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How to Cook and Eat in Chinese
The Beloved Classic is Back in Print! A Sampling of Glowing Reviews Tell Why How to Cook and Eat in Chinese is a Classic
"Each recipe (and there are hundreds) is lucidly written, the measurements and cooking times as accurate as any starched American home economist could wish for. . . . Having once cooked and eaten in Chinese with Mrs. Chao, one can easily understand why the authors of that great American cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, say, as they disparagingly present in their own book a recipe for Chop Suey, 'To get the feeling of true Chinese food, read Mrs. Buwei Yang Chao's delightful How to Cook and Eat in Chinese. '" -Michael Field, New York Review of Books "Something novel in the way of a cookbook. . . . [It] strikes us as being an authentic account of the Chinese culinary system, which is every bit as complicated as the culture that has produced it". - The New York Times "The Real I had (and well used) this book for years . . . I love Chinese food, and have read and sampled from dozens of Chinese cookbooks over the years, but this is still my favorite. How To Cook and Eat In Chinese is the real deal." -Amazon Review How to Cook and Eat in Chinese is "more than a It is the stage on which Mrs. Chao unfolds a personal, family, and cultural drama." -Janet Theophano, author Eat My Words "Funny! Interesting, unusual and funny. [This is] not just your regular cookbook in form or content. The recipes are good, original and the way the book is written is interesting. [It is] just as interesting to read it for pleasure, as to use as a cookbook." -Amazon Review "There is not a dish in its pages which an American . . . cannot produce, without qualms. . . . As for Mrs. Chao, I would like to nominate her for the Nobel Peace Prize. For what better road to universal peace is there than to gather around the table where new and delicious dishes are set forth, dishes which, though yet untasted by us, we are destined to enjoy and love?" -Pearl S. Buck
"Each recipe (and there are hundreds) is lucidly written, the measurements and cooking times as accurate as any starched American home economist could wish for. . . . Having once cooked and eaten in Chinese with Mrs. Chao, one can easily understand why the authors of that great American cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, say, as they disparagingly present in their own book a recipe for Chop Suey, 'To get the feeling of true Chinese food, read Mrs. Buwei Yang Chao's delightful How to Cook and Eat in Chinese. '" -Michael Field, New York Review of Books "Something novel in the way of a cookbook. . . . [It] strikes us as being an authentic account of the Chinese culinary system, which is every bit as complicated as the culture that has produced it". - The New York Times "The Real I had (and well used) this book for years . . . I love Chinese food, and have read and sampled from dozens of Chinese cookbooks over the years, but this is still my favorite. How To Cook and Eat In Chinese is the real deal." -Amazon Review How to Cook and Eat in Chinese is "more than a It is the stage on which Mrs. Chao unfolds a personal, family, and cultural drama." -Janet Theophano, author Eat My Words "Funny! Interesting, unusual and funny. [This is] not just your regular cookbook in form or content. The recipes are good, original and the way the book is written is interesting. [It is] just as interesting to read it for pleasure, as to use as a cookbook." -Amazon Review "There is not a dish in its pages which an American . . . cannot produce, without qualms. . . . As for Mrs. Chao, I would like to nominate her for the Nobel Peace Prize. For what better road to universal peace is there than to gather around the table where new and delicious dishes are set forth, dishes which, though yet untasted by us, we are destined to enjoy and love?" -Pearl S. Buck
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1943
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 28, 2015
The author of this book is an immigrant to the United States of America who has rendered sterling service to her adopted country. She is clearly a natural cook and communicator. Her book is well-structured and detailed. Her relaxed but precise style of writing is very readable, and very practical. There are no pictures; not that any are needed. The table of recipes is given in Chinese as well as in English, so one can even have fun drawing a menu out for friends coming round to dinner!
I love the very practical philosophy behind this book; for example “… but nothing takes the place of a little thinking. If you cannot get beef, get pork. If you cannot find an egg-beater, use your head” (p.15) (no, not to beat!). That practical ability to think on one’s feet is crucial in almost any walk of life – when dancing, piloting an aircraft, avoiding traffic jams, ... – and, of course, especially when cooking!
There’s a heart-warming quality of engagement and user-friendliness within this cook-book. It delivers much more than it’s slightly anodyne title might initially suggest. Enlightenment dawns; drawn from straightforward explanations as to how and why particular dishes are named; together with recommendations as to what dishes to group together. This is Chinese cookery that I feel that (if I wished) I could perfectly happily cook and eat all day, every day. For example, guidance is given as to what to cook with the different meats on a chicken. Nothing is wasted. It may be a factor of the age of this book, but here there are no hard-to-find ingredients or lack of substitutes.
In how many ways can I say that this book is really is a joy to read and cook from?
I love the very practical philosophy behind this book; for example “… but nothing takes the place of a little thinking. If you cannot get beef, get pork. If you cannot find an egg-beater, use your head” (p.15) (no, not to beat!). That practical ability to think on one’s feet is crucial in almost any walk of life – when dancing, piloting an aircraft, avoiding traffic jams, ... – and, of course, especially when cooking!
There’s a heart-warming quality of engagement and user-friendliness within this cook-book. It delivers much more than it’s slightly anodyne title might initially suggest. Enlightenment dawns; drawn from straightforward explanations as to how and why particular dishes are named; together with recommendations as to what dishes to group together. This is Chinese cookery that I feel that (if I wished) I could perfectly happily cook and eat all day, every day. For example, guidance is given as to what to cook with the different meats on a chicken. Nothing is wasted. It may be a factor of the age of this book, but here there are no hard-to-find ingredients or lack of substitutes.
In how many ways can I say that this book is really is a joy to read and cook from?
November 21, 2017
Let me begin by saying that I read a somewhat poorly scanned download from the Internet Archive, which interfered a bit with my pleasure in reading this excellent cookbook. I think I read the first or nearly the first edition. This is a charming book, with endearing bits of asides between its two authors. It’s also historically important, as the first cookbook to introduce real Chinese cooking to white Americans. Some cooking terms we all use now come from this book— stir frying, pot stickers—and a few others that didn’t make it. It’s a bit dated now, but most of the recipes are truly appetizing and are simply and clearly explained for home cooks. It’s not the least bit intimidating to read, and many cooks will find it inspiring.
February 24, 2019
I found this interesting less for the recipes, which are written for the kitchens and groceries and palates of the 1940s, than for the information from a Chinese woman about how Chinese meals are put together, what foods are usually served in what order, and what specialties are of different regions. I feel like it shed some light on things I have seen in older Chinese fiction, and makes me want a big chewy modern book about food culture in China, which I am sure I will find somewhere if I go looking.
June 15, 2020
This book has an interesting history, being one of the earlier books that aim to teach Americans about Chinese cooking. It also coined some of the English terms for words such as stir fry and pot stickers.
Was an enjoyable read and learned something new from the recipes, but perhaps too plain for someone who already has some ideas about Chinese cooking. Can someone write a book which covers the marvels of Chinese cooking already? Well, I guess I just have to keep looking.
Was an enjoyable read and learned something new from the recipes, but perhaps too plain for someone who already has some ideas about Chinese cooking. Can someone write a book which covers the marvels of Chinese cooking already? Well, I guess I just have to keep looking.
November 27, 2024
How do you star a classic that started before you were born and will outlast anything you might possibly come up with in your own life as a cultural paean to China or anywhere else? You don’t. This a thorough and complete historic analysis of Chinese food and how it can be authentically cooked in the USA, that exceeds in logic and precision of organization the Uniform Code of Military Justice? This author is not just astounding, she is outstanding.
May 13, 2012
Best Chinese cookbook I've ever bought. Picked this up at a used book sale (Friends of the Library) in 1980s, it's copyrighted in 1945. She wrote it in English and provides clear, precise directions. She also writes with humor and takes the time to explain why food is so central to Chinese culture.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews