Chinese Home Cooking

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

“Economy, good food and sound nutrition” are the author’s stated
purposes for this collection of some 100 recipes. While she may deliver
on these promises, the book misses the mark on several other essentials.

The recipes recognize today’s health concerns and are low in salt and
fat. MSG is not used. The ingredients called for are all readily
available in any large supermarket. While this makes the recipes
approachable and feasible for Canadian cooks, it also tends to make them
rather unexciting.

Some of the recipes are adaptations of traditional Chinese dishes;
others are original, created with a view to merging Canadian and Chinese
cooking styles. The recipes sound dull, the design and page layout are
confusing, and there is a complete absence of any descriptive or
illustrative material to entice the reader into trying the recipes. The
selection is mundane, with nothing unexpected to add interest.

Once past these hurdles, the person who tries these recipes will find
that the ingredients lists and the method sections tend to run together.
Sometimes preparation directions are given as part of the ingredients
list; sometimes they are offered under method. For many of the recipes,
the method refers the cook to another recipe in another section of the
book.

There’s a substantial section on basic methods of Chinese cooking and
Chinese ingredients hidden at the back of the book: it’s not listed in
the table of contents and there is no index. Not an inspiring effort.