Szechwan Style Chinese Cuisine

To the reviewers who posted about meat vs vegetarian, let me just say... I have no idea what either of you are talking about!!! This is a normal cookbook of recipes covering the basics and then some of Sichuan cooking. It has the normal amount of recipes you'd expect for meat, veggies etc. The recipes are very authentic and you may not be able to find some of the ingredients without going to the Asian Grocery store. As always, make sure to use Asian brands (not the mass market ones for non-Asian people). However, I use this cookbook all the time and it is like momma makes. They are quick and easy, particularly once you get comfortable with what you're doing. Recipes are printed into Chinese and English and can sometimes be less that perfect English translations. That said, if you are trying to find ingredients and take this book with you to a Chinese grocery store, you are sure to get exactly the right thing and not the weird poor "substitute". HANDS DOWN RECOMMEND for someone who is looking for authentic!!

This is not a book that will allow you to revisit dishes that are made at your typical Chinese restaurant. First of all this is Szechwan Cuisine - China has many different Cuisines - Mandarin, Hunan, Beijing, Cantonese, etc. This book is for someone that wants to make an authentic Szechwan dish, and not for making a bastardization that one has become accustomed to in the U.S. For authenticity, this is the book for you. For a novice, pick up a title that has the word "Beginner" in it. This is an excellent book!

The Wei Chuan series of cookbooks are must haves for anyone interested in cooking Chinese cuisine. I am particularly fond of SzeChwan style food so this cookbook was a natural choice for me. This book has descriptions for preparations of special food items that is very helpful. I especially recommend this book for anyone who loves spicy food (the kung pao recipes alone make the book worth buying). For anyone who wants vegetarian food Sze Chwan style won't be the right choice--I would recommend buying Wei Chuan's Indian cuisine cookbook or their Simply Vegetarian cookbook instead.

Wei Chuan's collection of cookbooks are fabulous. All the recipes are as authentic as it gets. Recipes are easy to follow and it actually TASTES good. I am planning to get the whole collection of Wei Chuan's cookbooks.

Except for the occasional typo where the numbers may not have survived the translation in the Editor's first draft (how much corn starch to use for the Fried Eggplant Cake batter, just to name one), this is by far my favorite and most-used cookbook of any kind in my collection. It is always out on the counter instead of in the bookcase with the others! The Kung Pao Chicken is my favorite, but you'll cut down on the dried red peppers if you are wise. The "Szechwan Peppercorn", sometimes referred to as "Numb Spice", called for in many of the recipes is a very authentic Szechwan ingredient but should be left out for better compatability with Western tastes.I'm ordering more of the series!