Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking: 200 Traditional Recipes from 11 Chinatowns Around the World

by Martin Yan

When it comes to Chinese cooking, no one has as much culinary talent and encyclopedic knowledge as Martin Yan. That talent and knowledge are presented here in Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking, a companion volume to his new public television series. Martin takes you on an unforgettable culinary journey through the gates of eleven Chinatowns around the world. Visit the streets, shops, homes, and restaurants you would never experience without Martin as your guide. From London to San Francisco to Yokohama, Martin introduces shopkeepers, chefs, and home cooks who, for the first time, share their cooking secrets. And as you travel the globe with Martin, you'll discover how Chinese food is different in Macau, Singapore, and Sydney. Each of the eleven cities is featured along with a list of Martin's favorite restaurants and his favorite dishes and house specialties. Learn Martin's tips for ordering in Chinese restaurants and dim sum parlors. Discover how Chinese food and culture are inextricably linked, as Martin explains the significance of traditional festivals and their accompanying symbolic foods. Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking has stunning full-color photography throughout and recipes that make it easy for cooks to create more than two hundred dishes at home, from takeout favorites such as Kung Pao Chicken to restaurant classics such as Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Green Onions. Exotic-sounding recipes like Good Fortune Fish Chowder, Flower Drum Crab Baked in the Shell, and Double Harmony Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce are made easy. Don't live near a Chinatown? Try your hand at making your own Roast Duck, Char Siu (barbecued pork), and Gin Doi (sweet sesame balls with duck). Martin makes the exotic familiar by offering tips on unfamiliar ingredients and specific techniques in combination with Chinatown history and culture. Whether you end up cooking a dish at home or enjoying it in your nearest Chinatown neighborhood, Martin teaches you all you need to know about Chinese cuisine and culture. Travel with Martin Yan through a world of Chinatowns and satisfy your taste for adventure with Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, China, Food and Drink

400 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Martin Yan (Chinese: 甄文達) is a Chinese-born Hong Kong-American chef and food writer. He has hosted his award-winning PBS-TV cooking show Yan Can Cook since 1982.

Reviews

[Kellea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook because it's not just a cookbook, it's a travel guide through all of the different Chinatown's and great Chinese restaurants around the world. What I also like about this book is that Martin Yan provides with a primer on Chinese cooking, the primary ingredients, and a history lesson all at once. I would definitely add this to my cookbook shelf or to my travel log.

[Scott Benowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who have read "Martin Yan's Culinary Journey Through China" (1997), this book is something very different, but equally interesting. Whereas in "Martini Yan's Culinary Journey Through China," as the title implies, Martin Yan had explored Chinese food throughout different regions of the PRC, in this book, Martin Yan explores how people prepare Chinese cuisine in neighborhoods which have sizeable Chinese populations in several different cities which are located outside of China.
You don't need to possess any knowledge of various techniques in preparing Chinese recipes to enjoy this book. Martin Yan presents his description of Chinese cuisine in this book in a manner that people who don't possess any culinary skills whatsoever will still enjoy this book. Personally, I possess zero (0) cooking skills whatsoever, and I still enjoyed this book. As Martin Yan used to say at the conclusion of his television show, "If Yan can cook, so can you!"

[Dray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "around the world" is the best part of this book. An excellent sampling of some major Chinese areas, each with their own distinct flavorings and style.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cookbooks are some of my favorite history books. There's nothing like food to teach you where people come from, what's important to them and how they live their daily lives. Chinese cooking was a mystery to me until Martin Yan arrived! My kids ALWAYS eat chinese food (including their vegetables) and now I'm to the point of improvising as I create my own take on chinese dishes. The instructions range from very simple to complicated if you're feeling ambitious and there's truly something for everyone in this book.

[Charcoal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the recipes in the book look good. I've never heard of many of the recipes in this book. I would consider trying to make some of the recipes in this book, but many of them look rather involved. The other problem is that this book didn't have enough pictures of the finished items.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of typos, but an okay collection nevertheless.

[Johnny Galt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Own a signed copy dedicated to me. Once again, how can you not love that.