Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch
by Ellen Leong Blonder
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Book Reviews of Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch
Book Review: Quite good for its size
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a far better book than I had expected--possibly because my previous purchase in this field was Vicki Lilley's exceptionally amateurish and inauthentic effort. Although not comprehensive (see Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's Dim Sum book, especially the 1982 edition, which is far more encyclopedic, as is Mai Leong's), what recipes ARE included are very authentic indeed and extremely precise--which is certainly as it should be, given such a dainty culinary art form. In addition to the books noted above, I must say that my favourite dim sum books are the ones by Wei-Chuan Publishing of Taiwan, but their occasionally fractured English and odd measurements ("1/4 cup plus 1 T. plus 1 tsp.," etc.) would not make them everybody's first choice. Blonder's book is both sophisticated enough to be of interest to the dim sum initiate, but detailed and painstaking enough for the beginner.Book Review: Brought back memories...
Summary: 5 Stars
I not only loved this as a cookbook but also for the stories that are recounted throughout.
I have loved Dim Sum from my first experiences in Singapore and wanted to try something at home that was more creative than normal. I have already tried 8 of the recipes with varying success (through NO fault of the book - only my lack of practice creating some of the delicate folds in the wheat starch dough).
Couple of hints:
1) Practice, practice, practice
2) Before doing a full meal, there is a resources section at books end that has great suggestions for combinations that can mostly be made ahead.
3) Finally - if you really want to do alot and often, invest in multiple bamboo steamers. I just purchased my fifth and sixth. Dinner table now reminds me of Dim Sum houses from my past...
Book Review: My Favorite Dim Sum Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Initially, I bought this book for the illustrations and possibly as a fun gift for the dim sum lovers in my family. Then I tried some of the recipes. YUMMY!!! Overall, the recipes are well written and come out just like the real thing. My favorite recipe is the steamed char siu bao. I make it at least once a month from scratch (including the meat) now that I have figured out how to fold it and keep the filling inside the bun (the hardest part of any dim sum recipe). I must warn you, there is one downside to this book. Eventually, your book will get lovingly worn out and you'll have to buy another one. Save time and buy two now.Book Review: Delightful Pastry
Summary: 5 Stars
I just recieved my copy of Ms Blonder's wonderful "Dim Sum: The art of Chinese Tea Lunch". As with the earlier "Every Grain of Rice - this book is a visual delight. Intrigued by the recipe for Char-Siu Pastries I decided to try them as an appetizer for a lunch party. After first preparing the pork, I was surprised at how clear the instructions were and how well the pastries turned out, warm out of the oven with a light flaky crust - I found the sweet taste of the Char-Siu and the hot meat inside made these irresistable. Next time I will know to make more.
I'm going to have fun with this book.
Book Review: Very good
Summary: 5 Stars
I moved away from SF area, to another state, and haven't been near a Chinese bakery in decades, & have been missing Char Sui Bao for the longest time. This cookbook enables me to make my OWN, I love this! Followed the instructions and made extra BBQ pork and froze batches of tiny cubed pork, so now I just make the dough and the sauce mixture and steam them in a bamboo steamer. The Char Sui was absolutely delightfully delicious. The potstickers were amazing too, I will have to try some of the other recipes, but those two recipes have made me extremely happy. Thank you for making this cook book!