New Fuchsia Dunlop book

[greedygirl]

i had dinner with a colleague who knows Fuchsia yesterday and got very excited when he told me her new book will be out in a couple of weeks!

Well a bit of googling told me that he'd got the wrong end of the stick. But her blog tells me that she is doing the photo shoot for it and the Internet says it will be out in the UK next Spring, published by Bloomsbury. It's called Every Grain of Rice and will be recipes from all over China.

We are hopefully having dinner in the next few weeks so I'll be able to tell you more then.

[will47]

Apparently it's timed to come out in the US around the Lunar New Year. It's possible to order from the Norton site now (not sure if they'll actually ship it right away), and Amazon has 2/4 as the expected ship date.

So, folks who have been holding out for the US edition, it should be here soon.

Haven't seen anything yet about any US events for the new book - anyone heard anything?

[emily]

It's shipping early from Amazon - my US copy will be delivered on Wed. (1/23).

[Breadcrumbs]

Just thought I'd mention that EGOR is now indexed in EYB!!

http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/1...

[lilham]

That's very quick to have a new book indexed!

[will47]

I think this is a bug in that site. It's mixing up recipes from the *other* "Every Grain of Rice" (either that, or it's merged the two books). If you look at the recipes, you'll notice that they're not from the book we're discussing here.

http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/r...

[Gio]

Will... Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice IS indexed...
http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library#q...

ETA... Will's correct. The recipes for the the *other* EGOR are mixed up... I'll send an error report.

[will47]

The *book* is listed. But, if you look at the *recipes* listed under it, they are not the recipes from Fuchsia Dunlop's book. It's either pulling the recipes based on book title (rather than an internal unique ID or ISBN), or something else along those lines.

I do not see a single recipe listed under it that appears to be a recipe from the Dunlop "Every Grain of Rice".

[qianning]

i get the same "results" as will...wrong recipes for the dunlop book.

[Gio]

Yes, I noticed that after I posted. I just sent an Error Report...

[Gio]

Answer back from Jane @ EYB: They will correct the error and have the Real EGOR "indexed ASAP."

[lilham]

Today I noticed something even stranger with this.

If I go to my bookshelf, every grain of rice has completely disappeared off my list. I couldn't find the when I do a search on the library either.

But when I go and look at my recipes, I can still see all the entries from the wrong book.

Gio, how did you contact Jane? I assume it's via the forums? I'll have a look and post a bug report.

[Gio]

Lilham... EGOR is missing from my library list and it's off the EYB library as well. My guess is that the book was "pulled" because of the discrepancy mentioned, and Jane did say they would post the real recipes ASAP. However the Low & Blonder EGOR book is still in the EYB library. Those recipes are correct for that book.

To report an error in a recipe, or whatever, Go to the page where the error occurs, scroll way down to the bottom, scroll way over to the right, and under the 2 Follow buttons you will see:
About| Contact| Terms of Use |Privacy |Report an Error
Click on Report an Error to send EYB an e-mail.

[Westminstress]

Hmmmm, I am getting very tempted. I'm pretty sure I would love this book. I missed the Dunlop COTM's, have RCC but haven't cooked too much from it, mostly because of long ingredient lists which put me off. I think the more laid back, home cooking focus of this new book is perfect for me though. I was going to wait until the U.S. edition comes out because sometimes I get annoyed with metric conversions ... are there a lot of them to deal with? I do have a kitchen scale.

[JoanN]

It's mainly meat, vegetables, and larger quantities of liquid that are given in metric measure, not more, usually, than 2 ingredients per recipe. Definitely don't need a scale, but I find it helpful since I'm not good at eying 3.5 ounces of Chinese chives even after I've looked up that that's how much 100 grams is.

[beetlebug]

I just received the book from a thoughtful and lovely HC hound (thanks!). And, it was love at first sight with this book. I liked the cover more then I thought and I really like the end pages and illustrations. It's funny, when I looked at it, it immediately stood out as a British printed cookbook. There is something different about British versions and I'm not talking about the measurements. It's the layout. I thought that with the Ottolenghi book as well.

Anyway, everything is appealing. I've made two things and enjoyed them both. There are some repeats but I think there are slight differences in the execution of the dishes. The beef with cumin has been re-worked for less oil amounts. The ma po tofu is also different.

One very minor quibble though. In the index, I miss looking things up in chinese. LOP had both chinese and english. For this new book, the I went to look up ma po tofu and saw it wasn't listed there, blanked on the english name, and found it under tofu. Not a huge deal since there is a separate tofu section but I have to shift my brain a bit for this book.

[buttertart]

It is a bit further removed from the "Chineseness" of the first couple. For example, I was amused to see a list of the imperial dynasties in the back pages of LOP or RCC. I don't see that in this book.

[beetlebug]

I took a quick look at the indexes of LOP and RCC. Only LOP has the dishes listed in chinese in the back. I guess I think of the sichuanese food more in chinese terms then I do hunan food.

[sarahcooks]

It does seem like a lot of the dishes in EGoR might be ones Chinese people wouldn't need a recipe to make, and the audience may be more admittedly Western.

[will47]

Yes. Of course, it's easy to joke about it being silly to have a recipe for a dish with two ingredients (or how to make white rice) -- *if* you already know what two ingredients are often paired. But it's a great book for the same reason - it's got lots of simple recipes that many people may not be familiar with - and also is a good starting point for experimenting with similar combinations using the same cooking techniques.

[scoopG]

The audience is decidedly Western - Chinese people do not follow recipes when cooking.

[lilham]

Of course they do. I follow http://www.facebook.com/christinesrec...

She writes a food blog in chinese, and has over 120k likes on facebook. Her first book has just gone to her publisher. Given that she writes in chinese, and not many non-chinese reads the language, I'd wager to say 99.9% of her readers are chinese.

Edit: Just saw that she actually has an english version of the blog too. Also everytime she puts up a picture, someone will reply and ask for the recipe.

[qianning]

Thank you for that link! How to wrap a bao-zi in video...hoorah hoorah! I may try one more time to get this right....

[smtucker]

What a find, if just for the photographs!

[lilham]

Her facebook page is really active. Fans/readers of the blog are encouraged to upload photos of recipes they cooked from the blog. It's not something I've seen other food bloggers do. BTW, you can tell it's a reader photo because it'll say 'photo by xyz'.

[qianning]

a quick glance shows that the comments section is really active, and she's great about answering questions. Again many thanks for pointing this out.

[Gio]

For the life of me I can't find her English version. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Love the photos. Thanks for the link Lilham.

[lilham]

Gio, the links are under 'personal website', on the banner thingie on facebook, above the timeline.

But here are the direct links. English blog at http://en.christinesrecipes.com/ and her english facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/christinesre...

[Gio]

Oh that's wonderful. Many thanks for your speedy reply LH.....

[buttertart]

Interesting that the content of the English page is very different from the Chinese page. 2 more likes for me! Thanks!

[scoopG]

One blogger named Christine Ho? Quite a few of her recipes are not even Chinese. Stuffed Baked Potatoes, Apple Raspberry Crumble, Okra in Bolognese Sauce? Whether in restaurants or homes, Chinese cook by taste, smell and feel with the traditions being passed down in the kitchen itself.

[JoanN]

I don't know. My ex sister-in-law and her mother (both comparatively recent immigrants at the time) used cookbooks. At least for anything more than a two-person weekday dinner. My sister-in-law's Wei-Chuan books were food spotted, loaded with Post-It notes, and held together with rubber bands.

[lilham]

scoopG, I'm Chinese, my parents are Chinese, and I'm born in HK. At least one chinese here cook from cookbooks. My mum has a collection from a Mrs Fong from the 70/80s. (She was very popular back then, and if you are the right age from Hong Kong, you'll know who she is).

I'm sure if you ask most british home cooks, they won't be cooking from cook books either. I have the largest collection compared to all my friends. (Around 50ish books, which is very small compared to what I see on EYB)! I remember reading an article on the BBC which claims most brits cook only around 8 dishes at home. Who would need cookbooks if you are only cooking 8 things.

Edit: Can only find a link from the daily fail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/foo...
Not sure where my 8 comes from. But this has the equally dubious stats of only 2% out of the 2000 surveyed having actually cooked something from a recipe book.

[scoopG]

The use of cookbooks in the Chinese home represents a spectacular, but in general unrepresentative example. Of course there are many Chinese food bloggers, Chinese cookbooks and cooking segments on contemporary Chinese television today. With only three basic tools (knife, cutting board, wok and rice cooker) the skills of the Chinese kitchen are easily transmitted.

[lilham]

I wouldn't say crumble and stuffed potatoes chinese. But I grew up with bolognaise in HK, along with creme caramel, pancakes, roast dinners, french toast, and russian borscht. (I've never seen a borscht in the UK, it seems to be a uniquely HK thing).

[greedygirl]

Or Russian of course! I made it once while living in Moscow (using a recipe). My friend Dima ate 3 massive bowlfuls and declared it better than his grannies!

My mum never uses cookbooks and is a decent enough British home cook. I use recipes all the time - I am a far, far better cook (apart from when it comes to Yorkshire pudding which is her piece de resistance).

[buttertart]

greedygirl, is Ms. Dunlop aware of her fanatical fan base here?

[LulusMom]

Mine's here too! Woohoo. Will happily cuddle with it after vacation.

[The Dairy Queen]

The Eagle has landed. Twice. (Long story.) And I'm in LOVE. In fact, I'm even in love with the cover. It's fuchsia. It's rice. What more do you need?

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Exactly! And a nice ribbon, too.

[greedygirl]

Twice the fun? Or a friend who'll get lucky?

[The Dairy Queen]

Well, I was briefly temped to keep them both, one for home and one for the office. You may all remember that my first two Dunlop books are water-damaged library books because it was my first COTM and I didn't know whether I'd like it, so I took the books out of the library. I was carting them to the office in my briefcase so I could go ingredient shopping over lunch and my water bottle spilled all over them, so I had to buy them from the library (at full retail, I might add). So, EGoR is my first, pristine Dunlop, and I have TWO.

Nevertheless, I was a friend who got lucky, so I shall pass the luck on (with the blessing of and credit to the original gift-or) and make someone else's day the way someone made mine. It's more fun to talk and cook Dunlop with someone else than it is to have two copies of the same book. Plus, now I give myself permission to buy a copy of the US version when it comes out if I want. HA!

~TDQ

[sarahcooks]

So happy to have it! I've read about 2/3 through by now and can't wait to cook from it! Aesthetically, it reminds me a lot of Jamie At Home, my favorite looking cookbook. Hard to pick between them, but EGoR does get points for not having pictures of dead bunnies in it. I really love the cover, I love pretty patterns and it would certainly be easier to read in public without giving yourself away as a weirdo who reads cookbooks cover to cover ;)

This week I'm making the beef with cumin, spiced cucumber salad, smothered chard, and radishes in chili oil. There are several other recipes I'm dying to try, but I'll have to get to the Asian grocery store first. No matter how many ethnic ingredients I buy, I never have enough. Does anyone have a picture of a jar of "sweet fermented sauce"?

[The Dairy Queen]

We could hit up United Noodle over lunch together, I could just buy every thing you buy, and then we, too, could also have beef with cumin, spiced cuke salad, smothered chard, and radishes in chili oil this week! HA!

None of this is too spicy for your little ones? I haven't been that brave yet...

~TDQ

[sarahcooks]

Everything for those dishes I already have or am going to get at the farmer's market. But lots of other recipes I have my eye on require things I don't have yet. Graham is quite good with spicy food, for a 2 year old, though I will make it on the less spicy side. If something is too hot he just fans his mouth and has a drink, he doesn't usually burst into tears. He's very unlikely to eat those vegetable dishes, but will eat plain cucumber. Eve will eat rice with soy sauce and sesame oil, and plain cucumber. If I had to make meals the whole family is willing to eat, we would eat pancakes every day. I wouldn't mind hitting up UN with you though, might be fun!

[beetlebug]

I think the sweet fermented sauce is hoisin sauce. There are pictures of the sauces at the back of the book.

[qianning]

Hmmm, at least in her previous books when FD mentions "sweet fermented paste" she is referring to sweet fermented wheat paste, tianminjiang (甜面酱). Hoisin, (海鲜酱) could be used as a substitute, especially in southern cooking, but it is usually much sweeter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianmian...

[beetlebug]

Yes, she does refer to tian mian jiang in her earlier books. In this book, on page 336, she refers to sweet fermented sauce as tian mian jiang and in the text, she states that it is "also sold, confusingly as 'sweet bean sauce' and 'hoisin sauce,' ...In the picture, there is a picture of the packet and dish of the sauce. The chinese says tian mian jiang, but the english on the packet does say hoisin sauce.

So, it's a little confusing. In the past, I've used sweetened sesame paste which has also worked well.

[qianning]

it is totally confusing....one take away, though, if you look at the ingredients listed on the package those products called "甜面酱" tianmianjiang in Chinese labeling, will usually list either wheat or soy beans as the first ingredient; those called "海鲜酱" haixianjiang/hoisin on the Chinese labeling will usually list sugar as the first ingredient.....my sort of garbled point is that by looking at the ingredients you can get a better feel how sweet the stuff in the jar is going to be, and which one you want.

[qianning]

oops forgot the picture..... product on the left is tianmiangjiang.

[sarahcooks]

Very helpful! Thank you! I'm never sure if my searching is going to be in vain since our local asian community is heavily Vietnamese and Hmong and so the stores tend to stock the things they need. Good to know I can substitute hoisin though, that's no problem.

[BigSal]

United Noodles does have tianminjiang. It is in the Chinese food section along with many other jarred sauces.

[greedygirl]

The stuff in the jar is the brand she recommends in her first book and what I have.

[scoopG]

BTW - both products make an excellent dip for any raw vegetable, including onions.

[will47]

http://www.fuchsiadunlop.com/every-gr...

Looks like the US edition may not be released til next spring (which is the date that's been on Norton's site for a while).

[will47]

Even the North America edition has some "British-isms" - for example, references to using a 'dessert spoon' to portion something out, or talking about "smarter" supermarkets. Ingredient-wise, she refers to potato starch in the British way ("potato flour").

[greedygirl]

Smarter as in posher? Not sure what that means tbh (and I'm A Brit).

[will47]

Yeah - I'm pretty sure she means it as in "posher" or "nicer" (and I am pretty sure I have heard British people say that before in that sense, though I'm not a Brit, except by heritage).

[greedygirl]

We do use it in that sense yes.

[herby]

Potato starch and potato flour are not the same - both are availbale in NA.

[herby]

Here is an explanation that I found here: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-potat...

Potato flour is a flour which is produced from potatoes which have been cooked, dried, and then ground potatoes. It is commonly confused with, but is different than, potato starch flour which is made only from the starch of a (raw) potato. Potato flour is typically less dense and less white than potato starch.

[will47]

That is what "potato flour" usually refers to in the US. I could be wrong, but I don't think that this is the same thing she's talking about. In the UK, they call corn starch "corn flour", and I believe the same may be true of potato starch (though the "Basics" section in the US edition does say 'potato flour' but then 'cornstarch').

Chinese starches have a lot of different names, and different ones seem to be typical of different areas (and many people tend to use a generic or at least more general term, like 'ling fen (菱粉)', 'dian fen (淀粉), 'sheng fen (生粉)' to refer to them). Some more discussion here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/833814#7166120
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php/topic/138932-corn-starch-only-in-westernized-chinese-food/page__st__30__p__1818390#entry1818390

The package pictured in the book says (I believe) "靚生粉", and has the English name "Potato Flour" -- this product:
http://shop.waiyeehong.com/food-ingre... . It is pure white, though I can't tell the texture for sure from the photo, but it looks to me to be less granular than some Chinese starches (like sweet potato starch or water caltrop starch). I wouldn't assume that because the English writing says "potato flour" that it's made the same way as the "potato flour" you're talking about.

FWIW, here's the quote from the beginning of the book (Basics, p10):

"The Chinese use a variety of plain starches [....] If you can, use potato flour, which can be found in any Chinese supermarket. Cornstarch is a reasonable substitute."

In practical terms, I find that you need less potato starch by volume (maybe about half as much) than corn starch. I am pretty sure that she's talking about "potato starch", but I could be wrong. Note that sweet potato starch (diguafen; 地瓜粉) does have a more grainy texture, and is less dense.

[lilham]

The UK edition has potato flour. I'd assume it's the British meaning of the word she is referring to.

Does the package in the picture really says 靚生粉? That puts a smile on my face because its such a hong kong thing to prefix with 靚. It means it is beautiful potato flour :)

[JoanN]

Okay, okay. Couldn't stand it any more. I just broke down and ordered it from the UK. I was going to wait for the US edition. Who did I think I was kidding?!?

[Gio]

Welcome to the Cry Uncle Club, Joan...

[The Dairy Queen]

Joan, I can't believe you even TRIED to resist...

My book has shipped, but I don't know how long it will take to arrive. THe delivery estimates say late June through mid-July. I hope they are wrong. I 've been pleasantly surprised on shipments from the UK in the past...

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

Please check your email.

[Gio]

Hooray! Il libro è arrivato. Or should I say, 萬歲！這本書已經到來。

About 5:30PM yesterday I heard a loud thump on the porch (my mail deliverer person likes to stand on the sidewalk to see if he can hit the front door (O_O) ... And, sure enough It had arrived. I didn't have enough time to read more than a dozen pages or so but what I did see I instantly fell in love with. I started with the Glossary then went to the front pages... Love the photos AND the Chinese characters. Now all I have to do is point when I shop at our local Asian market. What a relief. Having some duplicate recipes from Dunlop's other books is OK because several books don't have to be juggled when more than a few dishes are being made. Saturday is shopping day this week but I can't wait to get started.

[EZM]

Do you live in the UK? In the US, they say you cannot get it until next year...

[Gio]

I live in the US... North of Boston MA. I ordered from Amazon UK...

[EZM]

Thanks for clarifying...I ordered for the future from amazon US, but could cancel and get the book from the UK. I'm off to explore.

[lilham]

Gio gave herself away by saying sidewalk. It's called a footpath over here ;)

[smtucker]

Whoohoooo! Our numbers of "Book Holders" is getting bigger each and every day. Pretty soon we will have a posse.

[Gio]

Fuchsia's Posse... I like the sound of that.

[buttertart]

Mascot?

[Gio]

Cute... Fuchsia for Fuchsia. How's this?

[buttertart]

Also cute, but I bet none of them are named in honour of la Dunlop ;-)

[Gio]

What? You never heard of... Asian Cowboys?

[emily]

I received mine on Monday from the UK. Only 4 days transit time to CA -- not bad! While I don't like the cover or the quality of the paper, I'm very pleased with the range of recipes and am glad I didn't wait for the US edition (which I will likely still buy since it seems like it will be a nicer, glossier edition). I thought there would be more repeated recipes, but they seem few and far between. I appreciate that there are a lot of veggie recipes, since I seem to cook mostly meat meals from her other 2 books. The noodles and dumpling sections look fantastic!

[Gio]

I don't mind the paper however I find the color of the print annoying. A little too light to suit me, good thing I wear reading glasses.

My husband, who knows such things, explained the process for executing the graphics on the cover. I had thought every grain of rice had been manually glued in place, but apparently it's an overlay and copy & paste situation. I had signed up at Amazon US to be notified when the book is available here so now I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep that one as well...

[buttertart]

Excellent Chinese, there, mia cara!
It is some damn book.

[buttertart]

The tofu and avocado appetizer from Taiwan is worth the price of the book. And illustrates the Japanese influence on Taiwanese food that I find fascinating. And taught me another term for avocado in Chinese, eel pear. (The name I know for it is "butter fruit".) There are repeats f some recipes but this is a very exciting book.

[EZM]

AMAZON PLUS FUCHSIA DUNLOP FOOD TOUR OF CHINA...
Just checked amazon and I pre-ordered it for delivery here in the US in February of 2013. Thanks for letting me know about. That's very exciting. Also, I just wanted everyone to
know (though maybe everyone already does), that Fuchsia Dunlop will be -----
GIVING A TOUR OF CHINA, its foods, and cooking, through WILD CHINA TOURS, this fall, in
October. They don't list the price (I suspect it's quite expensive), but thought that some people
might want to look into it---on the Wild China web site.

[herby]

They do list the price but it is not obvious and you need to search for it. I remember something in the order of $5,600 per person - airfare is most likely extra but I do not remember for sure. I have long list of countries that I wish to visit but China is not on the top of this list, so, I am not going:)

[Breadcrumbs]

The new cookbook's here, the new cookbook's here!!!

Much anticipated and finally here in my hot little hands, Every Grain of Rice arrived today. Yes, the cover is plain and busy IMHO however, as they say, it's what's inside that counts and what's inside looks pretty enticing to me at first pass. Building on Will's comments up-thread, here are some of my first impressions:

The book was smaller than I expected. I was imagining something similar in shape and size to Around My French Table for some reason. This book is more compact, similar to Jamie Oliver's books. Pages are matte and there is a page marker ribbon (always appreciated and, as it turns out, cat-friendly as you'll see from my pics below!!) The shape and binding of the book allow it to lie flat without too much effort.

TONS of beautiful photos. Almost one for every recipe. Lots of other photos of ingredients, equipment and even some technique shots.

Each recipe is accompanied by it's Chinese name in English and Chinese text. Where ingredients are listed and photographed for reference, English and Chinese names & text are also included....very helpful when shopping I find.

All recipes have head notes though they appear on the left margin vs at the top of the page. Ingredients seem to be listed in the order they are required in the recipe...always appreciated. Ingredient text is in BOLD font. mr bc found the font to be small. I didn't find it to be an issue however, some pages do seem a little cramped with text, especially if the notes are extensive.

Many recipes include variations.

No serving amounts are provided. (eg. serves 6) Perhaps this is covered in the introductory pages?

There is a "Menu Ideas" section at the front of the book that suggests various combinations of recipes for two, four or six people. This section includes vegetarian menu options as well.

The Dumplings section is fantastic. Recipes look incredibly enticing and there are technique shots for folding.

Glossary information and accompanying photographs are extremely helpful. Labels of jars and cans are clearly visible to aid cooks in their shopping. In some instances, a bowl of the ingredient is also photographed to give you an idea on what your product should look like. LOVE this! Items are numbered in the photographs, allowing readers to easily match the ingredient with the numbered text.

The book makes me very, very hungry and I wish buttertart was here cooking the dishes for me as I type!!!! ; - )

Here are some photos to further entice you. Note cat-friendly ribbon!!

[will47]

I think she intends these to be served Chinese style, so she gives a rough guideline of one dish per person, plus one extra. So not so much "number of servings" but "how many dishes".

[Breadcrumbs]

You're quite right will. I now see she has a section on "Serving Quantities" on p. 26 and as you suggest, she anticipates dishes to be served family style.

[greedygirl]

I love your cat! I also can't believe Royal Mail got it to you so quickly! Mine has yet to arrive - but then I didn't pre-order.

[Breadcrumbs]

Totally agree about the delivery speed gg. I was stunned to see the book in my mailbox today given that it was coming via Royal Mail and Canada Post.

The cat was a stray that showed up one day as if he just belonged here...and now he does! He's followed in the steps of our Chowhound pooch with a real interest in cooking. Whereas the pooch is our official taster, the cat is the Sous Chef. He's extremely curious and wants to have a look at everything you're doing or touching in the kitchen. "No" and "Get Down" are likely the most used words around here!!

[buttertart]

:) Wow Breadcrumbs, Commonwealth preference still in effect, or something? I am dying for mine to come. It looks super! And that's a lovely kitty. (Liam -- in avatar as a young lad -- loves to watch vegetables being prepped, for reasons best known to himself. Fuchsia -- yes named after herself -- is completely indifferent to cooking.)

[buttertart]

IT'S HEEEERE!!! V preliminary skim (cooking for guests this am) -- looks great.

[The Dairy Queen]

*jealous*

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Breadcrumbs getting it first liked to kill me, to be honest!!! ;-)

[The Dairy Queen]

I know. :). Mine might not arrive until July! It was $10 cheaper that way, but I'm not sure the trade-off will be worth it! To be honest, I have plenty of books to cook from in the meantime...

~TDQ

[buttertart]

No kidding, eh?

[Breadcrumbs]

Hehehe!!

I have to say I was just as surprised as everyone else that mine came so quick! I pre-ordered at $22.69CAD which included shipping so all in all I'm pretty pleased w how well our Commonwealth mail treated me! ; - )

Looking forward to your impressions once you've had an opportunity to review the book bt. Enjoy!

[greedygirl]

Me too. First impression is too many repeat recipes from her other two books!

[The Dairy Queen]

I was afraid of that...but they aren't identical, right? Often vegetarian versions?

~TDQ

[greedygirl]

I haven't gone through the book thoroughly yet, but there are quite a few that are identical.

[smtucker]

I can only hope that they are duplicates for the books I don't own.

[smtucker]

Purchased. And now we wait for delivery.

[buttertart]

Breathlessly, by the mailbox, as we used to years ago when you "wrote away for things".

[Gio]

With apologies to Mark Twain, "Every eye fixed itself upon it with parted lips and bated breath....."

[buttertart]

Quite!

[will47]

Ordered the UK edition this morning.... but then found out that my wife's advance copy of the North America edition just showed up.

[The Dairy Queen]

SO EXCITING! Tell us all about it!

~TDQ

[greedygirl]

I've ordered one from Amazon, as my friend has failed to come up with the goods. I am seeing her on Saturday though, so I may end up with two copies!

[BigSal]

Very exciting indeed! My copy from Amazon UK is scheduled to arrive next week on the 7th or 8th. I am chuckling to myself thinking how excited we all are to receive this cookbook. I remember getting this excited about concert tickets or a new album. Funny how things change. :)

[will47]

Been looking through it since getting home this evening. Overall, it's really good. The illustrations and glossary are great (some really appetizing photos!), and she includes lots of handy reference pictures, which should really help people who are trying to find the right ingredients, or who want a reference of how certain cuts should look.

As a vegetarian, I love how vegetarian friendly the book is, and also the fact that she includes so many home cooking style recipes where meat is part of the dish, but not necessarily an essential part - I think it will be helpful to people who are trying to eat less meat, or just use it as an accent.

I definitely see lots of familiar home cooking dishes - the kinds of cold appetizers, side dishes, etc. that you might not order at a restaurant often, but that you would find on the table of Chinese friends or family members. The recipes for things like tomato and eggs (yes, she knows you need to add a pinch of sugar), potato strips, garlic stems or jiucai (garlic chives) with dry tofu or bacon, etc. are things I could imagine, or have seen, on my in-laws' dinner table.

For the most part, she keeps slight variations together, instead of making separate recipes, but there are a few exceptions (the section with (garlic chives of various types, and fresh garlic stem) paired with (eggs / smoked meat / dry tofu) really could have just said "take one from column A, and one from column B"), but there are a few recipes where you really wonder if they needed to be a recipe (green soy beans, served in the pod, is basically what the name says, though she does have you boil the frozen soybeans with a piece of ginger and some Sichuan peppercorn).

As noted elsewhere in this thread, there is quite a bit of overlap with her other two cookbooks, but not in a bad way, and she does make some slight changes (for example, 'bear's claw' tofu instead of regular home-style tofu (the difference is mostly in the shape). While it hews mostly towards traditional recipes, there are some recipes featuring (western style) radish, western broccoli, and other (relatively) "new" ingredients. It's definitely clear that she's aiming for a broader audience with this one, but I think die-hard fans of her earlier books will still find a lot of new stuff to play with.

I had no idea that swiss chard, while looked down upon as a food of last resort, has been around for a while (at least in Sichuan), and I am curious to try "twice-cooked rainbow chard", which apparently is a (very) non-literal vegetarian version of twice-cooked pork.

I will try to make some dishes from the book very soon and post pictures here, or in a new thread (maybe we need an "official" cooking from.... thread?).

[The Dairy Queen]

Yes, with one copy of the book in hand (yours) and many en route (all the rest of us), I think an official "cooking from" thread is in order!

Thank you for sharing your impressions of the book. Sounds very appealing! I'm very into home style cooking lately so this will fit right in.

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

Another big thank you for giving us some idea of what is in the book.

[buttertart]

Very interesting, thanks!

[smtucker]

Email from amazon.uk estimates arrival on June 8th. I will be away on a small business trip so won't actually touch the book until the 10th. Should I cancel the trip?

[Gio]

LOL, SM. What will you loose if you cancel the trip?

I got the same e-mail. Now I'm paranoid because I can't remember if I ordered from both the UK AND Amazon US. I think I only signed up to be notified by Amazon US when the book becomes available here but haven't heard anything tho the web site states it will be available next year. I can cancel the US edition when the UK version arrives here, unless...

[The Dairy Queen]

Gio, I have the same problem. I've actually ordered the book (UK version) from the Book Depository via Amazon US because that was cheaper than ordering from Amazon UK directly or Book Depository directly. BUT, delivery estimate is June 26, 2012 - July 9, 2012... So, I'm going to get my book later than the rest of you, I think. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and they will ship it earlier? I hope so because I, like SMTucker, also have some travel plans in my future...

I think I will go ahead and accept delivery of the US book (whenever that finally comes out apparenlty months from now) and decide which one to keep... I have the US versions of her other two books (LOP & RC) and have been happy with them. It might be easier to have all of the conversions to standard already done for me, etc. We'll see. I hope I won't feel it necessary to keep both versions... That would elevate my cookbook addiction to new heights.

~TDQ

[jen kalb]

For some reason, I got a handle on my cookbook addiction here and have decided to wait - given the number of recipes I want to cook from many other books (including Dunlops) and little time to do it. $40 sounded like a lot to scratch this itch.

[The Dairy Queen]

I am in awe of your self-control. I hope I'm not eroding your self control if I told you it only cost me $30...

~TDQ

[jen kalb]

that is better, hmm ... but Im actually surprised to be feeling I can rein myself in here, at least for a while

[The Dairy Queen]

Absolutely! Or, have the book sent to your hotel?

~TDQ

[emily]

The "Look Inside" feature is now up, so you can see the index of recipes.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Grain-R...

[lilham]

I read the foreword, and there are quite a few recipes and sample menu available too. I'm so excited!

[JoanN]

Seriously ugly jacket. Hope it's a mockup and not the final.

[emily]

Seriously agreed on the jacket. What were they thinking? The US cover is beautiful in comparison.

[buttertart]

Not attractive as a photo, may be more so in reality. Design is made up of...grains of rice! Tee hee. Look inside shows some v interesting recipes and photos of technique.

[lilham]

My copy just arrived from Amazon UK. Sadly it's the real cover and it's ugly. I'm stuck at the office, and can't wait to get home and have a proper read! I was worried it wouldn't arrive today as it's a 4 day weekend, which means I'd have to wait till wednesday otherwise.

[The Dairy Queen]

Sad about the cover but can't wait to read your impressions!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

The search inside function doesn't work, I searched Suzhou nad no results, but "Suzhou breakfast tofu" is listed in the index.

[will47]

I don't know if you're specifically interested in this recipe, or just using it as an example, but this is just a basic salty / savory doufu hua typical of that area (maybe slightly different than what you'd find in Shanghai, but the same idea). I like that she includes several preparations of salty dou hua in the book, but a bit worried that she encourages people to use silken tofu from the store rather than making their own or buying it fresh (obviously, neither is really practical for many people) -- part of what makes dou hua and fresh dou jiang so good is the fact that they're so fresh.

The terminology used for pressed / "dry" tofu (she calls it "firm tofu") is a little confusing too, but there are pictures and characters in the glossary, and she includes pinyin and (traditional) characters for the name of each dish, which is very handy. I'm hoping we don't hear from people who are getting bad results after trying to use regular "firm tofu".

[buttertart]

Using it as an example and because Suzhou is near and dear to our hearts for many reasons, some academic, some aesthetic, some gastronomic.
(First encounter since Taiwan with this type of tofu was in Wuxi, actually, dipped out of a vat by the very sweet man who made it, as part of a breakfast buffet at the Wuxi "Sunshine Hotel"...which was mainly a cadre holiday resort but had limited facilities open to such as us.)

[Breadcrumbs]

It's on its way!! I just received a notice that the book has been released by the publisher!! I'll be back as soon as it arrives.

[LulusMom]

Hoh boy!!

[buttertart]

Mine shipped from the UK. Amazon.ca says release date there 31 July.

[LulusMom]

No! no, no, no!!! Please tell me it releases there before the 26th of June ....

[JoanN]

CANADA release date is 7/31; not UK. You'll be just fine! (Assuming they still have them in stock.)

[LulusMom]

Whew! Thanks JoanN. Should I bring back an extra one??

[JoanN]

Was biting my tongue trying not to ask.

[LulusMom]

Consider it done (assuming I can find 2). A reminder might be a good idea though. Wish I had big enough luggage to do it for everyone!

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh we could totally pool our funds for the cost of bigger luggage...

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

I so very much wish I could do that! Unfortunately (well, at least regarding getting this book) the UK isn't our only stop, and we're figuring the type of clothing we'll need for the second stop will be somewhat different so we're already luggaging more than I'd like - I'm flying solo with Lulu, so between her and the luggage, I'll have my hands full. I'll see what I can do (I can already hear my husband huffing at me from across the Atlantic). Maybe I can mail a bunch back to myself? Erp. will see.

[The Dairy Queen]

Not to worry. I'm going to order mine from Amazon UK ASAP. I don't think I could wait for you to return from your multi-stop trip, even if you did have bigger luggage. I have to have my book sooner! I wonder why didn't I get my notice from Amazon that the book is in?

~TDQ

[buttertart]

I wanted it to be a book on Huaiyang cuisine, but I guess you gotta take the rough with the smooth...

[qianning]

LOL!

My list of wants for English language books on Chinese sub-cuisines is sooooo long, (Huaiyang, Zhejiangese, Tanjia Cai, Hakka, and Snack foods of the Northwest, head things up, but it goes on and on....) every time I see Cantonese recipes i kinda groan, but at least w/ Ms. Dunlop they should be good versions.

[buttertart]

Beifang dianxin...please...

[buttertart]

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-Sh...

Just succumbed to this...hope it's good...

[qianning]

Will look forward to your report. I have his "Straits Chinese Cooking", very good hard to find Nonya home-cooking recipes.

[buttertart]

I must get that. For some reason I thought he was Singaporean, is he?

[qianning]

Yes, I think he is Singaporean, but his mother and her family are Nonya from near Malacca. Lots of references in the book to his grandmother, various aunts, and times spent living with/visiting them in Malaysia. My impression is that this was one of if not his first book, hard to get a hold of, but worthwhile if you like Nonya food.

[buttertart]

Must take a look.

[jen kalb]

Yes Terry Tan has Nonya background is based in Singapore and is has been writing books on Singaporean and other related cuisines for many years now.
I think I bought Straits Cuisine 20 or so years ago in London.

[jen kalb]

I pulled out his Straits Chinese cookbook and remembered why it was annoying - he wrote it when in London and seems to have some kind of a tie in to a dried spice producer - consequently, many of the recipes call for things like powdered dry galangal, lemongrass and belacan. this alternates with recipes that call for things like ginger blossoms, local fishes and belimbing (sour star fruit) which cant really be found here

He has other more recent books (like Shiok!) out and there and there are some other pretty good books (even the Periplus) covering singapore cooking. .

[Gio]

New article by Queen Fuchsia and 4 new recipes from The Book...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddri...

[buttertart]

Thanks, dear Gio.
June 7th? Roll on the day.

[The Dairy Queen]

Are those recipes really from the new book? The smacked cukes and gong bao chicken sound a little familiar...

~TDQ

[qianning]

indeed they do.....

[Gio]

Ya know, I thought the same thing about those recipes as soon as I hit the Reply button... but the article preceding them sounded so current.

[The Dairy Queen]

Well, we should be able to check for ourselves soon enough!

~TDQ

[JoanN]

The Gong Bao recipe Gio links to above is practically word-for-word the same as the one in Land of Plenty. The only difference, and I'm sure it must be a typo, is that the linked recipe calls for 6 teaspoons of potato flour whereas the recipe in the book calls for only 3/4 of a teaspoon. I'm guessing the Telegraph just picked up some old copy they had lying around. No way our beloved Fuchsia would repeat a recipe word-for-word, is there?

[qianning]

Hope she wouldn't, and can believe neither she nor the publisher want much in the way of recipes out on the net before publication. So it makes sense that the previews are for things that are already out there.

Must admit, though, I've been a little bit "nervous" since learning the focus of this coming book is less geographically specific than her other books had been. Still, I don't think she's capable of writing a bad recipe, so it should still be one of this years highlights.

[Breadcrumbs]

According to the publisher's website EGoR does indeed include a recipe for Gong bao chicken. That said, it does say "vegetarian Gong Bao Chicken"....which in itself seems odd.

http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detai...

[will47]

I make a vegetarian version of the one in Land of Plenty all the time. I chop gluten "intestine" into cubes instead of the chicken, and sometimes add some diced water chestnut cubes.

My thought was that the new book is intended to be more general, and possibly to appeal to a broader audience than the earlier two books, so it makes sense that she might include some recipes from earlier books. Whether those areas of China are considered "Southern" depends quite a bit on where you are, but I think technically, Hunan and Sichuan are both still in the "South".

[Gio]

I'm thinking that if Greedygirl does in fact get her advance copy of the book Saturday she can confirm the inclusion of these recipes.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/786955#7344414

Also, upthread Lilham posted a link to other "new" recipes...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7869...

[JoanN]

Thanks, Gio. I'd missed that other link. Good possibility they will be in the new book since they're Cantonese. Dying to try that char siu recipe. Will have to keep an eye out for maltose syrup.

[greedygirl]

I saw some recently somewhere local - but can't for the life of me remember where!

[Gio]

Just what I I Need. Another excuse to cross the pond.

[buttertart]

JoanN: Kam Man, street level, first row of shelves just past the refrigerated case where the quail eggs are (i.e. second rank of shelves), closest end to that particular refrigerated case (not the end by the freezer cases on the back wall), 2nd shelf down, in roundish white plastic pots with red lids. Probably 500 gm each. Have fun with it, it has the most amusing consistency (a hard liquid, too fun).

[JoanN]

Could you be a little more specific, please, bt? LOL! Truly!

[buttertart]

You know exactly where I mean, doncha?

[JoanN]

Yep. I do. Thanks.

[Gio]

Looks like this??

[buttertart]

Yes indeedy. Try poking a spoon into it, v amusing. Like honey on steroids.

[greedygirl]

I am very excited. Just booked in to Fuchsia's class on 19th June at Divertimenti in London (birthday treat!). Also my friend who works for Bloomsbury may be able to get her hands on an advance copy - so I may have it in my hot little hands on Saturday!! Watch this space.

[Breadcrumbs]

gg I'm excited that you booked that class & can't wait to hear about it and, your impressions of ms D up close & in person. We'll all live vicariously!

[The Dairy Queen]

How exciting! I can't wait to read all about the class! (Happy Birthday!)

~TDQ

[greedygirl]

My birthday is in June, hence the gift, but thanks! For various reasons I have taken a week off work - so lots of treats arranged (including dinner with our very own LLM).

My publisher friend thinks it's hilarious that we're all waiting with bated breath for this book!

[buttertart]

I'm fuchsia with envy! Great. Can't wait to hear all about it.

[LulusMom]

Oh man, that sounds so great! Will the book be out there by mid-June?

Looking forward to dinner!

[greedygirl]

Publication date is June 7th so yes! It's a real shame you will just miss the Fuchsia demo.

[LulusMom]

Trust me, I'm kicking myself. Wondering ... can I sent Lulu to York on the train by herself to meet her dad? Um ... no, probably not. But I can buy the book!

[greedygirl]

She's six isn't she? What could possibly go wrong? We regularly look after a retired guide dog - he could take her!

[LulusMom]

She's all too well up to it.

I think she'd be mad about missing the Fuschia Dunlop business.

[Allegra_K]

Hah! She sounds like quite a kid!

[IPcook]

Two years ago I attended a two week cooking program in Chengdu China at the Institute for Higher Cuisine, the school where Fuchsia first learned about chinese/sichuan cooking. The program was very well done with English translation provided by the school. If anyone is interested the program is coordinated in the USA and details can be found at www.cookingschoolinchina.com.

[roxlet]

Uh-oh! I know someone who will be green with envy-- Buttertart! That sounds like so much fun!

[Gio]

Brava, GG...! What a wonderful birthday you're going to have this year.

[emily]

Really looking forward to her new book in June. I'm also booked on her China tour in October -- should be fun!

[greedygirl]

Drat and double drat. Dunlop's editor wasn't there last week and my friend couldn't find a copy lying around. She'll have another go next week though!

[LulusMom]

Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear it. Better luck next week.

[buttertart]

Darn it all anyway!

[herby]

Received notification from Amazon.ca - new shipping date is July 31, 2012. Finally this sounds realistic:)

[buttertart]

Got it too and thought the same thing. Earlier? That was just a dream some of us had, to quote Joni Mitchell.

[herby]

I am very inexperienced in Chinese cooking but want to learn and experiment. Maybe there will be enough interest in the book that we could set up a thread where people like me would cook along poeple like you and have a forum to ask questions. BT, what do you think?

[buttertart]

That's pretty much what happened with her first two books as Cookbooks of the Month. If this isn't COTM within a month of its US pub date there really is no justice in this world.

[herby]

OK, will wait to see what happens.

[LulusMom]

A lot of us dedicated fans will definitely be voting for it.

[roxlet]

With all the confusion about the release date of this book, maybe greedy girl could ask her friend who knows Fuschia if she could ask the great woman herself about the publication dates. It would be nice to have some clarity!

[Gio]

Didn't Greedygirl just post that she was thinking about taking Dunlop's class at the Divermenti cookery school soon?

[buttertart]

Yeah! Inquiring minds are dying to know!!!

[Gio]

Sorry, I got my dates wrong... With any luck the book will have been published by then...

[buttertart]

Oops. :)

[greedygirl]

I also have a friend who works for Bloomsbury. Will investigate...

[buttertart]

Super! Many await with bated breath...

[TxnInMtl]

To continue the date confusion, I just received an e-mail from amazon.ca announcing the book will be released March 27, 2012. With one week to go, you'd really think they'd have the delay figured out by now!

[Gio]

...and Amazon.com is still showing:
"Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (Jun 7, 2012)"

[herby]

I have it on pre-order at amazon.ca and it still shows estimated delivery Mar 29-30 - we shall see soon how accurate this estimate is:)

[buttertart]

Me too, can't wait!

[The Dairy Queen]

Hey, anyone have an update on this book? When I look on Amazon US, there appear to be two listings for this book, the first of which has a cover that looks like a placeholder and the second of which has what looks to be a "real" cover with nice artwork etc. The second listing also appears to be available for pre-order, etc. and just seems to be more "real". Sadly, it has a pub date of Feb 04, 2013! Ack!

Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (Hardcover - Jun 7, 2012)

Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop (Hardcover - Feb 4, 2013)
Buy new: $35.00 $23.10

Available for Pre-order
Pre-order Price Guarantee. See Details
Books: See all 2 items

~TDQ

[roxlet]

:(

[The Dairy Queen]

Norton's website also says Feb 2013. http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detai... Maybe they are just the non-UK pubisher and the UK version of the book will be available sooner?

~TDQ

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, I see, yes, this appears to be the consensus above, that the UK date is still June 2012 and the US date is Feb 2013. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/786955#7197308

Has a link to this "pearly chicken parcels" recipe been posted yet? http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyl... I don't know which (if any) of her books this is from...

~TDQ

[lilham]

If it's in any book, it'll be the new one as it's on southern Chinese cuisine. Pearly chicken parcels is a very common dish in Hong Kong.

[The Dairy Queen]

Very exciting!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

I had read it's on a lot of different Chinese cuisines.

[lilham]

The product review on amazon UK says it will be on southern Chinese home cooking. But then they can't seem to even get the publication date right!

[wattacetti]

I have shipment 28-Apr-2012 coming from Amazon.ca. One month delay from the initial date. We'll find out next week whether or not I get a "there is a problem with your order".

[The Dairy Queen]

I wonder if I should order it, too?! No harm, right?

~TDQ

[buttertart]

I ordered it as well. I bet it'll be one month's delay, then another month's delay, then...
I have it on order from Amazon UK too :)

Dispatch Estimate Friday 8 Jun 2012

Delivery Estimate: Thursday 14 Jun 2012 - Wednesday 20 Jun 2012

[herby]

Now you got me wondering if I should not order from amazon.uk too.... bcs we here in Canada are getting UK edition and it definitely is not going to be release sooner than it is published:)

I never cooked proper Chinese food (stir-fries and such do not count) and am very excited to give this book a workout and intimidated about shopping again for completely unknown ingredients and combining them in a weird way just as I was during the Japanese month. But I overcame my dashi-phobia and will be making a few things Japanese this summer for my family:) Hope, Fuchsia will help me develop some confidence in Chinese cooking!

[herby]

Buttertart, do you think that many recipes will require a wok? I got rid of my Calphalon wok when I moved to an apartment with electric stove bcs it cann't generate enough heat for it. Now I am going to cook at my daughter's and she has gas stove and no wok. Would you recommend a brand to buy? Should I just venture Chinatown and buy whatever they are selling?

[qianning]

Wok's are nice but no you do not need a wok to cook Chinese food. Any decent skillet (cast iron is nice, but not essential either) will work just fine for fried & stir fried dishes. And for lots of braised/steamed/boiled dishes plain old 2-3 quart pans are the way to go, much easier than trying to braise or boil in a wok. I shouldn't speak for bt, but pretty sure we are in agreement on this, and I know for sure lots of friends in Beijing who are definitely in agreement.

[scoopG]

Exactly. Flat fry pans are much better for even heat distribution on low level BTU ranges. Unless you have the Blue Star 22K BTU range forget a wok!
http://www.bluestarcooking.com/products/freestanding-ranges/rnb-french-top
Edit:

Here's Marcus Samuelson with a demo. His whole process is wrong (adding raw beef to the cooking vegies) but it gives you an idea of the heat heat heat. Another key to the home stir-fry is make sure the vegies are dry after you clean or cut them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUDEYZ...

[AlkieGourmand]

For heat heat heat with the shape of a wok on an electric stove, it's hard to beat Lodge's flat bottom cast iron wok. The downside is it can be unwieldy due to its heaviness and high heat retention.

[buttertart]

I used a skillet for a long time after I found I couldn't use my heavily-seasoned wok due to my freaking smoke alarms in this house.
You don't really need a wok, but I'm currently in love with my Scanpan 14"er (V-day gift from my husband)...yes it's non-stick, yes it comes from Denmark, but man oh man does it do a good job. But not necessary...
Fuchsia is the ideal person to start with for real Chinese food, herby. Simple and great flavour.

[The Dairy Queen]

I just can't believe it would ship in Canada earlier than it would ship in the UK, can you? But, maybe I'd better put in a order for both places, too, because I'd be heartbroken to miss out!

I'm here to tell you, I don't know what the COTM for July 2012 might be, but Chez TDQ I sincerely hope it going to be Dunlop month!

Actually, to be honest, I'm dying to do a Nina Simonds month, maybe a combo of 1 or 2, Spices of Life or Spoonful of Ginger or her latest Simple Asian Meals... Do you think that would be worthwhile?

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

I'm sorry to say I don't know anything about Nina Simonds. Can you fill me in on what you think is best about her work?

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, you have to wait for buttertart chime in here because she can give you the real scoop on Simonds. She's been around forever (Simonds, not buttertart) and translated those Wei-Chuan books buttertart and others often recommendthat you can't seem to buy anymore. I first became aware of her when someone (sorry, I can't remember who, roxlet or beetlebug maybe?) nominated her Spices of Life as a COTM awhile back. The only book of hers I actually own is her newest (because I got it on the Good Cook) "SImple Asian Meals" but I really like her emphasis on both healthful and easy. Naturally I haven't cooked from them as much as I like, but I'd love to do more. SHe's picked up several IACP and James Beard awards for various cookbooks.

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

Thanks so much TDQ, that is great info. Buttertart, anything you'd like to add? Is there an agreed upon favorite book of hers?

[The Dairy Queen]

I'm not really sure which of hers would be considered a favorite or even her most important. I am certain buttertart will have some thoughts on that!

I am interested in her latest books given my current lifestyle, but I'm not sure those are really focused on authentic cooking as her earlier work was. She's got a "vlog"--some interesting info about her here: http://www.spicesoflife.com/a-convers...

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

Thanks for that link. It sounds interesting. I think I'd be up for a Nina Simons month. Maybe in the fall or winter when we need the healthiness of it the most?

[The Dairy Queen]

And link to a recent'ish subthread/discussion about Classic Chinese Cooking: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/827937#7073221

Hmmmm...I think it must have been beetlebug whose mention of Spices of Live caught my eye and got me looking into Simonds, but what a mild mention it was to trigger such a great curiousity! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7580...

~TDQ

[buttertart]

I really love Classic but am not keen on her other books. She's gotten a little too new-agey for me. Classic is very solid and a good way around the Wei-Chuan price issue. (Back in the glory days of Gourmet she had a monthly article that was always great. I wrote to her inquiring about cooking classes in Taipei and she wrote a very nice letter back, so I've always had a bit of a fondness for her.)

[qianning]

So glad to see you write that BT.....I've found the books from Spoonful of Ginger on a bit unappealing. I do have one or two (gifts I think) but they live in cookbook purgatory.

[buttertart]

Mine too.

[herby]

Glad to hear this - came across one today at a thrift store and it did not call out to me:)

[LulusMom]

Good to know, I got interested in it after reading the link TDQ sent and put it on my amazon wish list. Will take it off. So she has a book called something like Classic Chinese that you like?

[The Dairy Queen]

Such a bummer to read this from you and buttertart. :( Oh well. Thanks for steering us back on the right path.

~TDQ

[buttertart]

I couldn't find anything I wanted to make in the new one. The one I like is "Classic Chinese Cuisine".

[beetlebug]

I've made a couple of things from her new book, Simple Asian Meals. They were good but there was always something missing in the recipe. Nina Simonds is someone who I always want to explore with, but, there is something off about the recipes to me.

[qianning]

I really find the Wei-chuan books more useful than Simonds. I have many of them, but the one i use most is "Favorite Home Dishes"; lots of simple direct down-home no fuss type food. Of course, it is more geared towards Chinese and Chinese-diaspora tastes than American tastes, so not sure how widely it would fly. Also not sure if it is still available to purchase.

[beetlebug]

I have the original Wei Chuan book (I think it's Classic Chinese cooking) but have never really used it. I took it from my mom since she doesn't use it since I cook (and freeze stuff) for them when I visit.

[qianning]

I've always found the Wei-chuan Home Cooking , the Herbal Cooking, and the Chinese Seafood books more useful than the Chinese Cuisine Books (I & II), don't know why exactly, I think because the ones I use are more informal home-style food, the kind of dishes for a quick straight forward weeknight meal. (i.e. tonight we are having an egg and dried daikon omelet from home cooking; nothing fancy, just satisfying).

[The Dairy Queen]

Well, in Simple Asian Meals in particular, I think she's taking short-cuts to make them more "simple" and fiddling with ingredients and quantities to make them "healthful" so I think they are going to be a little off compared to traditional recipes. Personally, I'm willing to make that trade-off right now, but I definitely understand why not everyone would be. But I think that "simple" and "shortcuts" are premise of this particular book, which has been pretty fairly disclosed, I think.

However, though I haven't spent much time with any of her other "non-classic" books, Asian Noodles and Spoonful of Ginger are pretty acclaimed. I didn't think those were supposed to be "short-cut" books at all, so I'm surprised to learn that folks haven't found them appealing. I was hoping they'd be fabulous. :(.

~TDQ

[beetlebug]

The two recipes that I tried were easy and now that I'm thinking about it, I did really like them. One was the cinnamon beef noodle soup which is a different variation then what I usually make. I did add in some whole sichuan peppercorns to give it a bit more complexity. I don't remember the other dish that I made and then I had to return the book to the library.

[buttertart]

There was some really crazy off-the-wall ingredient substitution (along the lines of substituting ketchup for hoisin, not that exactly but about as ridiculous) that made me want to throw the book across the room (Simple Asian Meals).

[The Dairy Queen]

It was almost that ridiculous! Worcestershire sauce for Black Vinegar! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8279...

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Yes!!! And in a large quantity too. Would be horrendous.

[jen kalb]

and yet I think worcestershire sauce is used in chinese chinese dishes, ex. as a dip. I have a bottle of chinese made worcestershire sauce and have been served dips including it in chinatown over the years, for example with some fried items.

[buttertart]

Yes it is, but not in dishes that call for black vinegar in quantity. Tablespoons of it do not appeal. I always thought the dipping sauce/dian xin applications were from British influence in HK.

[Breadcrumbs]

Looks like Norton Publishing has rights to Canada & the US and they are posting a February 2013 publication date:

http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail.aspx?ID=24892

In the UK, it’s Bloomsbury w a June 7th publication date:

http://www.bloomsbury.com/Every-Grain...

I've pre-ordered from The Book Depository in the UK. They offer free world-wide delivery and, any book I've ordered from them arrives within a couple of days of being shipped. I've been very impressed thus far.

[The Dairy Queen]

I always forget obout the Book Depository, but it's a good option because of the free shipping...

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Hmm. Maybe order from them too. I have peeps who would love a copy of the book if I get extra.

[emily]

Looks like the US version won't be published until Feb. 2013:
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detai...

[emily]

Amazon.ca has a picture up for the US edition:
http://www.amazon.ca/Every-Grain-Rice...

[buttertart]

I hope to heaven this doesn't mean another delay in the UK publication date???

[herby]

Maybe amazon does not update its release dates when publishers update theirs but it says that the book will be released:

in Canada - Mar 27 2012

in US - Jun 7 2012

in UK - Jun 7 2012

Very confusing....

[emily]

The UK and US editions are by different publishers. Looks like the UK edition is coming out first in 2012 (Bloomsbury UK) and then the US version next year (WW Norton). Both versions can be ordered on the various Amazon sites. I'd like to get it in June, but the US edition looks so much more attractive!

[will47]

The Norton site (the edition that's on the Canada Amazon) lists Feb 2013 as the publication date:
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail.aspx?ID=24892

Bloomsbury (presumably the UK edition) says June 2012:
http://bloomsbury.com/Every-Grain-of-...

I really can't imagine one that the Canadian version will be out before the UK one.

[herby]

I agree but this is what amazon.ca says!

[buttertart]

OK, I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I just bought the Fuchsia Dunlop on Amazon.ca. WE SHALL SEE if it's really out on 3/27!!! LOP was out in Canada long before the US, I got mine there. (Doubt however the colonies will get it before Blighty, but one never knows, do one?)

[greedygirl]

Given that it's the UK edition they're selling (Bloomsbury), I doubt it too.

[buttertart]

Hope springs eternal in the human breast. Fuchsia kitty made me do it :)

[LulusMom]

It makes no sense for it to come out in Canada first. But let us know. I can hit my in-laws up for a copy if it comes out there first. But ... surely not.

[buttertart]

For those of you waiting with bated breath for this, keep it bated...I got an email from Amazon UK saying publication date was pushed out to 7 June 2012. WAAAAAAHHHHHH...

[greedygirl]

Just in time for my birthday!

[AGM_Cape_Cod]

Maybe we should start a new thread because I was so excited when I saw this. I thought great a gift for me for Christmas. Now I guess it can be a birthday present for me as well as greedygirl.

[buttertart]

It's killing me that it's delayed. I was thinking COTM by April. Ah well, iit'll make a nice bday present for you then.

[qianning]

any word on US pub. date?

[Sarah]

...and title -- still "Every Grain of Rice?"

[buttertart]

Haven't seen mention of the US date, but the title seems to be the same. Makes me sing "Every Grain of Sand" to myself.

[wattacetti]

Really? I ordered via Amazon.ca and have a ship date of 27-MAR-2012 that hasn't changed since I placed the order a couple of months back. Title still remains "Every Grain of Rice".

Edit: publisher listed as Bloomsbury UK.

[greedygirl]

Publisher's website says it will be out in June 2012, as does Amazon UK.

[wattacetti]

That's quite possible, but which publisher? Bloombury?

Pre-orders have been hit/miss in terms of timing for me; the last one that slipped its ship date was Heston at Home (about 3 weeks) but I've got a couple that came out early by several weeks.

[lilham]

The Observer printed 4 Fuchsia cantonese recipes today.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyl...

Maybe they are samples from her new book?

[buttertart]

Oh man thank you...looks like it!

[Gio]

Thank you very much, Lilham...! I can't wait to make these fascinating sounding dishes. Can't wait for the book.

[buttertart]

Not until Feb 2012? First Mad Men and now this? Sigh.

[Gio]

Thanks for the alert, GG. How exciting. Just signed up to be notified...

[JoanN]

What wonderful news! Thanks for letting us know.

I wouldn't be at all surprised, though, if the title changes before publication. Or it might just be that Norton will change the title of the US edition. A book with that same title won a James Beard award in 1999: "Every Grain of Rice: A Taste of Our Chinese Childhood in America"
by Ellen Blonder & Annabel Low. Although it sometimes happens that two books will have the same title, I'm sure the editor and publisher would want to avoid in any way they can having Dunlop's new book confused with another award-winning Chinese cookbook.

[greedygirl]

You may well be right, Joan, but it's currently listed as "Every Grain of Rice" on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Every-Grain-Ric...

[JoanN]

Yes, I saw that. Not yet listed on the Norton Web site, though, nor on amazon.us. And I'm absolutely certain that, unless there's some kind of a bidding war for the book which would be highly unlikely, that Norton will be publishing, as they have her other three, the new one in the States. I just hope that we don't have to wait too much beyond publication of the UK edition for the US one. I'm guessing that with the success of her other books on this side, they'll want to get it into the stores as quickly as possible.

[smtucker]

Oh my... that is extremely exciting. Thank you for the head's up.

[buttertart]

I have shivers I am so excited!!! Just ordered on Amazon UK!!!!!!!!!

[roxlet]

There're no flies on you, bt!

[Caitlin McGrath]

I don't even see a listing there for the new book.

[blue room]

At Amazon UK you can sign up to be notified when it's available, Feb. 2012. There are other books with the same name, though, be careful.
I cooked my 1st Fuschia Dunlop recipe ever just the other night -- Beef w/Cumin, delicious! (Even used the wok I bought for COTM.)
I found it online, but it's from her "Revolutionary..." book.

[emily]

It took me a couple of searches, but here's the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Every-Grain-R...

[greedygirl]

I think it's getting a simultaneous release in the US as well. Amazon.com seem to have it listed with the same publication date.

[Breadcrumbs]

bt, perhaps you'd like to celebrate w a trip across the pond...I bet you'd love this cooking class:

http://www.divertimenti.co.uk/Cookery...

[herby]

Nice! But there is pork and only one glass of wine - will pass this time:)

[JoanN]

Oh, wow! Wouldn't that be just fabulous! Wonder if maybe she'll do some classes here to promote the US edition?

[buttertart]

That would be, given time and pecunia enough. Having kicked myself since forever for not having gone to a cooking class Jane Grigson gave at Macy's in SF when I had the chance, I'd definitely go to see her if remotely possible.

[greedygirl]

Thanks for posting that Bc. It's a couple of days after my birthday so I might treat myself.

[The Dairy Queen]

I would be insanely jealous if you took this class, but I hope you do and tell us all about it!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Count me in the superjealous group too...

[roxlet]

I know at least a couple of people on this board who will be absolutely jumping for joy.

[oakjoan]

Oooh! Oooh and double Ooooh!

Wonder how long it'll take to get over here?

Er, I mean Ooops, Ooops and double Ooops.

I guess I should pay more attention when I read. So now I'll go look for it on Amazon.

[buttertart]

Amazon UK is probably your best bet, pub date 7 June, and my copy better get here as soon after that as possible. DYING to get my mitts on it.

[pikawicca]

Mine is on the way from Amazon.uk. It was released early.