Give The Hakka Cookbook, Chinese Soul Food from around the World, recognized as the Best Chinese Cookbook in the World in 2012, to Hakka family and friends. The book outlines the Hakka history and defines Hakka identity. Or give the book to a cooking enthusiast who loves Chinese food and history. It’s a great holiday gift for the Chinese foodie.
The Hakka Cookbook was recognized as the Best Chinese Cookbook of the World by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awardsin 2012.
Through recipes and stories told by Hakka from all over the world, discover the unique Hakka history, culture, and cuisine. Find 140 recipes, including Hakka classics such as stuffed tofu, lei cha, and salt-baked chicken as well as easy Chinese comfort food. The beginner cook will find sections on cooking techniques, equipment, and ingredients. Paintings created by artist Alan Lau gracefully illustrates the book.
Check this link for sources on where to buy The Hakka Cookbook. It is widely available online. Some of the major sellers are Amazon.com, Books Kinokuniya, and University of California Press. Or ask your local book store to order The Hakka Cookbook for you.
Page from “Eat Bitter” Credits: DESIGN- ROO WILLIAMS, PHOTOGRAPHY – LYDIA PANG, WORDS – LYDIA PANG
Recently I got a flurry of alerts from my blog to let me know The Hakka Cookbook had been mentioned in several posts online. Checking them I read a story introducing a new zine called “Eat Bitter” about a Hakka family and their food.
I was thrilled to learn that Lydia Pang, the creator of the new publication was a young Hakka woman. Pang, whose father is Hakka, grew up in Wales, a country without much cultural diversity. She had worked in more ethnically diverse London and New York and began to feel she didn’t know enough about her Chinese heritage. It was time to learn more. She decided to write about her family’s favorite foods and stories shared at the dinner table. The result, “Eat Bitter,” allowed her to explore her identity and preserve the culture and recipes of her Hakka family.
Page from “Eat Bitter” Credits: DESIGN- ROO WILLIAMS, PHOTOGRAPHY – LYDIA PANG, WORDS – LYDIA PANG
The title of her publication, “Eat Bitter,” reflects the Hakka history. The Hakka have long endured multiple migrations, hardship, and persecution. Called “guest people” because they often arrived to settled lands last, the Hakka got the meager leftovers. Through their hard work, they survived and flourished. Working through obstacles, whether in life or in the kitchen, makes the reward taste so much sweeter.
Page about Pang’s father’s Sunday sik fan from “Eat Bitter” Credits: DESIGN- ROO WILLIAMS, PHOTOGRAPHY – LYDIA PANG, WORDS – LYDIA PANG
The zine’s bold design and creative layout vibrate on the red and black saturated pages (sample pages shown above). With help from her family, Pang records recipes such as Ears &Thighs (steamed chicken thighs and wood ear mushrooms), Fatty Pork (simmered pork belly with garlic and black beans), and Paw Paw’s Sponge (steamed sponge cake.) Photos and sketches reveal the cooking process.
To pre-order her magazine visit eatbitter.co Pang will donate a portion of the sales to Welcome to Chinatown, a grassroots organization that provides resources to hard-hit businesses in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Best Chinese Cuisine Cookbook of the World 2012 -Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Looking for a gift for a Hakka relative or friend eager to learn more about their Hakka history? Is there a cook on your holiday gift list who is interested in Chinese history and cuisine? Give them The Hakka Cookbook, Chinese Soul Food from around the World. The book was recognized as the Best Chinese Cookbook in the World in 2012 by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
Through recipes and stories told by Hakka from all over the world, discover the unique Hakka history, culture, and cuisine. Find 140 recipes, including Hakka classics such as stuffed tofu, lei cha, and salt-baked chicken as well as easy Chinese comfort food. The beginner cook will find sections on cooking techniques, equipment, and ingredients. Paintings created by artist Alan Lau gracefully illustrates the book.
Check this link for sources on where to buy The Hakka Cookbook. It is widely available online. Some of the major sellers are Amazon.com, Books Kinokuniya, and University of California Press. Or ask your local book store to order The Hakka Cookbook for you.
My daughters are like many of you-–looking for recipes for a healthy dinner on a hectic schedule. They lead busy lives with small children who have active social calendars that rival their parents. Although my girls like to cook, their time is limited. I love it when they tell me they turn to The Hakka Cookbook for inspiration.
Often they look for a recipe they can use with food they have on hand. Sometimes they shop for a favorite recipe that has become a quick go-to weeknight dish such as Stir-fried Chinese Broccoli and Chicken (page 210).
Here are some of the quick and easy recipes that they have used from The Hakka Cookbook in the last few weeks. As you can see, they sometimes adapt the recipe to their family’s taste and the ingredients they have at the moment. You can do the same.
Stir-fried Long Beans with Pork with cook’s additional of cherry tomatoes (page 21)
Garlic-Chile Eggplant Sticks (page 56)
Stir-fried Chicken and Cucumbers with cook’s substitution of cherry tomatoes for red chile slices (page 202)
Best Chinese Cuisine Cookbook 2012 by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Need a holiday gift for your Hakka children or foodie friend? Consider The Hakka Cookbook. It’s a perfect and unique gift especially for Hakka who want to learn more about their history, heritage, and cuisine. The book tells the story of the migration of China’s “guest people” known as the Hakka. It follows my journey to discover my own Hakka identity as I travel and interview Hakka throughout the world. These transplanted Hakka share their stories and their food. Through the easy-to-follow recipes, cook your way to the Hakka soul.
Ask your local bookstore to order The Hakka Cookbook for you. Or buy online. Check this link for sources and details. Online retailers such as Amazon (North America, France, Germany, UK, Japan, and Canada) and Kinokuniya Online Store Bookweb (Southeast Asia) have sold the book in the past.
A few months ago I was asked by Grokker.com to be one of their experts on their website which features cooking and fitness videos. It seemed a perfect fit for me since I love food and yoga. We spent four long days shooting cooking segments in my kitchen. This week three of my videos were released. I demonstrate some variations of recipes from The Hakka Cookbook and also show how to prepare some other popular Chinese dishes. I always loved developing recipes, especially for the home cook.
If you are interested in learning how to cook Chinese food, click on the following links. You will see about two minutes of the video and then it stops. To see the complete video, you will need to register (it’s free and easy). Once registered, you will be notified of my upcoming cooking demos. You can also view videos from other cooking and fitness experts. Since grokker.com is in beta stage (testing phrase), it is a great opportunity to register and visit the site now for free. Get recipes and lessons from cooking experts from gluten-free to ethnic.
Want to know how to cook Chinese broccoli like served in many restaurants? It is really easy, check out Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce. Click here for video.
Or see a short overview of my Grokker eggplant video. Click here for video on youtube. Join me at Grokker.com to learn how to cook Chinese food, my way. I believe in realistic, simplified recipes for the home cook with authentic tastes. Share with your friends, especially those who love to eat but need some help in the kitchen.
