Chinese-ish: Home Cooking, Not Quite Authentic, 100% Delicious

This unique and beautifully illustrated cookbook offers a combination of cuisines spanning Southeast Asia that reflect the authors’ immigrant heritage. Kaul (born in Singapore to parents of Kashmiri, Peranakan Chinese, and Filipino descent) and Hu (whose parents are Chinese Australian) each offer moving introductions to their experiences growing up and how they became interested in cooking. They also include anecdotes throughout the book to give readers insight into their lives and the meaning of the food they detail. The first part of the book includes a section on useful ingredients and kitchen tools/appliances one will need for the recipes. They offer useful guidance on recipe basics like making stock and easy, step-by-step instructions for forming their wontons and dumplings—which are not to be missed. Among the book’s other recipes are Sichuan-style cold noodles, blistered green beans, and dong po braised pork.