Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch: A Cookbook - Hardcover

Blonder, Ellen Leong

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0609608878 ISBN 13: 9780609608876

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 2002

Synopsis

In Cantonese, “dim sum” means “touch the heart,” and Ellen Blonder’s charming celebration of China’s famed tea lunch does just that. More than sixty carefully crafted, authentic recipes, each illustrated with Ellen’s exquisite watercolor paintings, put the key to re-creating these delectable morsels in every cook’s hand.
Anyone who has enjoyed the pleasures of a dim sum meal has inevitably wondered what it would be like to create these treats at home. The answer, surprisingly, is that most are quite simple to make. From dumplings to pastries, Dim Sum is filled with simple, foolproof recipes, complete with clear step-by-step illustrations to explain the art of forming, filling, and folding dumpling wrappers and more. Ellen Blonder offers her favorite versions of traditional Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai, Turnip Cake, and Shrimp Ha Gow, each bite vibrantly flavored, plus recipes for hearty sticky rice dishes, refreshing sautéed greens, tender baked or steamed buns, and a variety of pastries and desserts—all the ingredients required for an authentic, restaurant-style dim sum feast. Practical advice on designing a tea lunch menu and making dim sum ahead of time round out this irresistible collection.

Lovingly created from years of tasting, refining, and seeking out the best dim sum recipes from San Francisco to Hong Kong, Dim Sum is a gem that any student of Chinese cooking will treasure.

About this title

Review:

Who doesn't love dim sum, those enticing dumplings, buns, and pastries served in Chinatowns everywhere? But making it at home? This seemingly formidable business now proves infectiously doable, thanks to Ellen Leong Blonder's Dim Sum. Coauthor of the IACP-award-winning cookbook Every Grain of Rice, Blonder has found a way, through lucid explanation and her own telling illustration, to help readers reproduce dim sum favorites themselves. Ranging from Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai, Potstickers, and Chinese Chive Dumplings to Scallion Pancakes and Three-Mushroom Dumplings and more, these delicious nibbles--great cocktail fare as well as wonderfully tasty meals--are also fun to prepare.

Beginning with a discussion of the dim sum restaurant experience and the kinds of tea involved, the book then offers concise data on setting up a steamer, making doughs, and advance preparation. The 80 recipes follow in chapters that include breads and baked dishes, such as Steamed Char Siu Bao (barbecued-pork-filled buns), and rice and rice flour specialties, like Chicken and Sausage Rice Bowl and Rice Flour Rolls with Beef. Greens and pan-fried dishes are also covered with the tempting likes of Pea Shoots with Garlic, as are deep-friend and bean curd specialties, including Deep-Fried Stuffed Eggplant and Salt-Fried Whole Prawns. Recipes for dim sum sweets like Almond Pudding and Egg Custard Tarts are also offered, as are interesting sidebars--A Trip to the Luk Yu Tea House is one--and ingredient notes, menus, and supply resources. This is one of those happy cookbooks that tackle a potentially problematical subject beautifully, delivering the kitchen ease and good eating it promises. --Arthur Boehm

From the Back Cover:

What the Critics Are Saying about Every Grain of Rice

“Part family chronicle, part cookbook, and all heart, this is a really wonderful book.” —Ruth Reichl

“Enchanting watercolors are among the book’s pleasures. . . . These dishes are a joy to cook, not only for their ultimate goodness but also because the authors and their families are so much a part of each dish.” —New York Times

“Graceful recollections of family and food are scattered among the recipes, along with Blonder’s harmonious, informative drawings.” —Gourmet magazine

“Charming watercolor illustrations . . . Learning new techniques was a bonus to this lovely book full of good food.” —Fine Cooking magazine

“A book filled with personality, warm stories, and recipes that reflect the Chinese table in America.”
—Chicago Tribune

“Certain to charm and delight readers, even noncooks, this is highly recommended.”
—Library Journal

“Every Grain of Rice mixes a variety of recipes with lovely reminiscences of family lore. Combined with the beautiful (and helpful) illustrations by Blonder and the high quality of production, the cookbook is a small gem.” —San Francisco Chronicle

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0609608878
• ISBN 13: 9780609608876
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144