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Fuschia Dunlop's "Land of Plenty" is a wonderful cookbook of traditional Sichuan (Szechuan) foods. Take it from a from a fanatical foodie who doesn't read Chinese, it is hands down one of best book of traditional Chinese cookbooks I've found. Being the only non-chinese person to train in Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine, she gives a Western voice to all the lovely and mysterious dishes gazing back to us from the lazy susan. In many ways, she has been allowed to train at the Shaolin Temple of Culinary Arts where techniques have been perfected and passed down thousands of years to a disciplined few. The book contains a helpful glossary of terms in English and Chinese and beautifully explains the poetic nature of the Chinese in naming their dishes. There are also cooking techniques and correct chopping methods for vegetables. Designed to be part cookbook, part history lesson, the book is meant to be read cover to cover before diving in and trying to attempt a dish like Sichuan Hot Pot. The recipes flow from one to another with the reader learining more technique and history as they progress to more difficult dishes. It is no wonder that Chinese chefs are also known by the same moniker as martial art masters (Sifu). Some recipes are reletively simple, others are, (like the featured Sichuan Pepper), numbingly difficult. Also, the table of contents and index will not be helpful unless you already knows the names of the dishes or how they are catagorized. Good luck trying to find an interesting recipe by looking up, "tofu" or "chicken", because the kids will have already called for a pizza before you've turned your stove on. Like a kung-fu kick, it is easy to simply kick, harder to do it correctly, and years to perfect. Yet Fuschia Dunlops, "Land of Plenty" will make you want to keep kicking long after the master has gone to bed.Read full review
I know I bought a book without a dust cover but I think the picture should match the item Other than that everything was fine
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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