All under heaven Recipes from the 35 cuisines of China

Phillips (The Dim Sum Field Guide) offers a comprehensive and thoughtful examination of Chinese cuisine, providing a wealth of appealing recipes for beginner and advanced cooks. Dividing the country into five regions, she identifies 35 distinct cuisines and offers a brief but informative history of each. Personal stories-particularly those of her late mother-in-law, who was born and raised in Tianjin-add insight. She describes the North/Manchurian Northeast, home most notably to the cuisine of Beijing, and highlights pot stickers and zha jiang noodles, which use common ingredients such as pork, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Dishes from the Yangtze River area are noted for fish and shellfish, bamboo shoots, and pork, seen in dishes such as fish chowder and Dong Po pork. Phillips describes the coastal Southeast as flush with a wide range of treasures such as poultry, pork, and fermented ingredients. Recipes include oyster spring rolls, complete with assembly illustrations, and Hainanese chicken and rice. Chili peppers characterize the Central Highlands, where she highlights dry-fried chicken wings and mapo doufu. In the sparsely populated Arid Lands, ranging from lower Mongolia to the mountains of Tibet, she highlights lamb, dairy, and wheat. Lamb soup with biscuits and Xinjiang-style lamb kebabs are prime examples of local dishes. In addition, Phillips includes a valuable chapter on basic recipes, techniques, and useful advice. This is a broad and discerning approach to regional Chinese cooking. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Nánjīng yánshuĭ yā 南京鹽水鴨 Nanjing Saltwater Duck  Jiangsu * Serves 6  Summer months in many parts of China are brutal, and on some days it can be very difficult to work up enthusiasm for food there. But man (and woman) cannot survive on ice cream and beer alone, and so the denizens of Jiangsu have come up with some pretty great summer foods. This simple yet delicious duck dish is one such example.  In this recipe, the duck is salted overnight, cooked in nothing more than water, salt, and aromatics, and then chilled. It's that easy. As far as what cut of duck to get, I'd recommend duck legs. They are a heck of a lot cheaper than buying an entire bird, they slice up easily once cold, and they are almost all meat. You will need a heavy cleaver to whack up the legs, however, so if you don't have one, get duck breasts instead. They are just as tasty, and they can easily be boned and sliced once cooked.  D uck a nd s a lt ru b 4 whole duck legs (thighs attached) with skin on  2 tablespoons coarse sea salt  2 teaspoons five-spice powder (page 441 or store-bought)  2 teaspoons ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns (page 441)  Braising liquid  2 green onions, trimmed  1 star anise  5 slices fresh ginger  2 teaspoons sea salt  1. Start this 2 days before you wish to serve it. Pat the duck dry and pluck off any pinfeathers you find, as well as the thin yellow skin. Place the legs in a plastic container. Sprinkle them with the salt and spices, rubbing the seasonings thoroughly into every part of the legs. Cover the container and chill for about 24 hours.  2. The next day, rinse the duck legs in plenty of cool tap water, being sure to get rid of all the salt and spices. Place the legs in a small saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients, as well as water to barely cover. Bring the water to a full boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Poach the legs for 30 minutes and then remove the pan from the heat. Let the legs cool in the liquid. Remove the cooled legs to a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, use a very sharp heavy cleaver to whack the legs into .-inch-wide slices. Serve cold or just slightly chilled.  Nanjing Saltwater Duck also makes a delicious appetizer or bar snack that will serve around 12. Excerpted from All under Heaven: Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of China by Carolyn Phillips All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.