Photo by Armelle Habib
Ever since I saw a post on the great Kylie Kwong’s Instagram about this, I knew it was a book I had to have! I was not wrong. And now I have it in my collection, in pride of place, where it belongs, I feel it is a book you might need to have, too. Chinese-ish is, as the subtitle explains, about “Home cooking, Not Quite Authentic. 100% Delicious”. Rosheen Kaul was born in Singapore to a Kashmiri father, and her mother was born to Chinese Filipino parents but adopted at a young age by a Eurasian mother and Indonesian father. Joanna Hu was born in Hunan Province in China and, like her co-author, moved to Melbourne at school age. This may give some idea of the range of this book. It’s neither formal nor comprehensive, but something much more inspiring and personal: an exuberant and inviting account of the dishes they love, explained for home cooks, with a buoyant enthusiasm that’s instantly contagious. You will want to run, not walk, to the kitchen once you’ve enjoyed a pleasurable hour on the sofa flicking through its pages.
And where might I suggest you start? Well, anywhere is the answer, but I still feel I should highlight some recipes for you, and I do so gladly, hard though it is to leave any out. I thus draw your attention to the Dan Dan Mean; the most fabulous dumplings; Golden Shrimp Roe Noodles; Ants Climbing a Tree Noodles; Chicken Congee; some incredible sauces, namely Lazy XO Sauce, Hunan Salted Chilli, and Chilli Oil; Yunnan Mashed Potato, alive with garlic, chilli and pickled greens; the divine Creamy Tofu Noodles with Soy-Vinegar Dressing; Fiery Sichuan Fondue, which takes the form of a cheese fondue made with lager rather than wine, and a generous amount of chilli oil (and you can use Lao Gan Ma); and the spectacular Uighur ‘Big Plate’ Chicken with Hand-Pulled Noodles. And I’m desperate to try the Microwave Cheong Fun, those wonderful rice flour noodle rolls, which are especial favourites of mine.
I’ve chosen a recipe for you that seemed to me an excellent introduction to the food in this happy-making book: Burnt Spring Onion Oil Noodles, just perfect for when you need a simple but richly flavoured solo supper.
Chinese-Ish: Home cooking, not quite authentic, 100% delicious by Rosheen Kaul and Joanna Hu (Murdoch Books, £22).
Photography by Armelle Habib.
