Chinese Food: inexpensive, nutritious, delicious... and fun!

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AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHINESE FOOD AND COOKING, Wonona W. and Irving B. Chang, Helen W. and Austin H. Kutscher, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1970, $17.50.

Though expensive, this book will justify its cost to anyone seriously considering CF cooking. ENCYCLOPEDIA is loaded with information about CF cooking methods and ingredients and includes 1,000 recipes grouped according to the meat (chicken, beef, pork, fish, etc.) used. The book also lists the province in China from which individual recipes originate and describes the characteristics of the food in each province.

The ENCYCLOPEDIA is further noteworthy for the special dietary (for example, recipes for diabetics) recipes it contains and the authors do not include the use of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in any of the recipes. MSG, a seasoning powder frequently used in CF cooking, has recently been found to have harmful side effects on some people who eat it.

If you want to put all your CF cookbook money into one book, this is the one to purchase. If you can't afford it, at least check ENCYCLOPEDIA out of the library and copy the recipes you want. If you're like me, though, you'll just have to purchase this one.

THE FINE ART OF CHINESE COOKING, Dr. Lee Su Jan, Gramercy Publishing Company, New York, $4.00.

Next to the ENCYCLOPEDIA, this is my favorite cookbook and I'm indebted to it for my Honey Chicken recipe which has always been favorably received. Though FINE ART normally retails for $4.00, I got mine from The American Book Club for one dollar and, at that price, it's a real bargain. FINE ART includes a good section on vegetable cookery.

THE CHINESE COOKBOOK, Wallace Yee Hong, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1962, $3.00.
A good book with a recipe format similar to that of the ENCYCLOPEDIA but I wouldn't buy it if I had both of the above.

CHINESE GASTRONOMY, Hsiang Ju Lin, Tsuifeng Lin, Hastings House, $10.00.
This guide deals with fancy cuisine and it's nice to have around for special occasions. I've extracted several recipes from CHINESE GASTRONOMY which I use when I want to feel as if I'm preparing more than the average, daily fare.

OTHER CHINESE COOKBOOKS:

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF ORIENTAL COOKING, Myra Waldo, David McKay Company, $4.95.
THE PLEASURES OF CHINESE COOKING, Grace Zia Chu, Pocket Book, 1969, $.75.
CHINESE COOK BOOK, Myra Waldo, MacMillan, $5.95.
THE CHINESE-KOSHER COOKBOOK, Ruth and Bob Grossman, Pocket Book, 1970, $.75.
THE WOK, Gary Lee, Nitty Gritty Books, 1970, $4.00.
THE SECRETS OF CHINESE COOKING, Tsuifeng and Hsiangju Lin, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood-Cliffs, N.J., 1960, $3.95.

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