|
Swallowing Clouds:
A Playful Journey Through Chinese Culture, Language, and Cuisine
Book Review
Homemade Chinese Soups Homepage / Swallowing Clouds Book Review
Anthony Zee University of Washington Press; 1 edition (March 2002) ISBN : 0295981911, 978-0295981918 While gathering some facts on wontons, I came across Swallowing Clouds at the library. The title caught my eyes because swallowing clouds is a literal translation of wonton in the cantonese dialet. This book will definitely talk about wontons. Swallowing clouds is written by Prof Anthony Zee, a professor of physics at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of California. Before you start to think how boring...(no offence to physics buffs), this book was so well received that it was nominated for the James Beard Award and the International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Award. The springboard of the book is a chinese restaurant menu. Prof Zee used the entries in the menu to start off his discussion about chinese cuisine, chinese language and chinese culture. It is chock full of family anecdotes, the epistemology (i.e. origin) of certain chinese characters and of course, the history of chinese food. The book includes an entire chapter on wontons (page 67 to 78) including:
My only wish is that it has more photos. The simple cover and use of illustrations does not do justice to the fantastic content. In 2002, when this book was first published, the list price was US$18.95. It is currently out-of-print with most book suppliers. Only a handful still has stocks. According to allbookstores.com current prices for this book (new & used) ranges from US$33.40 to US$200.00 excluding shipping charges. (up-to-date as of 28 July 2007) Related LinksWontons HeavenNo more free rape movies today, but remember we update with new videos every day! . Joyetech EGO-T |
