Reviews

Amazon.com
Part cookbook, part primer of Chinese medicine, Nina Simonds's A Spoonful of Ginger offers dietary advice, herbal home remedies, and lively, unintimidating Asian recipes for the American home cook. Try Braised Duck with Tangerine Peel and Sweet Potato as a cure for high blood pressure. Baked Black Bean Shrimp might be just the dish to get you over that bout of depression. Simonds presents the ailing reader with concoctions to relieve everything from hangovers to frostbite.

And lovers of fine food need not despair--medical advice is kept brief, presumably to make room for more delicious recipes. For example, Steamed Fish with Black Mushrooms and Prosciutto makes no claims to cure anything but hunger. And any volume on health food that features a substantial section on pork (check out Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Leeks and Fennel) can hardly be called austere or old-fashioned. With tastes from all over Asia represented, from Indian curries to Japanese miso, these 200 dishes are tasty riffs on Chinese themes that should cure even the most jaded of palates. --David Kalil

Book Description
From Nina Simonds, the best-selling authority on Chinese cooking, here is a groundbreaking cookbook based on the Asian philosophy of food as health-giving. The 200 delectable recipes she offers not only taste superb but also have specific healing properties according to the accumulated wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine.

The emphasis is on what's good for you, not bad for you. It's primarily a question of balance: eating in harmony with the seasons; countering yin, or cooling, foods (spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, seafood) with yang, or hot, foods (ginger, garlic, hot peppers, beef) and neutralizers like rice and noodles.

Feeling tired? Ms. Simonds offers a spoonful of ginger in her hearty chicken soup. A cold coming on? Try Cantonese-Style Tofu (to sweat out the cold) in Black Bean Sauce (healing to the lungs and digestion). Your immune system needs building up? Wild mushrooms (a cancer deterrent) are tossed with soba noodles (a stress reliever). Concerned about cholesterol and clogged arteries? Instead of giving up all the foods you love, indulge in Yin-Yang Shrimp with Hawthorn Dipping Sauce.

Whatever your health concerns may be, you will find the right restorative and satisfying recipes. Babies and toddlers have special needs, as do adolescents, pregnant and menopausal women, the aging--and all of these are addressed with specific recommendations. The wealth of information Nina Simonds offers here derives from her extensive research into the evidence amassed over three thousand years by practitioners of Chinese medicine, and from her interviews with leading experts today in food as medicine, who offer their firsthand testimony.

It is all here in this remarkable book. But, above all, it is the range of dishes, from the exotic to the earthy, that will convince you that you can enjoy marvelous food every day--relishing its good taste and knowing it is good for you.

From the Back Cover
"At last, a book that has been on my wish list forever! Recipes that not only are full of flavor and taste delicious but most of all are good for us--balanced, energizing, and nurturing. Nina Simonds teaches us about the importance of yin and yang in our diets and shows us that food is fundamental to our lives and our health. Food is our daily medicine, and Nina's book helps us make this connection again."
--Nora Pouillon (of Nora and Asia Nora restaurants)

Sample Recipes
Clear-Steamed Chicken Soup with Ginger

Clear-steaming, otherwise known as double-boiling, is a simple technique used by Chinese cooks where a food is cooked slowly within a closed container. The result is a very clear, intense broth.

1 whole chicken, about 3 to 31/2 pounds
Soup Broth
6 cups boiling water
13/4 cups rice wine, preferably Shaoxing wine (available at Asian markets)
10 whole scallions, ends trimmed and smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
10 slices fresh ginger, the size of a quarter, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1. Remove any fat from the cavity opening and around the neck of the chicken. Rinse lightly and drain. Using a heavy knife or a cleaver, cut the chicken, through the bones, into 10 to 12 pieces. Heat 2 quarts water until boiling and blanch the chicken pieces for 1 minute after the water reaches a boil to clean them. Drain the chicken, discarding the water, then rinse in cold water and drain again.

2. Place the chicken pieces and the Soup Broth ingredients in a heatproof pot or 2-quart soufflé dish. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place on a steamer tray or small rack. Fill a wok with enough water to just reach the bottom of the steamer tray or rack and heat until boiling. Place the food on the steamer tray or rack over the boiling water, cover, and steam 2 hours over high heat, replacing the boiling water in the wok as necessary. Alternatively, you may steam the soup in the oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degreesF. Place the ingredients in a Dutch oven or casserole with a lid and, before putting on the cover, wrap the top tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil; then cover. Place the pot in a lasagna pan or a casserole and fill with 11/2 inches boiling water. Bake for 2 hours, replenishing the boiling water as necessary.

3. Skim the top of the broth to remove any impurities and fat. Add the salt. Remove the ginger and scallions, ladle the soup and pieces of the chicken into serving bowls, and serve. To reheat and retain a clear broth, steam or bake in a closed pot for 10 to 15 minutes, or until piping hot.


Miso Chicken Soup with Snow Peas and Tofu

Miso soup has always been one of my favorites; it is so soothing and satisfying. Here I offer a variation of the most traditional recipe, using a chicken broth as the base rather than the classic dashi (bonito tuna stock). Shredded chicken, tofu, and snow peas round out the flavor, making it a meal in itself.

1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds, trimmed of fat
12 cups water
8 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
1/2 to 2/3 cup medium-colored miso (chu miso or shinsu ichi miso), or to taste
1 pound firm tofu, cut into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick and 11/2 inches long
3/4 pound snow or snap peas, ends snapped and veiny strings removed
3 tablespoons minced scallion greens

1. Cut the chicken through the bones into 10 to 12 pieces. Put the chicken pieces, water, and ginger in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a simmer and cook about 11/2 hours, skimming the broth to remove any impurities. Remove the chicken pieces and let them cool. Remove the ginger slices and discard. Skim the broth to remove any fat. Scoop out 1/2 cup broth and reserve it.

2. Using your hands or a knife, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and cut or shred the meat into thin, julienne shreds. Add the chicken shreds to the skimmed broth. In a small bowl mix the reserved chicken broth with the miso paste and stir until smooth.

3. Add the tofu slices and snow peas to the soup and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the miso mixture, and stir to blend. Heat the soup until near boiling; then ladle it into serving bowls. Sprinkle the top of each bowl with some minced scallion greens and serve.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of "food as medicine," especially when the concept was first introduced to me in Asia over 20 years ago, when I went to Taiwan to study Chinese cuisine, language, and culture. I loved the idea that Chinese women ate chicken soup with ginger for one month after childbirth to restore their qi, or energy, and that Cantonese mothers recommended tofu with a garlicky black bean sauce to "sweat out" a cold. I was so intrigued that I began researching the topic and talking to Asian doctors and home cooks.

Then about seven or eight years ago, I was taken to a superb Chinese restaurant in Singapore where the owner had paired Chinese master chefs with an herbalist. Customers were diagnosed when they first walked in and told whether they were yin or yang. The restaurant then recommended dishes that would balance their condition and improve their health. But the important thing was that the food was delicious. It was an inspiration to me. I realized you can eat superb-tasting food that would help you to maintain good health.

I decided to write a book that would give wonderful, accessible recipes that would help maintain health and prevent disease. I started traveling all over the world and researching, seeking out Asian "food as medicine" authorities.

A Spoonful of Ginger approach to food as medicine. Also, each recipe has all kinds of sidebars with information on the tonic properties of particular ingredients, as well as suggested remedies for ailments including colds, the flu, hangovers, and PMS.

My feeling is that you can have it all: You can eat luscious food that's easy to prepare and will fight disease and keep you healthy. It's very empowering and very natural.

Here are two of my favorite recipes from the book.

Hot and Sour Salmon with Greens
Six servings

Since salmon is a slightly oily fish, it plays beautifully against the clean flavors of ginger, scallion, and bok choy. For me, there's nothing more soothing than tender, cooked cabbage; it is often prescribed in China for relieving stomach pain.

• 2-1/2 pounds baby bok choy or bok choy, stem ends and leaf tips, trimmed
• 8 to 9 whole scallions, ends trimmed, cut into thin julienne slices on the diagonal
• 3 heaping tablespoons fresh ginger cut into very thin julienne shreds
• 6 salmon steaks, about 6 ounces each Dressing:
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3-1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1. Trim the tough outer leaves from the bok choy and discard. Rinse the stalks and leaves and drain. Cut the stalks in half lengthwise. Cut the halves diagonally into 2-inch sections. In a bowl, toss the scallions and ginger with the bok choy sections. Arrange on a heatproof platter.

    2. Mix the ingredients of the Dressing, and pour into a serving bowl.

    3. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Place the salmon steaks on top of the greens. Pour into a roasting pan several inches of water and heat until boiling. Carefully place the platter of salmon and vegetables on top of a rack or steamer tray. Cover the top of the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Steam 7 to 9 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.

    4. Serve the salmon from the heatproof platter or arrange the steamed vegetables and salmon on serving plates. Spoon some of the dressing on top and serve with steamed rice.

    For a simple remedy to soothe a gastric ulcer, cook 1/2 pound of roughly chopped bok choy in 4 cups boiling water about 30 minutes, until it is soft. Stir in some honey, drain off the bok choy, and drink the broth.

Poached Pears in a Cinnamon-Ginger Syrup
Six servings
This versatile dessert is delightfully refreshing served cold in the summer and soothing served warm in cooler weather.

• 10 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 slices fresh, unpeeled ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed lightly with the flat edge of a knife
• 6 slightly underripe Bosc or Anjou pears
• 2 lemons

  1. In a large pot combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger. Heat until boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes so that the flavors marry.

  2. Using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, peel the pears, and rub the outside with cut lemons to prevent them from turning brown.

  3. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and add along with the pears to the cinnamon liquid. Heat until boiling and reduce the heat to low, so that the water barely boils. Cook uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pears are just tender. You can poke them with the tip of a knife to test them. Remove and place in a bowl.

  4. Transfer about 3 cups of the cooking liquid to a smaller saucepan. (Discard any ginger and cinnamon sticks.) Heat until boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 35 minutes, or until the liquid thickens slightly. It should be like like a syrup.

  5. Arrange the pears in serving bowls and pour the cinnamon-ginger syrup on top. Serve. To serve cold, pour the syrup over the pears in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

  _{Recipes from A SPOONFUL OF GINGER, copyright © 1999 by Nina Simonds. All rights reserved.}
  
  

From The Publisher: 
Here is a cookbook based on the Asian philosophy of food as health-giving. The 200 delectable recipes she offers not only taste superb but also have specific healing properties according to the accumulated wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine. The emphasis is on what's good for you, not bad for you. It's primarily a question of balance: eating in harmony with the seasons; countering yin, or cooling, foods (spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, seafood) with yang, or hot, foods (ginger, garlic, hot peppers, beef) and neutralizers like rice and noodles. Whatever your health concerns may be, you will find the right restorative and satisfying recipes. Babies and toddlers have special needs, as do adolescents, pregnant and menopausal women, the aging - and all of these are addressed with specific recommendations. The wealth of information Nina Simonds offers here derives from her extensive research into the evidence amassed over three thousand years by practitioners of Chinese medicine, and from her interviews with leading experts today in food as medicine, who offer their firsthand testimony.
 
From M C. Anderson - Asianweek: 
...[E]xcellent....The well-written recipes are easy to follow....Although the book is geared toward those with some familiarity with Asian cooking techniques, Simonds also keeps the novice in mind.
 
From NY Times Book Review: 
...[S]eeks to incorporate Eastern healing principles into food Americans might like....[The author] has tried to go beyond the usual yin-yang explanations...
 
From Library Journal: 
Simonds has been in love with Asian food since her first visit to China more than 25 years ago. Shes the author of numerous books on the topic, including China Express (LJ 11/15/93), but this is her most ambitious work to date. Simonds describes the Chinese holistic approach to health, with its emphasis on balance, and points out that we Westerners tend to be obsessed with what foods are not good for us rather than taking a holistic approach and focusing on what is good for us. Food should be in harmony with the seasons, argues Simonds, and it should taste good. To this end, she includes 200 delicious, healthful recipes inspired by a variety of Asian cuisines, from Roasted Malaysian Cornish Hens to Grilled Scallops in a Fresh Cilantro Dressing. Sidebar notes describe the health-giving benefits attributed to various dishes and ingredients; readable chapter introductions provide more background information. Interest in Asian medicine and therapiesincluding food as medicinehas been growing in recent years, but Simondss new book should appeal to anyone who likes Asian, and especially Chinese, food. Highly recommended.
 

Excerpt
I was seated in front of Mr. Li Lian Xing, a Chinese herbalist who was trying to diagnose my malady. I complained that I had no appetite and that I was constantly cold. He checked the pulse of my right hand; it was weak and slow. He inspected my tongue and noticed that it was pale and slightly white. He made his diagnosis. "You are too yin," he solemnly pronounced, and prescribed an order of baked lamb with Chinese wolfberries and a pot of "double-boiled" chicken soup (two yang dishes).

This was no ordinary herbalist's office, although I was surrounded by Chinese herbs. We were seated at the front of the Imperial Herbal restaurant in Singapore, where Mr. Li is the resident herbalist. From the day it first opened five years ago, the Imperial Herbal has drawn praise from its local and international clientele for its masterful marriage of herbs and Chinese haute cuisine. And Mr. Li has acquired a devoted following of customers who come to the restaurant for treatment. I had come to be treated for a minor ailment and to sample the legendary food.

The idea of treating illness and disease with food and herbs is not new to Asians: Different foods have long been prescribed and eaten as a form of preventative therapy. Ginger is believed to stimulate the stomach and intestines. It is also reputed to have warming properties. Bean curd, or tofu, is eaten to increase body energy, produce fluids, and lubricate the system. It is said to have yin, or cooling properties.

Disease occurs, Chinese doctors believe, when there is an imbalance in the system. All foods are classified as yin, yang, or neutral, depending on their effect on the body. Yin foods have a calming effect, while too much yang can trigger hyperactivity. Generally, yang foods--which include eggs, fatty meats, and pungent spices--are strong, rich, and spicy, while yin foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, and many types of seafood, are bitter, salty, and light. Neutral foods, such as rice, peanuts, and bread, provide balance.
At first glance, the menu of the Imperial Herbal looks like that of any other Chinese restaurant. The offerings include braised cod with spicy sauce, sautéed chili prawns with walnuts, and orange-peel beef. Then you notice the little notes on the menu next to the dishes' names. The cod--so the menu informs you--is cooked with dang shen and huang qi, two Chinese herbs that increase body energy and aid digestion. The walnuts, which garnish the chile prawns, are believed to strengthen the kidneys and nourish the brain. The orange peel with the beef inhibits coughing and the orange pith is beneficial to the lungs.

For many years, Chinese herbal cuisine has been confined to the home kitchen, and the dishes have tended to be hearty, unrefined, and bitter-tasting. Some Cantonese restaurants, however, have offered delicacies that are relished for their flavor and pharmacological benefits. For instance, shark's fin is believed to maintain youth, while abalone soothes the lungs and improves eyesight.

The Imperial Herbal restaurant offers dishes that are both delicious and beneficial. It is the brainchild of Mrs. Wang-Lee Tee Eng, a forty-one-year old Singaporean businesswoman, who visited an herbal restaurant in China in the mid-1980s and became fascinated with the concept. She was determined to refine herbal dishes and elevate them to haute cuisine, broadening their appeal. She brought in from northern China two gold- medal master chefs and an herbalist.

Mrs. Wang felt that with today's pressing concerns about health and the widespread appreciation for fine food, a marriage between a Chinese doctor and a master chef was a natural.

The menu has broadened and diversified greatly since the restaurant first opened. The chefs not only create their own specialties but also adapt classic dishes to make them even healthier: Beggar's Chicken--an eastern specialty where a whole chicken is first stuffed and wrapped in a lotus leaf, then surrounded by clay and baked for several hours before the clay is cracked open at the table--is embellished further with the addition of four yin herbs and four yang herbs to reinforce blood and energy. Laquered Peking Duck is served with paper- thin homemade Mandarin pancakes enriched with a flavorless herb that reduces cholesterol.

The list of soups is especially impressive: Double-boiled Soft-Shell River Turtle Soup is a yin energy tonic that, according to the menu, strengthens the body's immune system and helps to prevent cancer. Chicken Soup with Wolfberry promotes blood circulation, and Fresh-Water Fish with American Ginseng promotes the energy to offset fatigue and "shortness of breath."

Soups, according to Mrs. Wang, are a vital and important way of dispensing herbs and tonics, second only to teas. "Traditionally, Asians adore soups, and when we are making herbal tonics one of the most popular cooking methods is "double-boiling," where the soup is steamed inside a container so that the broth is very clear and intense. It's the most effective way of extracting the pure essence of the herb into the soup," she tells me.

One of the most spectacular soups, which has become a house specialty, is "Buddha Jumping over the Wall." It is a clear soup with many types of seafood, fresh and dried, poached in a "superior" stock, a rich broth made with chicken and pork bones and seasoned with scallions and ginger. Customers are equally enthusiastic about the Turtle Soup. It is believed to be especially good for the immune system and it's excellent for strengthening qi, or energy. The restaurant also makes a special crocodile meat soup that's excellent for asthma.

Exotic or mundane, humble or pretentious, soups are guaranteed to satisfy even the most demanding palate. The following chapter offers a varied selection of refined, homespun, and tonic soups.

Buy this book.