Damn Good Chinese Food

Dumplings, Egg Rolls, Bao Buns, Sesame Noodles, Roast Duck, Fried Rice, and More-50 Recipes Inspired by Life in Chinatown

Damn Good Chinese Food
Maneet Chauhan, Chris Cheung
RRP:
NZ$ 54.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 43.99
Hardback
h229 x 191mm - 208pg
11 Nov 2021 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9781510758124
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
"The absolute best dumplings in New York. " -New York Magazine From acclaimed chef Chris Cheung comes a cookbook inspired by growing up in New York' s Chinatown-with a foreword by Maneet Chauhan, celebrity chef, author, and judge on The Food Network' s Chopped There is a particular region in today' s renaissance of Chinese cooking that is often overlooked: Chinatown. In other words, Chinese food cooked in Chinatown for Chinese people-stir-fried noodles, bao buns, pork buns, scallion pancakes, wontons, potstickers, spring rolls, the list goes on. At the very center of this beloved cuisine were the old tea houses that served countless mouth-watering snacks and treats, providing delicious affordable fuel that fed the working-class community. Like many great chefs, Chris Cheung was inspired by the places he grew up eating in. The food of these tea houses is the central philosophy behind Cheung' s ever-popular restaurant East Wind Snack Shop, which first opened in 2015 and now has four locations in Brooklyn. There, Chef Cheung' s focuses primarily on an endeavor he calls "chasing the perfect dumpling. " Whether it' s making the dough from scratch, grinding the meat, hand-folding each wrapper, or perfecting exact cooking temperatures, Cheung has painstakingly agonized over every specific detail that goes into cooking this understated masterpiece. In addition to learning his technique for creating what New York Magazine called the "Absolute Best Dumplings in NY," this cookbook teaches readers how to make all kind of classic delight reminiscent of the golden age in Chinatown, such as: PotstickersSpring RollsWonton SoupSoup DumplingsGwa Bao BunsGeneral Tso' s ChickenBeef and BroccoliScallion PancakesHar Gow (Shrimp Dumplings)Fried RiceCucumber SaladCold Sesame NoodlesSweet and Sour Pork, Peking StyleChicken Chow MeinSichuan VegetablesChar Sui Black CodBlack Bean ClamsCrispy Fish Mapo TofuSalt-and-Pepper ShrimpBlue Crabs DryBarbecue DuckEgg TartsTea EggsCongeeHong Kong Hot CakesSesame CookiesBubble Tea Like Cheung' s restaurants, this cookbook is a tribute to both the food served in those wonderful Chinatown establishments and the community they fed, the food Chris loves to cook, which he says give us "a few moments of happiness that bring us back to our childhood. "
Praise for Damn Good Chinese Food: "Without wasting a word, Chris Cheung shares everything he knows-which is a lot-about shopping for, cooking, and eating Chinese food in the United States. His natural, engaging voice comes through on every page of Damn Good Chinese Food, a refreshingly honest, funny, insightful, and extremely useful book. " -Laurie Woolever, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor, Appetites and World Travel, with Anthony Bourdain; author, Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography "With a love for Chinese ingredients, techniques, and flavors, Chris has rapidly established himself as one of the leading authorities on Chinese cuisine in the United States. . . . The recipes and techniques in this book are undoubtedly authentic, but also approachable and delicious. These dishes will excite you and quickly become family favorites. I am ready to dive into these mouthwatering recipes and look forward to cooking up a delicious, Chris-inspired storm in my own kitchen!" -Maneet Chauhan, judge, Chopped, winner, Tournament of Champions II, and author, Chaat "When it comes to great pizza, people think of Di Fara. When it comes to great Chinese food, you better know about Chef Chris Cheung. Domenico DeMarco and the Di Fara family are big fans of his cooking. We are so excited about this book!" -Dom, Maggie, and the whole Di Fara Pizza family "A look into a window of Chinatown that goes unsung-the people, the community, and the food! As the owner of one of the oldest restaurants in Chinatown, I' m totally inspired by Chris' s writing, and the recipes are spot on. " -Peter Lee, owner, Hop Kee Restaurant "Chris Cheung is the most New York chef I' ve ever met. Listening to him speak about growing up in Chinatown is a study in descriptive, textured storytelling. I can instantly smell and taste the food that he' s talking about. Mott Street in the late 80s and 90s was where I spent Sunday mornings with my father. Chris' s recipes in Damn Good Chinese Food bring me back to the place and time that food became the most important thing in my life. " -Ilan Hall, winner, Top Chef; former host, Knife Fight "My earliest dining memories come from wondrous meals at Chinese restaurants, where the ingredients, flavors, and aromas captivated me. Damn Good Chinese Food reminds me of the joy of discovery. Chris Cheung' s inventive and delectable recipes respect tradition while he adds his heartfelt personal touches. This is an engaging book to be treasured. " -Drew Nieporent, restauranteur, Nobu, Batard, Tribeca Grill "Chris Cheung taps into that nostalgia of 1970s Chinatown in his cooking, while bringing a modern sensibility to his recipes. We' re both NYC kids of the 70s, and while our backgrounds may be different, we share a deep love for dumplings and buns. And Chris' s dumplings are divine! I have twice profiled Chris and his cooking for my weekly food segment, Neighborhood Eats, on WABC TV, and both times I ate my way through the shoot, gorging on his delicious creations. His cooking directions are so simple, now even I can recreate Cantonese classics in my own kitchen! Dumplings, here I come!" -Lauren Glassberg, WABC TV Anchor and Reporter "Chef Chris Cheung has spent much of his career honoring his Chinese heritage by bringing the cuisine of his Chinatown childhood into the 21st Century. The flavors and techniques are traditional, but Chris has a way of adding his own finesse, learned from some of the country' s greatest chefs as well as his own decades of experience. This book reflects all of that and brings it to your kitchen. " -Brett Thorn, senior editor, Nation' s Restaurant News Praise for Chef Chris Cheung: "Thanks for making it all make brilliant sense. " -Anthony Bourdain, on Chris Cheung' s knowledge of New York' s Chinatowns "I' ve come to know Chris as a custodian of Chinatown' s food traditions and Cantonese-American cooking. But he' s also a thoughtful interpreter of Chinese cuisine. (Have you tried his Incredible Har Gow? Why not? ) There' s a reason I' m always happy to go out of my way to meet a good friend at the southern entrance to Prospect Park-because I can grab food from East Wind Snack Shop. " -Chris Crowley, writer, New York Magazine "Many chefs claim Chinatown as a point of reference, but Chris Cheung was raised in its old diners, dim sum halls, fishmongers, and grocery stores. His faithful yet inventive cooking is an essential form of storytelling and historical recovery. " -Herb Tam, curator, The Museum of Chinese in America Praise for East Wind Snack Shop "The absolute best dumplings in New York. " -New York Magazine "A homage to the [Chinatown' s] bygone working-class coffeehouses, run by immigrants who, like Mr. Cheung' s grandparents, came from Taishan, in Guangdong Province. " -The New York Times "I picked up my life and moved just to be closer to this Brooklyn dumpling spot. . . . I looked down at my table full of gorgeous stir-fried vegetables, plump dumplings, and pork belly bao, and knew: I was home. " -Bon Appetit "Brooklyn' s best (Bao) buns. " -Brooklyn Magazine "A skilled craftsman. " -The Village Voice "A dumpling destination. " -Grub Street "Stellar dumplings . . . The pork dumplings and dry-aged beef potstickers are certainly fantastic, but it' s chef Chris Cheung' s gwa bao-style bun, which places caramelized pork belly on top of the bun rather than inside of it, that has earned the most street cred among in-the-know diners. " -Eater "Dumplings aren' t just a lowbrow option for a quick bite-especially with a Nobu vet doing the steaming. That' s the story behind East Wind Snack Shop, a brand new chopsticks spot in Windsor Terrace specializing in dumplings, buns and other quickly inhaled Chinese foods. " -Gothamist
Chris Cheung is a New York native and grew up in the heart of Chinatown. He was brought up around great Cantonese food, where he undoubtedly picked up his affinity for Chinese cuisine. Right out of school he started working for world-famous chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Nobu Matsuhisa, and Masaharu Morimoto. Later, he became part of the opening kitchen staff at Jean-Georges, cooking alongside Wylie Dufresne and Didier Virot. Chef Cheung also had the privilege being Anthony Bourdain' s guide to New York' s Chinatowns on the hit show No Reservations and has served as a guest judge on The Food Network' s Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. His inspiration for Chinese cooking took him to Shanghai where he prepared banquets in the country side farming and fishing villages. There he learned the nuances of Shanghai cuisine and was blown away by its farm-to-table and sea-to-table style of cooking. Currently, he is the chef and owner of acclaimed restaurant East Wind Snack Shop, which has two locations in Brooklyn. Maneet Chauhan isa celebrity chef, author, and judge on the Food Network' s hit show Chopped, and won the James Beard Award of Excellence winner. She has received glowing accolades from a vast array of media for her globally-inspired culinary acumen. The only Indian female to ever compete on Iron Chef and lauded by Bon Appetit, USA Today, Time, Esquire, Travel & Leisure, Gourmet, Town & Country, Business Week, and O Magazine, as well as garnering a stunning three-star review from the Chicago Tribune, Chef Chauhan is a celebrated chef who is an inspiration to many, and a force to be reckoned with. She authored the book Flavors of Our World in 2013 and her forthcoming book Chaat: The Best Recipes From the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India published in October 2020.

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information