Review: 'Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More' by Maggie Zhu

I don't always write full-blown reviews for the cookbooks I read, but every once in a while a cookbook comes along that fully deserves it. Last time, it was an exciting dip into French cuisine. This time it is at once a new adventure but also something of a home-coming to Chinese cuisine! I'm so grateful to Maggie Zhu for Chinese Homestyle and hopefully my review below will explain why! Also a quick note on Quarto Publishing Group at large. I have been consistently super happy with their books in the last two years! Thanks to Rock Point and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 9/20/2022
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group - Rock Point

Enjoy the bold flavors 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 flavor 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 favorites she became familiar with after moving to the United States.

Made with fresh ingredients and minimal oil and sugar, the salads, soups, stir-fries, braises, dumplings, and more are not only delicious, but also demonstrate the impact of aromatics, the benefits of using homemade sauces and condiments, how to cook tofu for maximum flavor and texture, and versatile cooking techniques, and include:

• Homemade Sauces and Condiments
• Appetizers and Salads
• Orange Cauliflower
• Char Siu Bao
• Cumin Potato Baked Buns
• Egg-less Egg Drop Soup
• Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles
• Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan
• Hearty Seasonal Mains
• Easy Seasonal Sides
• Creamy Red Bean Ice Pops

Complete with step-by-step instructions, stunning photos, and information for stocking your Chinese pantry, Chinese Homestyle will soon have you enjoying this exciting cuisine right in your own home.

As some of you may know, I lived in Shanghai for four years. They were some of the most exciting years of my life, not only because I grew into myself as an adult and made amazing friends, but also because I got to explore a millennia-old culture and cuisine and discover it for myself. I was quite nervous, initially, about the move because I had never been a fan of Chinese takeaway in the UK. What a silly worry! The actual food in any country will differ vastly from the way it comes to us in fast food form. And so I developed a massive love for many staples of Chinese cooking which I have missed sorely the last two years. I must also admit here that while in China I didn't learn how to cook the food. It was so delicious and available right outside my door, so why bother? Realising I didn't know how to make it myself only became a problem once I could no longer find it. And so I have been scouring different cookbooks for recipes and finally Chinese Homestyle has found me!

Because I eat mostly vegetarian the fact that this book is plant-based works really well for me. The book is split into different sections, 'Sauces and Condiments' first, followed by 'Appetizers & Salads', 'Favorite Takeout', 'Dim Sum', 'Noodles & Soups', 'Tofu, Seitan, and Tempeh', 'Hearty Seasonal Mains', 'Easy Seasonal Mains' and 'Sweet Treats'. So Maggie Zhu is really covering the whole breadth of what you might want in Chinese Homestyle. For me, the second section, 'Appetizers and Salads' was an immediate hit because it featured three (!) of my favourite dishes which I had missed so much. These were 'Sichuan Spicy Peanuts', 'Shredded Potato Salad', and 'Easy Cucumber Salad'. Especially that last one has been on my mind for two years now. I used to make my friends order this twice so I would have an entire bowl of this spicy, sour deliciousness to myself! I'm also really happy to have found a recipe for 'Scallion Pancakes' and 'Soy Sauce Noodles'!

What I appreciated most about Maggie Zhu's approach to this cookbook is the care she takes in explaining some of the aspects of Chinese cuisine that might be unusual or unexpected. In a section at the beginning she explains some of the different staples, what they can be replaced with, why she thinks they're important, etc. (At her recommendation I bought some Chinkiang vinegar and it is amazing.) She also has really clear and helpful photos that explain the different techniques of cutting tofu, crafting/rolling scallion pancakes, and putting together dim sum. There are even pictures of how to cut/prep certain vegetables Western readers might not be super familiar with! This could feel condescending with another author, but with Zhu it feels like you're being welcomed into her kitchen and given a friendly introduction. I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on a physical copy of this book so I can have these invaluable tips right there with me in the kitchen as I make my first attempt at Zhu's recipes!

I give this book...

4 Universes!

Chinese Homestyle by Maggie Zhu is everything I have been looking for! With beautiful photos and very clear steps and instructions, Zhu makes sure that everyone, no matter their comfort level in the kitchen, can create Chinese dishes at home for themselves.