Chinese

Breakfast Crystal Bao
Breakfast Crystal Bao

Breakfast Crystal Bao excerpted from Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond by Clarice Lam. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Evan Sung.

Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond

Food & Wine Best Cookbooks of 2024 • New York Times Best Cookbooks of 2024

“Breaking Bao is the rare cookbook that stops you in your tracks. Visually arresting, thoughtfully researched, and both whimsical and grounded in serious baking expertise.”—New York Times

From acclaimed pastry chef Clarice Lam: a visually sumptuous pan-Asian baking book exploring an umami-rich array of baked goods, confections, and savoury snacks.

Breaking Bao is a culinary journey bridging gaps between Asian flavours and global techniques. It is a collection of recipes rooted in renowned chef Clarice Lam’s personal journey of self-discovery and the transformative power of embracing one’s heritage.

Here are 88 approachable recipes that are firmly rooted in classical French technique but travel far and wide. Dive into three chapters, exploring:

  • Bao: the fundamentals of baked, steamed, fried, or laminated buns and breads, from golden curry-filled donuts to Rice Dumplings filled with Hong Kong Bolognese to Vietnamese Cinnamon-Raisin Babka.
  • Cakes & Desserts: classics treated with a twist, such as Mango-Yakult Tres Leches Cake, Ovaltine Mochi Marjolaine, and Pandan-Lime Meringue Pie.
  • Snax: savoury and sweet treats, from Cantonese-Style Fig and Marzipan Mooncakes to Gochujang-Furikake Caramel Popcorn to Ramen Cheese Itz. 

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Coffee & Coconut Flan
Coffee & Coconut Flan

Coffee & Coconut Flan excerpted from Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok: Simple Family Feasts by Jeremy Pang. Photography by Kirk Kirkham.

Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok: Simple Family Feasts by Jeremy Pang

Make dinnertime easy with over 80 Asian recipes from Jeremy Pang and his award-winning cook institution, School of Wok.

Bringing together the best Asian flavors from across the continent, this book makes Asian cooking quick and accessible so you can spend less time fussing over dinner and more time together. Each dish can be enjoyed on its own for a simple supper or grouped together for larger feasts with something for everyone to enjoy. Learn how to group dishes together with rice and noodles and other accompaniments as per traditional Asian cuisine.

Most recipes in the book utilize the ‘wok clock’ technique, where the ingredients are laid out in a clock formation in the order they will be cooked for complete simplicity. You’ll also find handy feast planners with the order and cooking times of each dish to make life as easy as possible.

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Baba’s Garlic Shoyu Chicken
Baba's Garlic Shoyu Chicken

Baba’s Garlic Shoyu Chicken excerpted from Cooking with the CrunchBros: Casual and Fun Korean- and Japanese-Inspired Recipes from Our Kitchen to Yours by Jeff and Jordan Kim.

Cooking with the CrunchBros: Casual and Fun Korean- and Japanese-Inspired Recipes from Our Kitchen to Yours by Jeff and Jordan Kim

Hundreds of millions of people have had fun watching the playful kid-and-dad duo, Jordan and Jeff Kim—better known as The CrunchBros—make, eat, and enjoy amazing Japanese- and Korean-style meals and treats on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. But the Bros have posted only a handful of recipes online. If you really want to cook and eat like them, you need the easy-to-shop-for, easy-to-make recipes in this bright and colorful book.

Perhaps you would like to introduce kids in your family to Asian cooking in an upbeat, funny, and positive way that will make them hungry, give them more variety in their diet (as doctors and nutritionists advise), and might even turn them into home cooks themselves. If so, this delectable and accessible book is just the ticket.

Or, if there are no kids in your household, perhaps you would just like something more casual and easy to prepare–think “street foods” like skewers and spring rolls, or grazing fare like dumplings or ramen, or a simple, soul-warming miso soup—then you, too, will find in this book tons of fast and comforting recipes for the busy daily whirl. (more…)

Kung Pao Shrimp
Kung Pao Shrimp

Kung Pao Shrimp excerpted from The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp by Jing Gao. Copyright © 2023 Jing Gao. Photography by Yudi Ela Echevarria and Robert Nilsson. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited.

The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp: Spicy Recipes and Stories from Fly By Jing's Kitchen

Born in Chengdu and raised everywhere, chef and entrepreneur Jing Gao has introduced America to the hot, tingly sensation of chili crisp and the Sichuan flavours that inspire it, first through her wildly successful Kickstarter campaign and currently through thousands of grocery stores across the United States. Now, in The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, Jing shows how nearly every dish can be elevated with Sichuan’s complex flavours, taking you on a unique journey from her hometown to your own kitchen stove, all while sharing her personal story and reflections on this storied cuisine and the challenges she’s encountered along the way.

Rooted in tradition but adapted for the modern kitchen, these 85 recipes invite you to explore the nuances of Sichuan flavours and experiment with new ingredients. With gorgeous photography and punchy writing, Jing shows you how to incorporate these flavours in just about everything, including:

• snacks like Zhong Dumplings and Deviled Tea Eggs
• mains like Hongshao Carnitas Tacos, Fish Fragrant Crispy Eggplant, and Spicy Scallion Oil Noodles
• desserts and drinks like Chili Crisp Sundae with Fish Sauce Caramel Brittle, Poached Pear in Sichuan Pepper Syrup, and Baijiu Negroni

The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp is an ode to chili crisp and a story of resilience, breaking free from tradition, and writing new narratives. Grab yourself a jar of Sichuan Chili Crisp and dive in! (more…)

Skillet-Roasted Chili Crisp Chicken and Vegetables
Skillet-Roasted Chili Crisp Chicken and Vegetables

Skillet-Roasted Chili Crisp Chicken and Vegetables excerpted from Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings by James Park. Photography by Heami Lee.

Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings

Chili Crisp is a magical ingredient that tingles with heat, crunches with fried garlic and onions, and slicks any food with oily goodness. Stir it into soup, toss it with noodles, or drizzle it on warm, buttery biscuits. It’s both a foodie obsession and a surprise secret weapon for adding spice and depth to any meal.

James Park, food writer and chili crisp devotee, writes a love letter to his favorite ingredient across 50 recipes. These approachable and adaptable recipes could fill your whole day with chili crisp:   Start the day with Savoury Morning Oats with Jammy Eggs and Pork Floss. Whip up Fiery Spaghetti and Meatballs for lunch. Tuck into a bowl of Chili Crisp Bulgogi Deopbap and a side of Spicy, Lemony Charred Broccolini for dinner. For dessert, Spiced Sweet Potato Basque Cheesecake. (Bonus: You can air fry it!)

Packed with chili crisp inspiration to take your love of this spicy ingredient to the next level, Chili Crisp provides dozens of no-recipe recipes (like potato chips and chili crisp, a match made in snack heaven) and a handy build-your-own chili crisp formula to inspire you to create your very own version. Soon all your family and friends will be clamoring for a jar. (more…)

Dan Dan Noodles
Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan Noodles excerpted from Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More by Maggie Zhu.

Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More

Enjoy the bold flavours of Chinese food with 90 accessible plant-based recipes for the Western cook and kitchen. No wok required!

With her popular blog, Omnivore’s Cookbook, Maggie Zhu is the go-to person for traditional Chinese recipes designed for the Western home cook, and over the past few years, she has been incorporating more plant-based cooking into her diet. In Chinese Homestyle, Maggie shares a wide range of foolproof vegan recipes that pack all the flavour and none of the meat.

Building on a foundation of plant-based and vegetable-forward dishes found in Chinese cuisine, these umami-rich recipes are inspired by the comforting, everyday dishes Maggie grew up eating in northern China and discovered in her travels throughout the country, along with takeout favourites she became familiar with after moving to the United States. (more…)

Sweet Aromatic Beef
Sweet Aromatic Beef

Sweet Aromatic Beef excerpted from The Complete Chinese Takeout Cookbook: Over 200 Takeout Favorites to Make at Home by Kwoklyn Wan. Photography by Gizem Kumbaraci.

The Complete Chinese Takeout Cookbook: Over 200 Takeout Favorites to Make at Homeby Kwoklyn Wan

The definitive collection of 200 of Kwoklyn Wan‘s best recipes, developed over a lifetime of cooking in Chinese restaurant kitchens.

In The Complete Chinese Takeout Cookbook Kwoklyn offers 200 of his most popular recipes, with everything from Crispy Duck Salad, BBQ Chicken Ribs, Tom Yum Soup and Sesame Seed Prawn Toast to speedy Egg-Fried Rice, Spring Rolls and Tofu Ramen. Plus, there are 50 brand-new and delicious recipes that you won’t find anywhere else.

Packed with easy, step-by-step instructions and Kwoklyn’s foolproof tips, this comprehensive collection of classic recipes is the ultimate Chinese cookbook.

The Complete Chinese Takeout Cookbook: Over 200 Takeout Favorites to Make at Home by Kwoklyn Wan is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.   (more…)

Simple Sweet Pumpkin Soup
Simple Sweet Pumpkin Soup

Simple Sweet Pumpkin Soup excerpted from The Vegan Chinese Kitchen by Hannah Che. Copyright © 2022 Hannah Che. Photographs by Hannah Che.

The Vegan Chinese Kitchen: Recipes and Modern Stories from a Thousand-Year-Old Tradition: A Cookbook by Hannah Che

When Hannah Che decided to become a vegan, she worried that it would separate her from the traditions and food that her Chinese family celebrated. But that was before she learned about zhai cai, the plant-based Chinese cuisine that emphasizes umami-rich ingredients and can be traced back over centuries to Buddhist temple kitchens.

In The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, through gorgeous photography, stories, and recipes, Hannah Che shows us the magic of this highly developed and creative tradition in which nearly every dish in the Chinese repertoire can be replicated in a meatless way, such as Blistered Dry-Fried String Beans or Sweet and Sour Tofu.

You’ll also find recipes that are naturally plant-based and as irresistible as they are nourishing, such as flaky scallion pancakes, corn stir-fried with peppers and pine nuts, or pea shoots braised in a velvety mushroom broth made with sesame-oil roux. (more…)

Ben’s Spicy Fried Chicken
Ben’s Spicy Fried Chicken

Ben’s Spicy Fried Chicken excerpted from Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok. Photography by Kris Kirkham.

Jeremy Pang's School of Wok

Bringing together the best Asian flavours from across the continent, this book is a combination of quick-fire, easy meals that take as little as 15 minutes to cook. From lavish suppers for lavish weekend suppers to family feasts with a bit more flair, Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok contains the tips and tricks you need to make the world of Asian cooking easily accessible so you never have to resort to a fakeaway ever again.

Most recipes in the book utilize the ‘wok clock’ technique, where the ingredients are laid out in a clock formation in the order they will be cooked for complete simplicity. Wok Wednesdays and Flavor Fridays, all seen on the School of Wok Youtube channel, are also featured.

Recipes include:

  • Black Pepper Hong Kong Beef
  • BBQ Pork Bao
  • Vegan Pad Thai
  • Pork and Prawn Wontons in Homemade Sichuan Chilli Oil
  • Sweet and Sour Crispy Cauliflower
  • Coming from three generations of Chinese cooks, chef, author and TV presenter

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Chinese-Style Buffalo Wings
Chinese-Style Buffalo Wings

Chinese-Style Buffalo Wings, Chinese Takeaway in 5: 80 of Your Favourite Dishes Using Only Five Ingredients by Kwoklyn Wan. Photography by Sam Folan.

Chinese-Style Buffalo Wings, Chinese Takeaway in 5: 80 of Your Favourite Dishes Using Only Five Ingredients by Kwoklyn Wan.

Kwoklyn Wan is back with 80 classic Chinese dishes that use only five ingredients. Alongside a basic store cupboard of five essentials—salt, pepper, soy sauce, sugar and oil—you can make a feast of easy dishes using the bare minimum.

All your favourites are here—from Tom Yum Soup to Prawn Toast, Sweet Chilli Salmon and Lemon Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork Balls or Beef in Oyster Sauce, Aubergine Fritters and Chilli Ginger Crispy Tofu—and all use only five key ingredients, all of which are readily available from supermarkets or local stores.

Ditch the takeaway or delivery Chinese food and make your own at home—no fuss, less money, and more healthy.

Chinese Takeaway in 5: 80 of Your Favourite Dishes Using Only Five Ingredients is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.  (more…)