interesting introduction to Chinese dishes but I was a bit disappointed because it uses old caracters, not the simlpified ones used in China. It was not indicated anywhere, I have realized it only after receiving the book.

An essential title for any Asian-loving foodie.......2006-04-15

In the early 80s, I consumed all of Calvin Trillin's books about food; who cared that he also wrote about politics?. If you have navigated to this book and *haven't* read Trillin's Tummy Trilogy by now, you'd better rush to get yourself a copy... it's the funniest food writing I've ever encountered.

Anyway, in Third Helpings, Trillin had a marvelous essay called "Divining the Mysteries of the East," about a college professor who provided his Linguistics students with a pamphlet -- which grew into a book -- that helped them decipher the menus in Chinese restaurants. As Trillin said, "McCawley has never been reduced to carrying in his wallet a note that says in Mandarin, 'Please bring me some of what the man at the next table is having.'" [This made me angry that I majored in Linguistics at Brandeis instead of going to the University of Chicago; my professor may have been a protege of Noam Chomsky, but I never even got a matzo ball from him.]

Several months after reading Trillin's book, I found a copy of the Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters in an airport bookstore. I snatched up a copy. (Good thing, too, because I never again saw the book on a shelf.) I've cherished this book for twenty years, and I cheered when I saw it was back in print. Let me see if I can explain why.

Unlike some of the reviewers here, I do not know any dialect of Chinese. I don't particularly want to; I just want to chow down on wonderful Chinese food.

There are few authentic restaurants, however, that do a great job of translating the menu. Other than expecting that I'll love any item about which the waiter says curtly, "You no like" (for the record, that deep fried pork stomach was excellent)... well, I'm left to figure it out on my own.

That is, I *was*, until I got my hands on McCawley's book. By the second page, he has taught you to recognize the characters for stir-fry, deep fry, dry roast. Shortly afterwards, you learn that the J-shaped character, ding, means "cube or dice." By page 7 you've learned the characters for celery, beef, fish. And then you begin to put the pieces together.

Within a very short time, you can figure out the basics of any Chinese menu. You can keep going (and, twenty years ago, I got quite a ways through this book, just for the fun of it); but scanning the first ten pages will help you avoid fried food, or figure out what the menu item "shredded three kinds" really has in it. Half the book is given over to a glossary, so you can figure out what the heck THAT item is in the fish column.

You probably won't read The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters all in one sitting. But you'll be really, really glad you have it. And, I assure you, all your foodie friends will be jealous.

Great Book, wish I read this when I was younger!.......2005-08-19

This was a great book for someone that wants to know restaurant Chinese. Although I can read & write Chinese, I still found it enjoyable.

A Great Resource for Reading Chinese Menus.......2005-07-06

I've really appreciated this book as a supplement to my other Chinese instruction. In preparation for my upcoming move to Beijing, I wanted to be familiar with at least a few menu items, and I feel that after only a short time studying this book, I can actually do that!

Unfortunately, I do have a few qualms with the book. My biggest concern is that only the traditional characters are provided. Since some of the characters are significantly different in simplified Chinese, I've had to spend a lot of time cross-referencing with another dictionary to learn the simplified characters I'm more likely to encounter in Beijing.

Also, as another reviewer has mentioned, the print is a little too small for someone just starting to learn the characters. I sometimes find it difficult to make out the radicals contributing to a character, even though I already have a strong background in understanding written Chinese.

Finally, my last issue, which I admit is nit-picking, is that the author has developed his own version of stroke-counting for indexing the characters. While this is clearly an advantage to those who have no background in written Chinese, it can be confusing to one who knows the true stroke counts (especially when you keep switching dictionaries to cross-reference the simplified characters).

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the book and expect it to be extremely useful. Especially since many of the non-food character combinations used in names of dishes don't appear in general purpose dictionaries. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading a Chinese menu.

Food and Chinese Culture: Essays on Popular Cuisines

Average customer rating:

Food and Chinese Culture: Essays on Popular Cuisines
Zishan Chen
Manufacturer: Long River Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

This unique book is a collection of essays on Chinese food and culture by some of China¡¦s most well-known writers and cultural critics. Included are essays by Lin Yutang, Wang Meng, and others, which run the gamut from some of the greatest delicacies in history to everyday roadside snacks cherished since childhood; the meaning of food to the Chinese, its preparation, enjoyment, and its role as the essence of life. The myriad variety of Chinese food and all its cultural components are represented, resulting in a revealing and enlightening appraisal of what truly lies at the heart of Chinese food and its culture.

Cooking the Korean Way: Revised and Expanded to Include New Low-Fat and Vegetarian Recipes (Easy Menu Ethnic Cookbooks)

Average customer rating:

Disappointed
This book is awesome...and IS an adult cookbook

Cooking the Korean Way: Revised and Expanded to Include New Low-Fat and Vegetarian Recipes (Easy Menu Ethnic Cookbooks)
Okwha Chung , and Judy Monroe
Manufacturer: Lerner Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0822541157

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-05-14

I was very disappointed with this book. It was a gift for a friend who is moving to Korea. And for $25 I expected more. The book is so thin! Not a good value at all. It was embarrassing giving it to her.

This book is awesome...and IS an adult cookbook.......2003-03-05

Easy-to-follow recipes. DELICIOUS and not "out-of-the-ordinary" ingredients (except the noodles for chap-chae). I just visit my local Oriental Foods Korean store and pick up the needed things. I find the recipes simple and not too time-consuming, either. I have tried many Korean cookbooks, and like this one THE BEST. (Actually, the Lerner cookbook series from other ethnicities are excellent, too.)

Try the Chap-chae, the bulgogi (or pulgogi) and the fish patties. Excellent!

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