Salt, Sugar, MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home

by Calvin Eng, Phoebe Melnick (primary contributor)

From the chef behind the groundbreaking Brooklyn restaurant Bonnie’s comes a cookbook featuring over 85 recipes that showcase his unique style of Chinese home cooking, a mashup of Americana and Cantonese classics, inspired by the flavors of his childhood.

As an American-born Cantonese kid, chef Calvin Eng grew up watching his mother, Bonnie, in the kitchen. Though he shied away from his culture as a kid, he later grew to love and embrace his unique upbringing as a primary source of inspiration in his cooking. He would go on to define his lauded culinary style through dishes that frequently defy tradition but are rooted in the Cantonese flavors of his childhood, a third-culture perspective now reflected in his debut cookbook.

Salt Sugar MSG is an introduction to Cantonese cooking through an American lens, drawing a thread from his mother’s cooking to what he cooks for his own family today. Some recipes stick closer to tradition, like Sizzling Steamed Fish with Seasoned Soy Sauce, Ham Yue Yook Beng (Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish), and Ginger Congee, while others upend expectations, like Salt & Pepper Pork Schnitzel with Chinese Ranch, Fuyu Cacio e Pepe Mein, and BLT Fried Rice. While these dishes may not look especially Cantonese at first glance, they certainly taste like it.

Written with his fiancée, Phoebe Melnick, Salt Sugar MSG is full of personal stories and practical tips and tricks as a loving ode to what it means to cook together as a Cantonese American family today.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food and Drink, Food, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published March 18, 2025

Reviews

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eng opens up the book with a table of contents and then jumps into the Introduction. Where he talks about his mother coming over from China and immigrating to New York to Manhattan's China Town. Where she lived in a small apartment with 5 other people. Eng talks about her meeting his dad and getting married. How he grew with a mix of Cantonese and American food. Thus began his journey to opening a restaurant and writing this cookbook. Next, he explains that the building blocks of Cantonese American Cooking are salt, sugar, MSG, ginger, garlic and scallion. You are now set to flavor any dish in this cookbook. Eng also includes a section about what to buy for your pantry and an equipment list to support this cookbook. Included in these sections are recipes for sauce, broth, and oils. Lastly, before you get to the recipes, he talks about how to become the most efficient home cook. The most important rule to become an efficient home cook is the proper preparation of your kitchen. Now let's jump into the recipes. The first one that I tried was the Malted Chocolate Waffles, they were absolutely delicious, and the recipe was easy to follow. The second recipe was the Milk Bread Buns, a great tasting bread to use for sandwiches. The next recipe that I tried was Shrimp Sticks, yum! What great flavor especially with the Ginger=Scallion Tartar Sauce. Then I made Beef Chow Fun, it was worth the prep, what great seasoning and tender meat. I would recommend this book for anyone that likes Cantonese cooking with a twist of Americana. A great addition to add to your cookbook shelf. Thank you to Clarkson Potter for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara Monaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Chinese cooking and cuisine, don't miss this book. The recipes are a combination of traditional and modern. There's a ton of information on everything related to Cantonese cooking. I especially like the section on "what to buy" with recommended brands as well as the recommendations for equipment and techniques. MSG gets a bad rap, so I really appreciate the information on what it does and how to use it as a flavor enhancer. The photography in the book is also beautiful. BTW, Clarkson Potter provided me with a complimentary copy of the book, but he opinions are mine.

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much. I bought it after seeing the author on GMA and was hyped to have it arrive. Then I started cooking from it and realised how poorly edited it was. Seriously. There are more than just a few missing words. Check out the Mac soup Mac salad recipe as an example - full sentences missing that make it difficult to put things together. For a book that is $35, this should not happen.

[Jessica]

I loved the narrative & author's voice / lived experiences that are woven throughout this book! My main recipe takeaway from this book is I finally found a foolproof congee recipe for myself! Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes were not aligned with my personal tastes (It's very Cantonese & American diner fusion style). There some typos & sentence issues in the edition I read.

[Kendall P · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off — beautiful component!! Def a coffee table/displayable cookbook.

Second - Recipes are well balanced and fun. This is not what I would call a “spring-board cookbook.” While some cookbooks feel *undercooked*, this one does not! Well fleshed out and properly seasoned. All smiles here.

[Ambur Taft · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fascinated by all the hot tips, his stories, and the detailed information about a few ingredients I was unsure of. If you love to cook, or just eat, Cantonese food this cookbook is a gem! There are a few things im very excited to try!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, even though there’s only a couple of recipes I’d like to try. I’d rather go to Bonnie’s in Williamsburg! So glad the author snuck a picture of his mom in the back of the book; I was waiting for it.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shoutout to Pringles being served as part of an entree.

[Kristin]

Excited to try some recipes in this book! As a Cantonese-American, a lot of the stories and recipes really hit home.

[bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

cookbook club book for the month!!! we will update with a star review after i have tried different recipes after our meeting 🧘🏻‍♀️