Comments on: The Chinese Cookbook Project http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/01/25/the-chinese-cookbook-project/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:49:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on The Chinese Cookbook Project by: Tom S. http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/01/25/the-chinese-cookbook-project/#comment-8320 Fri, 27 Oct 2006 19:03:04 +0000 http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2005/01/25/the-chinese-cookbook-project/#comment-8320 Once again, it seems like, for different reasons, we have followed a similar path. My daughters have a number of my books, but neither has shown the interest in Chinese food that I have, but both enjoy it when I cook it. I have MOST of the books you mentioned, already. Some I found easily, and some I stumbled across in various used bookstores. Books are one of my major vices. Luckily, my wife hasn't complained (yet!). I suppose she realizes that it's better than "wine, women, and song"! I have some you haven't mentioned that I have found interesting, if not always the most useful. I have several of the Wei-Chuan cookbooks. These are bilingual and include all sorts of subjects. More than anything else, they remind me of the sorts of things that Betty Crocker publishes, i.e., books aimed at Taipei housewives to solve an immediate need: getting a meal on the table TONIGHT! I assume you are familiar with Wei-Chuan. Another interesting book is "Fu Pei Mei's Chinese Cooking" from Shufunotomo Co., Japan, 1992. It is in English, but also includes some Chinese, where appropriate, e.g., the names of 24 cooking methods are given, both in transliterated form and in Chinese characters. Each dish is illustrated in a color photo showing its finished appearance. This book would be very difficult to learn to cook from. For what it's worth, I was first REALLY introduced to Chinese cooking when I was in Japan during the Korean War (I flew in Navy patrol bombers). The Japanese enjoyed Chinese food and it was a revelation to me. I had eaten in a number of Chinese-American restaurants which I considered very exotic. Both Japanese and Chinese food were very appealing to me, and I have continued to learn more about each as I get older. I am still looking for a book like the one you want for your daughter. Perhaps you should WRITE it. I really think you should. You write with clarity and style and with your culinary background, you have a good feel for what a cook needs to know. I realize that time is something in very short supply in your house now, but perhaps sometime in the future you might consider it. Regards... Tom Asst. Professor (Retired!) Information Technolgy Once again, it seems like, for different reasons, we have followed a similar path. My daughters have a number of my books, but neither has shown the interest in Chinese food that I have, but both enjoy it when I cook it.

I have MOST of the books you mentioned, already. Some I found easily, and some I stumbled across in various used bookstores.

Books are one of my major vices. Luckily, my wife hasn’t complained (yet!). I suppose she realizes that it’s better than “wine, women, and song”!

I have some you haven’t mentioned that I have found interesting, if not always the most useful. I have several of the Wei-Chuan cookbooks. These are bilingual and include all sorts of subjects. More than anything else, they remind me of the sorts of things that Betty Crocker publishes, i.e., books aimed at Taipei housewives to solve an immediate need: getting a meal on the table TONIGHT! I assume you are familiar with Wei-Chuan.

Another interesting book is “Fu Pei Mei’s Chinese Cooking” from Shufunotomo Co., Japan, 1992. It is in English, but also includes some Chinese, where appropriate, e.g., the names of 24 cooking methods are given, both in transliterated form and in Chinese characters. Each dish is illustrated in a color photo showing its finished appearance. This book would be very difficult to learn to cook from.

For what it’s worth, I was first REALLY introduced to Chinese cooking when I was in Japan during the Korean War (I flew in Navy patrol bombers). The Japanese enjoyed Chinese food and it was a revelation to me. I had eaten in a number of Chinese-American restaurants which I considered very exotic. Both Japanese and Chinese food were very appealing to me, and I have continued to learn more about each as I get older.

I am still looking for a book like the one you want for your daughter.

Perhaps you should WRITE it. I really think you should. You write with clarity and style and with your culinary background, you have a good feel for what a cook needs to know.

I realize that time is something in very short supply in your house now, but perhaps sometime in the future you might consider it.

Regards…

Tom

Asst. Professor (Retired!)
Information Technolgy

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