Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho ISBN: 9780785239000
Published by Harper Horizon on October 12, 2021
Genres: Cookbook, Nonfiction
Pages: 304
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2022 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • Baking and Desserts
2022 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • Emerging Voice, Books
ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker Magazine, The New York Times
ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time Out, Glamour, Taste of Home
In Mooncakes & Milk Bread, food blogger Kristina Cho (eatchofood.com) introduces readers to Chinese bakery cooking with fresh, uncomplicated interpretations of classic recipes for the modern baker.
Inside, you’ll find sweet and savory baked buns, steamed buns, Chinese breads, unique cookies, whimsical cakes, juicy dumplings, Chinese breakfast dishes, and drinks. Recipes for steamed BBQ pork buns, pineapple buns with a thick slice of butter, silky smooth milk tea, and chocolate Swiss rolls all make an appearance--because a book about Chinese bakeries wouldn’t be complete without them!
Kristina teaches you to whip up these delicacies like a pro, including how to:
- Knead dough without a stand mixer
- Avoid collapsed steamed buns
- Infuse creams and custards with aromatic tea flavors
- Mix the most workable dumpling dough
- Pleat dumplings like an Asian grandma
This is the first book to exclusively focus on Chinese bakeries and cafés, but it isn’t just for those nostalgic for Chinese bakeshop foods--it’s for all home bakers who want exciting new recipes to add to their repertoires.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
Credibility/research: 9, the author is clear that she’s constructed recipes around her own experience as a Chinese American, exploring both traditional Chinese bakery recipes and her own modern American twist on them. Her explanation of why things work, ingredient-wise and technique-wise, lends an authority to the recipes.
Authenticity/uniqueness: 9, I’ve read a lot of cookbooks, including a lot of baking books, but I can count on one finger the number of Chinese American baking cookbooks I’ve come across. It was particularly charming because I’ve eaten several of these things, but never even considered trying to make any myself. And now I feel empowered to do so!
Writing: 8, the author has an aspirational, excited tone throughout the book, which makes everything sound easily made. I would’ve liked to see some flexibility for ingredient substitution and shortcuts for technique (the likelihood that I’ll have to stop mid-bake to lie down is high, so I’m always concerned about whether there are pause points I can take, or work-ahead shortcuts or anything to make it easier on myself).
Personal Impact: 7, aside from being a great resource should I ever feel well enough to try my hand (at mooncakes, in particular- a dish I’ve been trying to sample for years but never been able to acquire), I don’t think there’s a lasting impact takeaway for me. That’s partly because I lack the food nostalgia and cultural connection the author discusses (which I’m sure make her recipes more impactful for others of similar experience). And partly because, if I’m honest, I’m rather intimidated by most of these recipes.
Intrigue: 9, I blitzed through the book in two days. The balance of sweet (but not too sweet!) and savory recipes had me craving dim sum, and frustrated at the lack of Chinese bakery anywhere near me. If I was in full health, I have no doubt I’d be trying to make some steamed buns, mooncakes, and palmiers.
Logic/informativeness: 9, the recipes were laid out thoughtfully and I appreciated the inclusion of why specific flours worked best for specific things (like the crystal shrimp dumplings). I’m always appreciative of an education along with my food titillation, and the photos were delightful as well.
Enjoyment: 8, if nothing else, I really do need to try making milk bread. It seems to be the corner stone of most Chinese baking. And I appreciated the small cultural context statements about northern China vs southern China palate differences, level of sweetness preference (as opposed to French or Southern baking, for contrast), and the inclusion of personal stories about other Chinese bakeries in San Francisco, Chicago, etc.
*I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. This in no way influenced my review.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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