Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and stories from China's Yunnan province Kindle Edition

I just received "Cooking South of the Clouds" recently and it is a really well put together book with beautiful pictures and some great looking recipes. I honestly haven't cooked anything with it just yet since I haven't gone grocery shopping yet lol.While leafing through the book I noticed one thing that probably needs to be made more clear on the "black cardamom" stated on page 14, especially since this ingredient is listed as a pantry staple.In the picture to the left of the description on page 14, it looks very different from the (Indian) black cardamom I have in my pantry. Did a little research and found that the ingredient that needs to be used is different. It has quite a few names, here are a couple that could be searched to get you what's needed for the recipes. - Red Cardamom - "Cao Guo" or "tsaoko" which is the Mandarin name for it, roughly translates into "grass fruit"** you can do a quick search for the following in a single line to confirm what I'm saying by looking at the 1st ingredient on "Egg Wan's Food Odyssey" page and compare the Chinese characters ;) "14 essential chinese spices" "eggwansfoododyssey"And for those that want to substitute in (Indian) black cardamom, from a site I found it states "Red Cardamom is related to, but highly distinctive from, green cardamom and Indian black cardamom-it should not be used as a substitute for either of these spices."Didn't mean to go on and on about one ingredient but I wanted to make sure all of us end up making the correct dish because if you bought the book like I did, you're probably looking to attempt re-create authentic traditional dishes at home. Without ever having tasted these dishes before we have to rely on accurate recipes so although using the name "black cardamom" wasn't technically wrong (since I found site calling it "Chinese black cardamom") I have to deduct 1 star due to the lack of distinction between 2 very different ingredients that may completely change the taste of a dish. Otherwise, great looking book. Now I need to get off my *ss to go shopping and then start cooking :)

This book is a superb introduction to regional foods of Yunnan province. The recipes are uniformly fine and appetizing, the stories interesting and valuable. I have to say--I am not an envious man, but I envy Georgia Freedman--she got a chance to spend a couple of years exploring all the best foods and restaurants of the most beautiful, varied, and interesting part of China. The downside, mentioned by several reviewers, is that you can't always find key ingredients, and sometimes you can't even tell what they are--she often calls for "sawtooth herb" without explaining what it is. It is Eryngium foetidum, a Mexican plant known as "Tabasco parsley" in its homeland, that somehow got to southeast Asia and has become very popular there. You can usually find it in Vietnamese markets, but not in Chinese ones. I might also add that the winter squash there is close to our butternut. Yunnan food is amazingly influenced by New World food--traveling with some Mexican friends, at a conference, I watched their utter amazement at a rather remote Sani (minority) village with adobe houses, corn ears drying in trees, strings of dried chiles and Mexican green beans hanging from the roof, and Mexican squash piled up under the eaves--it was exactly like a Mexican farmstead! Such is the "Columbian exchange."

I have an almost embarrassingly large collection of internationally-focused cookery books and vowed to not buy another for a year, but ... sigh ... yes, I was too tempted, so bought this one and ... okay ... I'm glad that I did! The book is beautifully written with clear, precise directions for obtaining and using some uncommon ingredients. And the photography is stunning. I also wanted a book that explores and incorporates cultural information. Yunnan Province is home to many of China's "ethnic minorities", and this cookery book offers abundant cultural insights which only add to the delight of each recipe. There are, of course, regional variations in some of the recipes. Having spent some months in the Himalayas, I think my recipes for meat and vegetable momos could have more depth of flavor, but then I haven't tried the simpler, Northern Yunnan version. But now I will! I recommend this book to you for the sheer joy of it.

From Tibetan Momos (dumplings) to spicy tropical dishes, the author gives us a glimpse into the culinary lives of a very rich and diverse region. Most of the recipients come from restaurants, but they retain the interest of each region. I’ve made many of the dishes, and am pleased with the results. I would caution that this is not an ideal text for someone who does not already understand the techniques and methods of Asian cooking, but it showcases a great palette of flavors and combinations, so is a worthy addition to ones library. Some ingredients may be hard to source, but alternatives are provided in most cases.

I love cooking, world travel and culture, and photography, and this book is a treasured addition to my library in all three categories. Cooking South of the Clouds-Recipes and Stories from China's Yunnan Province is true to its title. This is not just a cookbook. The stories about the region, the local cooks, and the culture of the ethnic minorities who inhabit the province are fascinating, and the beautiful photographs throughout the book, not only of the food, but of the scenery and most importantly, the people, provide a wonderful context to the recipes and the understanding of the region. The recipes themselves are varied and enticing, and the author provides tips if some of the ingredients are unavailable,or a vegetarian version is preferred. There is a section describing cooking tools, and I learned how to build a Yunnan meal! The cover is beautiful, and makes this a great coffee table book as well.

A very interesting cookbook. The food in this region is more meat heavy than typical Chinese cuisine. I don't know if I would cook all the recipes, but some are interesting. IF you like cookbooks that give a lot of detail and sense of place, you will enjoy this.

This is a culinary and cultural travelogue through South West China. Well written, interesting content and good colour photographs. I have travelled in that area- Yunnan Province - and the recipes are authentic and comprehensive. Good value for money and enjoyable to read. The recipes are good and descriptions clear.

I loved this book. The food is very original and different from your standard Chinese cookery book. The recipes vary from classic, via South East Asian to things which would look familiar in modern Scandinavian Cuisine (carrot top soup). I also liked the stories.

The recipes are different from "regular" chinese recipes , and the book is beautiful and full of nice texts

Un bel libro, senza dubbio. Copertina rigida, bella carta, belle foto, si presenta molto bene. Il libro è diviso per tipologia di pietanze, come spesso accade, e nel complesso viene dato, inevitabilmente direi, il giusto peso ai cibi delle varie minoranze etniche. È presente anche un elenco dei vari utensili, divisi per cinesi e strettamente dello Yunnan. Detto questo, non ho ancora provato le ricette, ma non ho dubbi, dando una rapida occhiata, che siano molto buone.Avevo anche comprato The Yunnan Cookbook: Recipes from China's land of ethnic diversity, ma è francamente inferiore sia come numero di ricette sia come impostazione generale, infatti è una via di mezzo fra un libro di ricette e un coffee table book, come del resto scrive un altro lettore di lingua inglese. Ma al di là di questo aspetto preferisco senz'altro Cooking South of the Clouds, senza dubbio, mi pare piùà completo.

Me recomendó el libro una amiga chef y escritora de recetarios chinos. Valió la pena seguir su consejo, Cooking South of the Clouds es un libro sin par. Me encanta todo, desde las recetas únicas hasta la fotografía--y llegó rápido!.