Product Description
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, with its 150 recipes culled from a lifetime of family meals and culinary instruction, is much more than a cookbook. It is a daughter's tribute -- a collection of personal memories of the philosophy and superstitions behind culinary traditions that have been passed down through her Cantonese family, in which each ingredient has its own singular importance, the preparation of a meal is part of the joy of life, and the proper creation of a dish can have a favorable influence on health and good fortune. Each chapter begins with its own engaging story, offering insight into the Chinese beliefs that surround life-enhancing and spiritually calming meals. In addition, personal family photographs illustrate these stories and capture the spirit of China before the Revolution, when Young's family lived in Canton, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

The first part, "Mastering the Fundamentals," provides instruction on the arts of steaming and stir-frying; the preparation of rice, panfried, and braised dishes; the proper selection of produce; and the fine arts of chopping and slicing. Part Two, "The Art of Celebration," concentrates on the more elaborate, complex, and meaningful dishes -- such as Shark's Fin Soup and West Lake Duck -- that are usually made with rare ingredients, and sweets such as Water Chestnut Cake and Sesame Balls. The final part, "Achieving Yin-Yang Harmony," explores the many Chinese beliefs about the healing properties of ginseng, gingko nuts, soybeans, dong quai, and the many vegetable and fruit soup preparations that balance and nourish the body. The stories and recipes combine to demonstrate the range of Cantonese cooking, from rich flavors and honored combinations to an overall appreciation of health, well-being, and prosperity.

In addition to the recipes, Young provides a complete glossary of dried herbs, spices, and fresh produce, accompanied by identifying photos and tips on where to purchase them. Unique traditional dishes, such as Savory Rice Tamales and Shrimp Dumplings, are also illustrated step by step, making the book easy to use. The central full-color photo section captures details of New Year's dishes and the Chinese home decorated in celebration, reminding one that these time-honored traditions live on, and the meals and their creation are connections to the past.

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Grace Young is a culinary sister to novelist Amy Tan. In The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, along with sharing recipes from her family, Young immerses the reader in Chinese culture and the Chinese American experience of San Francisco's Chinatown, where she grew up. This personal book began with Young's wish to preserve the Cantonese dishes prepared by her parents and extended family. Since they cooked by instinct, the only way to record their recipes was by observing her mother, father, and aunties while they cooked, and by asking endless questions. These kitchen conversations also became a way to elicit untold family history from her deeply traditional and reticent parents.

Each chapter opens with an essay intertwining biographical stories with information about Chinese food and healing. The blending of culinary information and cultural observations is powerfully realized, perhaps because Young shows old-fashioned respect along with a contemporary perspective. The result is both affectionate and enthralling. You can vividly picture the meticulous choreography as her parents make dinner in their tiny kitchen, reaching over steaming pots and rushing the steaming food to the table.

Young delves into the hows and whys of Cantonese home cooking, with particular attention to technique and ingredients: Chinese broccoli with flowers should be avoided because the bright yellow blossoms indicate the stalks are too old. Steaming is valued because it draws out the intense flavors near the bone in chicken, fish, and meat, leaving them tender and moist.

Many dishes are elementally simple. Hot-and-Sour Soup is fired solely by aromatic white pepper. White Chicken is perfumed just with ginger and garlic. Some choices are quick and easy, as in stir-fried Bean Sprouts, while others require long and elaborate preparation, like savory Rice Tamales stuffed with pork, Chinese sausage, and duck egg yolks and wrapped in bamboo leaves. Anyone who enjoys eating Chinese food or has experienced the generational differences in immigrant families will get lost in The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. --Dana Jacobi

	Introduction	xii
	Notes to the Reader	xvi
	Remember China, Nan Chung	xix
	Mastering the Fundamentals
	The Meaning of Rice	3
	Steamed Rice	7
	Flavored Sweet Rice	8
	Fried Rice	9
	Tender Chicken on Rice	10
	Tender Beef on Rice	12
	Chicken Porridge	13
	Stir-Fried Frog on Rice	14
	Savory Rice Dumplings	16
	Peanut Rice Dumplings	18
	The Breath of a Wok	20
	Chicken with Cashews	24
	Tomato Beef	25
	Stir-Fried Chicken with Baby Corn and Straw Mushrooms	26
	Stir-Fried Eggs with Barbecued Pork	27
	Baba's Stir-Fried Butterfly Fish and Bean Sprouts	28
	Stir-Fried Asparagus with Shrimp	29
	Stir-Fried Squid	30
	Beef Chow Fun	31
	Singapore Rice Noodles	32
	The Art of Steaming	33
	Steamed Oyster and Water Chestnut Pork Cake	37
	Steamed Pork Cake with Salted Duck Egg	38
	Steamed Egg Custard	39
	Steamed Tangerine Beef	40
	Steamed Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce	41
	Steamed Spareribs with Plum Sauce	42
	Steamed Sole with Black Bean Sauce	43
	Steamed Chicken with Lily Buds, Cloud Ears, and Mushrooms	44
	Steamed Rock Cod	45
	Steamed Sponge Cake	46
	Shreds of Ginger Like Blades of Grass	47
	Fried White Fish	51
	Drunken Chicken	52
	Braised Beef	54
	Braised Sweet and Sour Spareribs	55
	Nom Yu Spareribs	56
	Lemongrass Pork Chops	57
	Rock Sugar Ginger Chicken	58
	Lemon Chicken	59
	Seafood Sandpot	60
	Sandpot Braised Lamb	62
	Chestnuts and Mushrooms Braised with Chicken	64
	Chicken and Corn Soup	65
	Seafood Noodle Soup	66
	Clear Soup Noodles	67
	Fuzzy Melon Soup	68
	Cabbage Noodle Soup	69
	Family-Style Winter Melon Soup	70
	Hot-and-Sour Soup	71
	Sweetened Tofu Soup	72
	Going to Market with Mama	73
	Shrimp with Spinach and Tofu	77
	Braised Mushrooms	78
	Braised Cabbage and Mushrooms	79
	Sprouting Soybeans	80
	Grandfather's Stir-Fried Soybean Sprouts	82
	Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts and Yellow Chives	83
	Lotus Root Stir-Fry	84
	Stir-Fried Egg and Chinese Chives	85
	Stir-Fried Five Spice Tofu and Vegetables	86
	Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli	87
	Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli and Bacon	88
	Braised Taro and Chinese Bacon	89
	Stir-Fried Long Beans with Red Bell Peppers	90
	Long Bean Stir-Fry	91
	Stir-Fried Amaranth	92
	Stir-Fried Water Spinach	93
	Stir-Fried Cloud Ears and Luffa	94
	Eggplant in Garlic Sauce	95
	Stir-Fried Bitter Melon and Beef	96
	Vegetable Lo Mein	97
	Stuffed Fuzzy Melon	98
	Braised Fuzzy Melon with Scallops	99
	Cooking as a Meditation	100
	The Art of Celebration
	The Good Omen of a Fighting Fish	103
	Poached Steelhead Fish	108
	Stir-Fried Bok Choy	109
	White-Cut Chicken	110
	Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce	111
	Stir-Fried Snow Pea Shoots	112
	Glazed Roast Squab	113
	Shark's Fin Soup	114
	Oyster-Vegetable Lettuce Wraps	116
	Stir-Fried Garlic Lettuce	117
	Pepper and Salt Shrimp	118
	Sweet and Sour Pork	119
	Eight Precious Sweet Rice	120
	Stir-Fried Scallops with Snow Peas and Peppers	122
	New Year's Foods and Traditions	123
	Buddha's Delight	126
	Turnip Cake	128
	Taro Root Cake	130
	New Year's Cake	132
	Water Chestnut Cake	134
	Nom Yu Peanuts	136
	Candied Walnuts	137
	Sesame Balls	138
	Sweetened Red Bean Paste	139
	A Day Lived as if in China	140
	Fancy Winter Melon Soup	143
	West Lake Duck	146
	Braised Nom Yu and Taro Duck	148
	Stuffed Chicken Wings	150
	Savory Rice Tamales	152
	Sweet Rice Tamales	154
	Pork Dumplings	156
	Won Ton	158
	Pot Stickers	160
	Shrimp Dumplings	162
	Stuffed Noodle Rolls	164
	Spring Rolls	166
	Scallion Cakes	168
	Dutiful Daughter Returns Home	170
	Salt-Roasted Chicken	173
	Soy Sauce Chicken	174
	Chinese Barbecued Pork	176
	Barbecued Spareribs	178
	Roast Duck	180
	Chinese Bacon	182
	Uncle Tommy's Roast Turkey	184
	Mama's Rice Stuffing	186
	Turkey Porridge	188
	Achieving Yin-Yang Harmony
	Cooking as a Healing Art	191
	Walnut Soup	196
	Green Mung Bean Soup	197
	Foxnut Soup	198
	Sesame Tong Shui	199
	Lotus Seed "Tea"	200
	Sweetened Red Bean Soup	201
	Peanut Soup	202
	Almond Soup	203
	Dried Sweet Potato Soup	204
	Sweet Potato and Lotus Seed Soup	205
	Dragon Eye and Lotus Seed "Tea"	206
	Double-Steamed Papaya and Snow Fungus Soup	207
	Double-Steamed Asian Pears	208
	Homemade Soy Milk	209
	Savory Soy Milk	210
	Fresh Fig and Honey Date Soup	211
	Soybean and Sparerib Soup	212
	Dried Fig Apple, and Almond Soup	213
	Ching Bo Leung Soup	214
	Green Turnip Soup	215
	Four Flavors Soup	216
	Chayote Carrot Soup	217
	Watercress Soup	218
	Yen Yen's Winter Melon Soup	219
	Herbal Winter Melon Soup	220
	Mustard Green Soup	221
	Gingko Nut Porridge	222
	Snow Fungus Soup	224
	American Ginseng Chicken Soup	225
	Baba's Mama's Dong Quai and Restorative Foods	226
	Dong Quai Soup	230
	Lotus Root Soup	231
	Korean Ginseng Soup	232
	Homemade Chicken Broth	234
	Double-Steamed Black Chicken Soup	235
	Chicken Wine Soup	236
	Pickled Pig's Feet	238
	Beef and White Turnip Soup	240
	Shopping like a Sleuth	241
	Glossary	246
	Index	269