COOKING & FOOD

Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home

Clarkson Potter. Mar. 2025. 272p. ISBN 9780593582084. $37.99. COOKING
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Eng, chef and owner of Bonnie’s, a popular Brooklyn restaurant, has written an ode to his Cantonese American family history. His debut cookbook tells his story of growing up in Chinatown and discusses the influences of his family and culture, especially his mother, on his attending culinary school. The book also explores how he infuses his heritage into the food featured in Bonnie’s. His life history shines on the pages of this well-written book that begins with building blocks, necessary tools, and pantry ingredients necessary for those who want to dive into Cantonese cuisine and learn the dishes and techniques that pop on every page. The recipes are clearly written and feel encouraging even to those just starting to explore Chinese cooking. Eng offers recipes that span a full gamut of options, starting with lemon-cola chicken wings, moving on to delectable milk bread buns, and continuing with sweet potato curry pot pie and egg custards to tease the palette. There are also sections on properly cooking and using rice and how and where to shop for ingredients, plus even more sage advice.
VERDICT A beautiful work that adds another layer to the growing realm of global cuisine cookbooks.
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