Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine: The Fabulous Flavors and Innovative Recipes of North America's Finest Chinese Cook

by Susanna Foo

Susanna Foo has been consistently acclaimed for her stunning interpretations of Chinese food and hailed as one of America’s best chefs by publications as diverse as Esquire, Food & Wine, and USA Today. In this book, she shares the revolutionary recipes that established her reputation, from Crab Sui Mei with Red Bell Pepper Sauce to Soy-Braised Cornish Hens. Each one relies on straightforward preparation and easily available ingredients, illustrating Foo’s belief that good Chinese food is every bit as easy to prepare as Italian food and relies on the same principles of simplicity and freshness.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1995

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is certainly interesting and useful information in this book, but the recipes themselves leave me wanting. I'm planning on trying a few more, but the results thus far have been lackluster.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dear departed aunt gave me this book one Christmas nearly a decade ago. And since then, I haven't viewed cuisine in quite the same way ... much less Chinese cuisine. Reading Foo's descriptions of her food's origins taught me that each cook's repertoire and product really exist as the end result of their culinary journey. (I was young and naive then, forgive me.) Foo's dishes are precisely the result of her journey, and I commend her for placing that fact squarely in her book. To talk of or deride a cook's food as bastardized is to overlook the possibilities of food preparation and the origins of some the most loved dishes the world over. After all, the heavenly Trinidadian pelau wouldn't exist without the engenuity to mix Chinese, Spanish and Indian techniques and ingredients.

Now for the food. I truly adore her vegetable preparations. The green beans w dried shrimp, eggplant "salsa" and daikon with brussel sprouts and dried scallop have become regulars in my reportoire. They also tend to be inexpensive and satisfying. The orange beef with sundried tomatoes is a knockout. Also worth adoring is her version of scallion pancakes; they trump the highly oily and gelatinous versions found in even the best of Chinese restaurants. My only quibble is that if followed to a T, a few of the recipes can become too oily despite Foo's own concern to make light dishes. Also, the directions for Shanghai vegetable rice cooks the rice too quickly leaving it soggy and undercooked. But despite this, most of the recipes are easily adjusted to one's own tastes and locked into memory.

Take a chance on this book if you are willing to explore a lighter, less corn syrup laden direction American-Chinese food can take. It'll be a tasty journey.

[Steven Tomcavage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best Chinese cookbook for an American audience that I've come across. The recipes are top notch, and the glimpses into Susanna Foo's childhood in China are worth the price of admission. The only thing I have to add is when she lists balsamic vinegar, use black vinegar if you can find it. She only mentions it in passing, but balsamic is a substitute that she made for American audiences. Seek out a Chinese grocery store and make the recipes in this book, then throw out the phone number of that take-out place.

[Pia Vidal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book about 20 years ago. I've never stopped using it. I've moved around the world quite a bit and the book has come with me everywhere. It is not 100% tradicional Chinese. There is a fantastic fusion that makes the dishes delicate and special. I wish so much there was a Kindle edition. Much easier to carry around. Highly recommend.Some of my favorite recipes are:Veal Dumplings in Ancho Chile Sauce,Salmon Congee, Pan Seared Tofu with Scallions and Ginger,Baked Creamy Napa Cabbage and Scallion Pancakes, just to name an few.

[Eric Hines]

food & cooking

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The eBook version is horrible -- I highly recommend buying the printed book from your favorite book seller. It's available used on Amazon.