Sichuan Cookery – Hardcover or paperback/softcover?

Japanese Knives - by Tokushu Knife
Find deals on amazon
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
K

Kamelion

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
83
Reaction score
1
Dear all,

I am about to purchase the (UK version of) Fuchsia Dunlop’s „Sichuan Cookery“. Have any of you had both the hardcover (2001) and the paperback/softcover (2003) versions in your hands, and which would you prefer? I often find hardcover better bound, but sometimes a bit less practical.

Best regards!
 
Noodle Soup said:
I have all of Fuchsia's hard bound books and use them constantly.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Noodle Soup, I guess I’ll go for the hardbound first edition then. They are not really that easy to find any more.
 
I'm enough of a Fuchsia fan that I made a point of making a pilgrimage to the Sichuan cooking school she studied at in Chengdu. Wish I had the time and money to study there but I had to settle for one of the smaller schools in town.
 
Anyone got the fabled "Sichuan Cuisine in Both Chinese and English"? Is it worth the exorbitant prices an import costs?
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
Anyone got the fabled "Sichuan Cuisine in Both Chinese and English"? Is it worth the exorbitant prices an import costs?
Click to expand...

Full online access costs 60 cents. It’s definitely worth that!

I have not read it extensively, but to me it seems to be much about presenting the recipe varieties that are the most common ground, middle of the road that is, and therefore probably not always very authentic, in the meaning that the particular version may have never existed, but every part of it has. A bit like an eclectic Urtext edition of a Bach cantata. However, it is an interesting insight in the standardization of the culinary heritage, and of course interesting to see how the agreed-upon recipes look.
 
Oh ok, just saw the printed versions coming at outrageous prices :) So it kind of has.... traditional recipes seen through the lens of professional chefs, as would be the case for a Sanjeev Kapoor/Sanjay Thumma/Harpal Singh Sookhi recipe in Indian cuisine?
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
Oh ok, just saw the printed versions coming at outrageous prices :) So it kind of has.... traditional recipes seen through the lens of professional chefs, as would be the case for a Sanjeev Kapoor/Sanjay Thumma/Harpal Singh Sookhi recipe in Indian cuisine?
Click to expand...

Well, I am no expert, but that is my personal feeling. Nevertheless, it is a very interesting book.

You can have a look with this preview.

I do not know these indian books and their story. Tell me more!
 
These three are more known for a lot of YT presence than book authors - all of them former or current professional chefs...
 
Noodle Soup said:
Ok, checking Amazon I see "Sichuan Cookery" is one I don't have. Kind of spendy isn't it?
Click to expand...

It is basically the same book as Land of Plenty, but with extra photographs, american orthography and imperial measures only. You can get it at reasonable prices at abebooks for example.
 
Noodle Soup said:
Copy ordered off Abe Books. I need the full collection right? :)
Click to expand...

Of course, of course! Congrats! Wait, that means, I need the american versions as well!?

But jokes apart, for me personally, who has Fuchsias voice and intonation in mind when reading, it feels strange reading the american orthography since she is a British author. I believe that also Every Grain of Rice and Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper exist in different versions. In those cases, however, there are no differences regarding photos and layout, but only in terms of orthography and cover picture.
 
I have the hard bound. No problem keeping it open like some hardcovers. The soft=back version feels fine, too. I'd go with that if the price diff is big.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top