What is Easy Chinese Cookbook about?
Easy Chinese Cookbook is a home-cooking guide for making Chinese American restaurant favorites with simpler methods. It focuses on helping readers re-create takeout-style dishes at home with accessible ingredients and practical workarounds.
Who wrote Easy Chinese Cookbook?
Easy Chinese Cookbook was written by Chris Toy. He has taught Asian cooking for over 30 years and learned Chinese cooking in his family’s home and restaurant kitchens.
How many recipes are in Easy Chinese Cookbook?
The book includes over 85 recipes. They cover appetizers, soups, poultry, beef, pork, seafood, tofu, noodles, fried rice, sauces, and desserts.
What kinds of Chinese dishes are in this cookbook?
The cookbook includes Chinese takeout favorites like egg rolls, pot stickers, wonton soup, General Tso’s chicken, beef and broccoli, fried rice, lo mein, and sweet and sour dishes. It also includes sauces, condiments, and a few desserts.
Does Easy Chinese Cookbook focus on authentic Chinese food or Chinese takeout dishes?
It mainly focuses on re-creating classic Chinese American takeout dishes at home. The book also explains some regional Chinese flavor bases and the history behind certain dishes.
Is Easy Chinese Cookbook beginner-friendly?
Yes, this cookbook is designed to make Chinese home cooking feel more approachable. It explains tools, pantry basics, cooking methods, substitutions, and workarounds for home cooks.
Do I need a wok to use this cookbook?
No, you do not need a wok to cook from this book. It gives alternatives such as a large cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or other oven-safe pans for stir-frying, deep-frying, and roasting.
Does the book explain Chinese cooking techniques?
Yes, it includes guidance on stir-frying, deep-frying without a deep fryer, steaming rice without a rice cooker, seasoning a wok, and using common Chinese kitchen tools. It also explains flavor bases like Cantonese, Sichuan, and Hunan.
Are the ingredients in Easy Chinese Cookbook hard to find?
No, the book is built around relatively accessible ingredients. It says most pantry items can be found at local grocery stores, with Asian markets or online sources suggested for anything less common.
Does Easy Chinese Cookbook include ingredient substitutions?
Yes, many recipes include substitution tips and shortcuts. The book also includes troubleshooting notes and heat-level guidance to help readers adjust recipes.
Are there quick recipes in this cookbook?
Yes, many recipes are labeled "30 Minutes or Less." That makes it easier to find faster meals and sides for weeknight cooking.
Does the book include vegetarian recipes?
Yes, the cookbook includes vegetarian recipes and labels them clearly. Examples include spring rolls, egg drop soup, vegetarian mapo tofu, Buddha’s Delight, and several vegetable dishes.
Does Easy Chinese Cookbook include gluten-free or soy-free recipes?
Yes, some recipes are labeled gluten-free or soy-free. The book also advises readers with allergies to check packaged ingredient labels carefully.
Will this cookbook help me make takeout-style food at home on a budget?
Yes, one of the book’s goals is to help readers make takeout-style meals at home more affordably. It emphasizes easy recipes, accessible ingredients, and budget-conscious home cooking.
Does Easy Chinese Cookbook include menus or meal ideas?
Yes, it includes a "Home Takeout Menus" appendix. It offers themed meal ideas such as DIY dim sum, a Chinese New Year feast, Sichuan night, classic Cantonese takeout, and vegetarian takeout.
If I want to make Chinese restaurant favorites like egg rolls, fried rice, and lo mein, will this book help?
Yes, this book is specifically built around restaurant-style favorites made for home cooks. It includes recipes for egg rolls, fried rice, lo mein, chow mein, dumplings, and many familiar takeout dishes.
