Essential for Szechuan dishes, but also a LOT more
932156
The quality and flavor of this sauce is excellent. As others have said it's salty and not too hot. It's the flavors that sold me on this. It also sparked a few ideas for dishes that are from a different part of the world.

I have found that topping a Mediterranean eggplant sauce like caponata with this greatly enhances the flavor and gives that dish a little spice boost. It's also perfect as the base of lentil and bean dishes. And it should go without saying that there are numerous Szechuan dishes that require this sauce.

Back to the salt. It's prominent in the flavor profile, but the actual sodium content of a teaspoon size serving is only 310mg. That is not something you want to brag about to your cardiologist, but it's also less than half the content of many other sauces.

The chilis add a lot to the flavor and are mild. That is the beauty of this. If you love your meals scorching hot, but are cooking for folks who do not, set aside some for you and like minded folks. Saute some bird's eye chilies in a little oil, add in some Szechuan peppercorns, and then this sauce.

If you need this for a recipe then this is an excellent brand. I purchase a lot of products from it and have never been disappointed. However, do not limit yourself to Asian cuisine because this sauce works wonderfully with others too.
2338534
I've had this book since the 70's, and it is the one chinese cookbook that I return to again and again (I have about 20 chinese cookbooks). Organized by cooking methods rather than food type or regional cooking styles, you may never get past the stir-fry-toss chapter into the chinese cooking that you won't find at most eateries.
There are excellent chapters on cutting up vegetables and meats, chinese ingredients, and equipment and utensils -- and that's before you even get to a recipe.
A classic recipe like 'Sliced Pork with Vegetables' will have many variations on the meat and vegetables following it (17 versions) many of these are generic, 'leafy vegetables' or 'root type vegetables' making for dozens of versions as you change the vegetables alone using what's available in the markets. This recipe produces such variations as 'Sliced Lamb with Winter Melon' and 'Sliced Beef with Scallions' based on technique, these dishes are fundamentally the same with small adjustments in seasonings, cooking times and liquids. Classic Braised Poultry (chicken, duck or squab) or Classic Braised Meat (pork, beef or lamb) can be prepared in the styles of Peking, Canton, Shanghai or Szechuan. There are 5 pages of variations of the recipe that follow the simple two paragraphs of prep and cooking instructions. That's about 120 variations based on what you can find at your market.
You won't find General's Chicken here, but do make the Spiced Beef Shreds and taste what Shredded Beef Szechuan is supposed to be. Peking Pressed Duck (a tender boned crispy nonfatty duck with a light sweet sauce) and Peking Grand Fowl (a duck or small turkey boned whole and stuffed with a boned fryer stuffed with a boned squab) is a wonder to bring to the table as you slice neatly through all the different meats. There are simple and tasty dishes such as 'Diced Chicken with Zucchini and Hoisin Sauce, 5 ingredients including the cooking oil, and 5 minutes cooking time. You can cut up the chicken and zucchini while the rice cooks.
I remember visiting a good friend at college and making Lo Mien noodles from scratch for everyone in his apartment. I still bone out a turkey at Thanksgiving (as instructed in this book for the Peking Grand Fowl) to have a good laugh when I cut it cross-wise with no bones in it at all. This is the book you should have to understand Chinese cookery, and it's a shame it is out of print. Mine's falling apart, and I just ordered a replacement.
459980
Southern Casseroles: Comforting Pot-Lucky Dishes has great tips, from giving alternate sized cookware for your casseroles, to freezer to table hints.  There are basic recipes, building blocks to other dishes, such as Classic White Sauce (p. 24), Go-to Marinara Sauce (p. 27), and Nice Rice (p. 28).  This cookbook provides the tools that readers need to make great tasting recipes.  I like how the author gives tips for lightening up the dishes, as traditional Southern cooking has a reputation for being unhealthy.

There are recipes that readers will expect to see, like Sissy's Spicy Shrimp and Cheese Grits (p. 57) and nontraditional offerings like Supreme Chicken, Corn, and Black Bean Enchiladas (p. 67).  Some of the recipes, however, like Frito Pie (p. 77), would be better served if accompanied by a photo.  Non-southern readers may not be familiar with a dish such as this one and a photo would be inspirational.

My favorite savory recipe is Homespun Chicken Pot Pie (p. 109), as it is comfort food at its best.  My favorite sweet offering is Two-Bread Pudding with Honey-Bourbon Sauce, as the mixture of the breads provides an interesting taste and texture.  Finally, a great addition to any meal is So-Nice Broccoli Rice Casserole (p. 151), with its homemade cheese sauce.  Overall, this is a good cookbook with a few basic recipes that may entice readers.  Pictures of the finished dishes, however, would have elevated Southern Casseroles to more than just merely average.
3219175
The Cuban Table is a wonderful cookbook about Cuban regional dishes. The images, stories, instruction, and presentation of the book are all very well done. The book feels substantial - the hard cover very thick and sturdy, the pages equally so. The pages are not glossy, but rather a nice matte finish.

I live in a city with a large Hispanic population, so most of the ingredients are pretty common. If you live in a smaller area, some of items may be harder to find, but not impossible. The most commonly used items are things like Spanish chorizo, plantains, and guava, among others. Most of the other ingredients are usually readily available. If you're on a specific diet, there probably won't be much in here for you. Many of the recipes are fatty, contain meat, flour, or fish. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of dishes you could prepare, but it'd be a hunt-and-peck.

All said and done, the Cuban Table is a wonderful book with great recipes, wonderful images and storytelling, as well as easy to follow instructions. If you're even the least bit curious about Cuban food, this book is worth picking up.
4201070
I just got the ebook from the library and upon scanning a few pages, I just knew this will be an instant classic for Chinese cooking. This book is well-paced for the Western reader interested in Chinese cooking. The sections are well laid out and gives a great foundation to make many successful meals.

My only drawback - that eel picture! But come one, this is authentic Chinese food and I know it's not all about chicken and pork.
1999243
I was surprised at the large quantities proposed in these recipes, but many are delicious and worth repeating even if I do have to reduce the recipe.  The book is divided into the customary sections with an intro that defines 'small plates' as 'unpretentious bites of robust and intense flavors, more substantial than a cocktail snack, not as hearty as an entree.  They are ideal for diners who are curious about flavor, adventurous about taste and who want to vary their dining experience. . .'  This was partly what I expected, but I also expected small quantities and these recipes are from 4-6 healthy servings up to 15, with sauce recipes making from 1-3 cups in most cases.  But wait--I am not serving an army--I'm usually serving one or two.  I can see the value of the larger quantities for people who intend to use them for entertaining, but otherwise excessive and more complicated than necessary (having to reduce the recipe).

My theory is that small quantities of really delicious food is as good for the waistline as it is for the palette and I hoped this book would help me with that.  In the flavor department, I am delighted with many of these recipes.  One salad, for example, was a combination I'd have never thought to try until I had it in a gourmet restaurant and was shocked by how incredible it was--watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumber with a light vinegar and oil type dressing.  I couldn't get over it and was eager to repeat it at home, so when I found this combination as a recipe in the book (different dressing but close enough) I was enthusiastic about trying others.

So far I haven't been disappointed with any of the recipes.  The 'Holiday Spiced Game Hens' includes cranberry or pomegranate juice, honey, coriander, cinnamon, allspice and garlic and produces a heavenly warmth that combines elements of international cuisine with more traditional flavors for something really special. I look forward to making the Grilled Salmon with Mushroom Pinot Noir Sauce and the Fireworks Vegetable and Seafood Salad (includes toasted sesame oil and soy sauce with crabmeat and scallops). I ended up turning down so many pages with recipes I want to try, I sort of defeated the purpose :).

The pictures are really beautiful and offer ideas for presentation.  Happily for me, there are not many recipes that include red meat, which I'm allergic to, so I am getting more value from this book than many that are heavy on meat dishes.  Even most of these could be made with poultry like the Beef Tenderloin Kebobs with Roquefort-Rosemary Sauce.  The seafood recipes are to-die-for good like the Sesame-Coated Tuna with Wasabi Mayonnaise.

Although there are some more exotic ingredients used in these recipes, most can be found in a well-stocked kitchen or are readily available.

Bottom line: I am very pleased with the fare in this cookbook, but disappointed that I'll have to calculate recipes to get smaller quantities since I expected `small plates' to mean small quantities, hence my purchase.  This is not meant as a speed cookbook, but I didn't find the prep daunting in any recipes I've made so far.  I do wish there was storage info included should I want to make the larger quantity and freeze some for later use.  I recommend this cookbook for those who want something a little unusual for themselves (and are willing to get out the calculator to adjust the recipes), but especially for those who regularly entertain a crowd of sophisticated diners.
757895
Several years ago I decided I would learn to cook Chinese food.  I was engaged to a wonderful Chinese woman (who is now my wife).  She loves good Chinese food but doesn't cook very well.  I'm American, and I didn't know  how to cook any kind of food, Chinese or American.  I started with this  book, studied it, and went to the local Asian grocery.  Pretty soon, I was  competently cooking real Chinese food that my wife liked a lot(and I like  it too!).
The book is bilingual in English and Chinese, and every recipe  has a photograph to help you arrange it and see approximately how it should  look.  The instructions are generally simple and well organized.  The  recipes tend to be on the simple side, not particularly elaborate.  Where  some cookbooks will call for a recipe to have 4 steps and 12 ingredients,  this one may call for 3 steps and 9 ingredients.
Nevertheless some of  my most reliable and delicious recipes come from this book.  The Ma Po Tofu  recipe is quick and excellent for example. I notice that the book is  reticent to call for large amounts of spices, especially for Sichuan  dishes.  So just double or triple the amount of hot bean paste, garlic,  etc. if you like.
One drawback I've noticed in this book and the  publisher's series is the tendency for the binding to fail, allowing pages  to become loose. It doesn't matter that much because if you like it as much  as I do, you'll have grease and sauce on the pages anyway.
4947518
A very nice collection of recipes with good information about historical cookbooks, ingredients, measures etc. not only for European but also Far Eastern cuisine. The authors made a great effort by trying various versions of preparation for each recipe before they included the best in the collection. All the recipes are given in (partly translations of) the original plus a modern version, i. e. with exact measures and times (which are often not provided in the originals).
3296615
I have many Chinese Food cookbooks. This book had very good Cantonese comfort food dim sum items, which I've tried cooking with excellent results. Advanced cooks will appreciate these recipes by applying their skills and techniques to perfect the dim sum, such as the Nine Layer Pudding, Taro Cake, Daikon Radish Cake. Novice cooks will learn to cook the basic dim sum with authentic seasoning.
482145
Seems to be exactly the kind of recipes you'd find in an authentic sichuan restaurant.  You'll find typos in some places in the book, but just imagine reading it with a Chinese accent and you'll figure it out.  Ex: power=powder
877645
I basically got this and a few other Chinese cookbooks from my parents when I moved out. I am half Taiwanese and love Chinese food, especially snacks and street food. Where I live now, I can get Cantonese dim sum, but not any other kinds of snacks and so once in a while, when I've got a full day, I will go through this book and make one of the recipes that I miss most. I am not exagerating when I say that it usually takes a full half day or day to make some of these. It's especially tough when I make some dessert and then realize at the end of the day that despite a full day in the kitchen, I still need to cook dinner. Don't bother buying this book if you never spend more than half an hour in the kitchen at a time.

I do really love the recipes. There are shortcuts if you can buy pre-made wrappers (ex: wonton). And many of the snack are freezable so you can make a whole bunch for future eating pleasure! ex: shu-mai, leek turnovers, dumplings... Note some are not as freezable, ex:  yeast dough used for pork buns and red-bean paste buns.

I am not completely unfamiliar with Chinese cooking techniques so the recipes are easy for me to follow - the diagrams and simple pictures are sufficient for me. I do understand that it could be challenging if someone has no idea how what they're making is supposed to look like. Also, it does use ingredients, such as lard, that are not always found in US supermarkets.
I recommend this book for the home cook who either cannot get great Chinese snacks at the store or loves to cook and who once in a while has a day to devote to cooking.

My last point is about the Wei Chuan collection. I have this one and 2 on rice dishes. I like the way these books are organized and am thinking about buying one of the more general books, such as the one one Chinese Cuisine or Chinese Cooking for Beginners. Much of Chinese cooking (from observing my mother, grandmother and aunt) seems to be about tasting the food as you cook and eyeballing the amounts to put into the dishes. While the snack dishes require strict recipes, the other books were good for me to get an idea of the right ingredients to incorporate and approximate proportions. I'd love to know more about how others use the books, and which ones they like most.
3026748
Just when I think that I can get all the recipes I need on Pinterest, a captivating recipe book like this one draws me back to print. I love exotic cuisine, but it can be overwhelming to make. Joachim does a great job at bringing these flavors to you with ease - no airplane or expensive restaurant required. I like the organization of the recipes, which is by region - with detailed photographs of key ingredients. Since only recently acquiring the books, I have a handful of Asian dishes to make, like pork buns and a super amazing chicken tikka marsala. I did find the Eastern European section to be a bit lacking, but I have the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Treasured-Polish-Recipes-for-Americans/dp/1626549494/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Treasured Polish Recipes for Americans</a>&nbsp;to help there!
1822557
All the recipes in it are the authentic Chinese/Taiwanese dishes that you often eat in Taiwan but crave to have in US.  The steps are thorough and easy to understand.  After trying a few dishes, my kids just kept asking me to make more!

One important thing I like about this cookbook is the measurements of ingredients are not in grams, kilograms, or some Chinese/Taiwanese system which are used in all recipes that I purchased in Taiwan.  So this cookbook saved me lots of trouble to convert the units.  Furthermore, Amy made these dishes in US, I bet you can find these Chinese ingredients in most Chinese supermarkets.

I strongly recommend this cookbook!
737136
excellent product.hard to find in stores, glad I could find in the Amazon.
great with soups and stews, as well as homemade or takeout Chinese food.

The only reason I gave it four stars was because it seemed a little pricey.  Even for a box of 12.
4136135
An amazing collection of easy to follow, mouth-watering recipes augmented with photos and recollections of the great times had down on Tate Street back in the day. The Hong Kong House was legendary for their great food and now those dishes can live forever in your memory and in future meals.

One of the things I don't like about most cookbooks? I cant read the darn things without my glasses. Here the text is correctly sized and easy to read. And the directions are so concise even someone like myself, who knows nothing about cooking, can follow every recipe. Cant wait to try them all.  Get it!
3404460
Wanchai Ferry meals make cooking authentic Chinese in your own home very easy. Not to mention it tastes great.

The cashews in this kit are nice and crisp adding an element of crispness to the texture. The sauce is almost perfect. For those that like a little bit of spice you might want to add a tiny amount of crushed red chile...but overall a very delightful meal indeed. Easily rivals the quality of Chinese food in a restaurant, and definitely surpasses those cheap fake "Chinese" buffets.

Try Wanchai Ferry, I think you'll be surprised!
1155258
I don't know if anyone is actually going to read a review of Noodle soup, or base their decision upon my thumbs up or down.  But, for those of you that are agonizing whether or not to go  through on this important decision,  I can say you will not regret buying this, especially since it has instructions for microwave, as well as stove-top method.  Taste is robust, and noodles are as expected.  There is something highly suspicious, or maybe ironic, in labeling Spicy Szechuan Soup with a picture of "McDougall" on front.  Is there such a thing as an Irish Noodle?