Martin Yan Quick and Easy

by Martin Yan

The companion volume to Martin Yan's new PBS series of the same name, this cookbook is the ideal introduction to Asian cooking. Wok-full of great tips and techniques, plus sources for easily locating unusual ingredients, here are more than 150 truly easy recipes that taste great and cook up fast -- all in under 30 minutes! Classic potstickers with spicy dipping sauce can be made ahead and frozen for impromptu guests-to-impress dinners. Korean-Style Lamb Chops pair up perfectly with crisp-and-tender Flash-Fried Asparagus and Long Beans. For those who like it hot, Three-Alarm Firecracker Shrimp packs a spicy punch with a menage a trois of chiles until Coconut Custard creaminess cools things down. Basics include the recipe for mastering steamed rice, a glossary of terms (know your miso from your mirin), and striking photographs throughout illustrating the food, essential equipment, and helpful techniques. No one is as well-known or well-loved for bringing Asian food into our home kitchens. With foolproof recipes conjured up fast, Martin Yan works his magic once again!

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Food and Drink, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2004

About the author

Martin Yan (Chinese: 甄文達) is a Chinese-born Hong Kong-American chef and food writer. He has hosted his award-winning PBS-TV cooking show Yan Can Cook since 1982.

Reviews

[Ryon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well well, another book in the "Quick and easy" vein. Are you sensing a theme to my cookbook reviews yet? Yes, I'm a bachelor who still wants to cook and live well, and do other things with my life as well. This book allows one to seriously impress a woman and not seriously impose on my time. Get this book, you won't regret it!

As a low-carb/paleo aficionado, I have to admit some of the recipes are a bit high in carbohydrate (I feel that chinese food is not particularly healthy), but I have adapted several of the recipes to my lifestyle, and still love this book when cooking for company, just not as much when cooking for myself.

The green tea shrimp and orange-peel chicken recipes are particularly good.

Bottom line, purchase the book!

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook by Martin Yan (of Public Television's Yan Can Cook>) was nicely laid out. I like how the glossary was in the front along with all of the basics like equipment and ingredients that a typical Chinese kitchen would have on hand. The items and techniques were all clearly explained so that a beginner would be able to make the dishes included in this collection. This cookbook is a companion to one of Yan's television series. The photography included is appetizing and reading through the recipes, they all seemed easy to follow and so many sounded like things I might try to make in my own kitchen. I like how the first group of recipes focuses on sauces because these show up in many of the other recipes throughout the book.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friendly book with simple recipes that don't necessarily require oodles of obscure ingredients. Crunchy apple beef was really good.

[Isaac Lambert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most sexy cookbook (pretty devoid of pictures), but there are many recipes in here that I want to try— and they do look simple, tasty, and sometimes even unique!