Chinese Recipes

Published in 1927, Chinese Recipes offers a rare window into authentic Chinese home cooking as it was prepared in American Chinese households nearly a century ago. Nellie C. Wong, writing for readers encountering these flavors for the first time, presents recipes that never condescend to their audience, instead offering clear instructions for staples like properly cooked rice, quick stir-fried vegetables with crisp water chestnuts, and comforting bowls of soup. The book moves confidently through seafood preparations, from delicate sweet-and-sour fish to several shrimp dishes, while meat courses include the simple excellence of broiled pork and the textural intrigue of cabbage rolls. Particularly striking are the recipes for almond chow mein and the remarkable 'precious pudding' of rice, barley, and candied fruits finished with lemon syrup. Throughout, Wong emphasizes technique: the quick heat of the wok, the gentle silk of steamed dishes, the satisfying crunch of deep-frying. This is not the Chop Suey of American restaurants but something richer and stranger, a document of how Chinese families actually ate, with all the balance and harmony that phrase implies.