I found this book by going to all the local bookstores and purchasing every Chinese cookbook that had a receipe for Orange Chicken. After making and tasting each book's Orange Chicken recipe, I decided this book had the best tasting recipe for Orange Chicken.
Since then, I've made almost all the pork and chicken recipes in this book, and rate almost all the recipes I've tried as atleast good or better. I gave this book a 5-star rating because I have yet to see a cookbook with such a high percentage of good or better tasting recipes.
The only negative comments I can make are: every recipe is going to call out some ingredients that are not in the normal american/european grocery market but can be found in most asian grocery markets, and about half of the effort in making the recipes is going to be spent on the counter gathering and preparing the ingredients. Once everything is prepared and put in place, most of the recipes are to be cooked in a wok within a few minutes. I have an electric stove and found a large flat bottom pan works well as the wok.
The author, Eileen Yin-Fei Lo should be given the Queen of Sauce award if there was one, and Julia Child would have to settle for second place. I found the sauces are what makes each recipe in this book shine.
Review #2
For serious cooks
This is a great cookbook and also a wonderful read. It would be the perfect Chinese cookbook if it had more photos.
I've tried twenty or so recipes so far and every one of them turned out perfect. :)
Precise, easy to follow instructions.
Review #3
cha siu recipe good
the cha siu and the siu mai recipe in this book were really good. i checked this book out at the library first before i bought it, but i liked enough of the recipes that got my own copy.
