DIM SUM:
The Delicious Secrets of Home-Cooked
Chinese Tea Lunch
Rhoda Yee
Photos: A few black and white
Ease: 2-5
This is one of the hidden gems in my collection. A slim volume printed in 1972 by the West Coast retailers, Taylor & Ng, Dim Sum reveals the how-tos of the most beloved delicacies of the dim sum cart.
I found my copy buried in the dollar bin of the Brattle Book Shop in Boston six years ago. It proved a life-saver when we returned to Germany soon after, and suffered a dearth of dim sum eateries. Armed with a few packets of preserved mustard greens carried across the pond from Boston's Chinatown, I was able to re-create T's favorite White Turnip Pudding Cake (66) with great success. The 5 Spice Chicken Buns (45), Barbecued Pork aka Char Siu (26), Pot Stickers (37), and (less successful) Steamed Sponge Cake (60) also sated the casual desire for Chinese snacks while we were overseas.
These recipes were collected as part of a cooking series Chef Yee produced for Taylor & Ng, and they provide clear, easy-to-follow directions for delectable results. Of course, your success will rely in large part on securing some exotic pantry items, but half the fun of preparing new cuisines can be searching out strange ingredients! For those less inclined to pad their pantries, favorites such as Shrimp Toast (31), Parchment Chicken (25) and Pot Stickers (37) require nothing more exotic than water chestnuts or sesame oil to complete.
Taylor & Ng recently re-released this culinary classic and it is available on their website. I highly recommend it if you're interested in what goes into preparing your dim sum favorites, whether you're enjoying them at leisure in restaurant or endeavoring to make them at home.