Secrets of the Master Chefs of China

“This unique and lavishly illustrated cookbook is the most complete and authentic guide to the art of Chinese cookery as it is practised in the People’s Republic today, and the only one that has step-by-step instructions in full colour. The 140 recipes, which include popular regional dishes as well as the classical cuisine of the imperial courts, have been selected from the repertoire of the most honoured contemporary chefs in the capital city of Beijing. …

Much more than a cookbook, Secrets of the Master Chefs of China provides the reader with a splendid four-colour cultural and historical cook’s tour of China that includes:
* Biographical portraits of sixteen of the most skilled Chinese chefs, with personal anecdotes and cooking tips, and colour glimpses of the restaurants they have made famous
* A guide to Chinese ingredients with suggested Western substitutions
* An illustrated step-by-step “chef’s manual” of instructions for the use of the utensils, explanations of the various methods of cooking, with demonstrations of cutting techniques used to prepare the delicately shaped raw vegetables, fish and meat
* The culture of food: table manners, banquet protocol, food sculpture, and the ancient lore of the nutritional and medicinal uses of food
* And, of course, the recipes themselves: each of the 140 dishes includes its name in Chinese characters as well as English, a colour photograph of the finished dish, and step-by-step colour photos of the techniques used to prepare, garnish, and serve the dish

This book is as rich, colourful, exotic and exquisitely presented as the food itself. It is an essential reference for professional and amateur cooks alike, as well as a splendid look at the state of the art of Chinese cooking.”