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Quick & Easy Chinese
by Nancie McDermott
Chronicle Books
ISBN 978-0-8118-5930-1
Published September 2008 - Softdcover - 184 pages - $19.95

I love a good Chinese meal, but I've never cooked anything authentically Chinese myself.  I've made stir-fries before, but the one thing I really would like to know how to make, is Hot and Sour Soup.  Nancie McDermott gives us a recipe but her ingredients differ from my local restaurant's.  In this book we have these categories to work from: Appetizers & Snacks; Soups; Chicken & Eggs; Beef; Pork; Fish & Shellfish; Vegetables & Salads; Rice; Noodles; Sweets, and Sauces & Other Basic Recipes.  One tends to think there are trillions of ingredients needed for Chinese dishes, and as many utensils, but Nancie says, "... a large, deep skillet and the usual saucepans of a Western kitchen are all you need for cooking the dishes in this book."  Yay.  Some appealing recipes include: Honey-Ginger Spareribs; Green Onion Pancakes; Red-Cooked Chicken (never heard of it before); Mu Shu Pork; Halibut Steamed with Fresh Ginger; Roast Pork Lo Mein, and Egg Custard Tartlets.  I wouldn't mind trying to make the Tangy Plum Sauce or the Caramel Ginger Sauce.  Nancie also gives us handy Chinese menus - a great help when trying to think of something new to conjure up in the kitchen.  I have to say that these recipes don't appear daunting, too time-consuming, or too ambitious.  Best of all, you can eliminate MSG from your own Chinese meals.
Visit Nancie's website.
Illustrated.  No nutritional guides.
Conclusion - Very enticing and something really different to try at home for a change.