Product Description

The host of the popular PBS show, "Yan Can Cook," offers more than one hundred easy-to-prepare recipes for Chinese food, organized by region and adapted to American kitchens, along with notes on regional cuisine and photographs. Original. 50,000 first printing. Tour. IP.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #236033 in Books
• Published on: 1995-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

From Library Journal
In the companion book to the popular television chef's new series, Yan travels throughout his homeland from Beijing to Canton, exploring all the regional fare in between. The recipes that resulted from his trip are authentic but unintimidating versions of mostly homestyle Chinese food, with some restaurant and banquet dishes and typical fare from street vendors as well. Instructions are clear and concise, with simple line drawings of techniques, and there are lots of sidebars on food and culture, along with a lengthy ingredients glossary. Hints of Yan's antic TV personality appear in some of the sidebars, but in fact this is a serious and approachable culinary guidebook. For most collections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

My first and favorite chinese cookbook
I bought this book when it first came out after watching Martin Yan's cooking show on PBS. He's a great chef and teacher. I was lucky to buy this book as my first intro to chinese cooking. If I had bought another book, I might have been too intimidated. But Martin Yan's book of simple recipes with complex flavors was the perfect start to learn how to cook chinese. The recipes are easy, simple and delicious. You'll want to cook them over and over again, and before you know it, you'll begin to experiment on your own, using the simple techniques you learn in this book. I've made almost every recipe in it, and nearly every one has turned out great. From the pot-stickers to the soups to the salads to the stir-frys, all of them tasty and easy to make. The one thing I disagree with Martin Yan on is his saying "don't stare-fry, stir-fry," meaning that you should always keep stirring the food around in your wok (or fry pan). I've found many recipes benefit from a little charring here and there, so less stirring can often add tremendous flavor in some of the dishes. Anway, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have over the years! It's one of the best in this genre of cookbooks.

love it
I love this book. Not only is Martin Yan entertaining, he provides a look at his learning experience traveling through Asia and it's culinary history. There is also great information on building an Asian pantry, what supplies and cookware you need, ingredient information and how to use everything. Recipes are very easy to follow and he provides easy directions. Your favorites are a lot easier to cook at home than you'd think!

Best on my shelf
This is my most used cookbook. Great explanations and easy instructions. Anyone can with this cookbook.