Mai Leung (also author of The Classic Chinese Cookbook), as a schoolgirl in mainland China, spent her free afternoons at the teahouses, watching the constant parade of crowds coming for their favorite dim sum (savory steamed dumplings), noodle dishes, hearty soups, and other teahouse treats. There were, at night, the special delights of what the Chinese call "the people's nightclub": strolling under the stars through the back lanes, watching the impromptu entertainments, and, of course, eating ravishing snacks served up by venders who appeared out of no-where with their portable charcoal stoves. There were wonderful home-cooked meals as well clay-pot dinners, noodle nests in savory broths, and family specialties made only for festival times.All of this glorious fare is virtually unknown to Americans, who know only the formal, banquet food of China. Various and splendid though it is, there is another whole cuisine that is just beginning to make its way here.

The food in this book is simple, hearty peasant fare, everyday food but very sophisticated in its interplay of flavors and textures. The names of the dishes conjure up their character: Sugary Old Man, Deep-Fried Ghosts, Spiced Chicken in a Pumpkin, Smiling Dates, Silk Thread from Heaven, Five Fragrance Eggplant Fritters, among many.
These dishes are easy to prepare, inexpensive, and nutritious. Recipes that involve working with doughs have been tested under varying weather conditions. There are special sections on Chinese tea and the sometimes bewildering world of Chinese noodles: how to store and cook them, how to make your own, how to find the best ones.

Contains 99 recipes from a native-born Chinese cook. TRY: Basic Chinese Flaky Pastry, Mock Oyster Puffs (Deep-Fried Eggplant Puffs), Buddhist Spring Rolls, Savory Taro Turnovers, Chung Yao Bing (Crisp Scallion Cakes), Teahouse Steamed Stuffed Mushrooms on Vegetable, Shao Mai (Steamed Shrimp Crescents), Bamboo Stick Chicken, Minced Beef with Black Bean Sauce on Rice, Chicken and Abalone Congee, Crunchy Jellyfish Skin in Soy-Vinegar-Oil, Happy Family Dumpling Soup, Lotus Leaf Rice, Sweet Water Chestnut Pudding, Chinese New Year Sweet Sesame Bows, Ginger-Soy-Vinegar Dip, Plum Sauce Dip, Sesame Paste, How to Make Chinese Tea, etc.