A great cookbook that looks to minimise oils and sugar where possible whilst still retaining taste. I would recommend this one

I love Chinese Food. Like really, REALLY love it. I order it all the time, but despite how much I eat it for some reason I never tried to cook it. It just seemed so challenging when my favorite restaurant was just a phone call away.

But then, there was a pandemic and everything shut down. Like a lot of people, I started honing my cooking skills and trying new things. In the process, I discovered Omnivore’s Cookbook, Maggie Zhu’s amazing blog. Somehow, she made my favorite Chinese foods seem easy and achievable. Black Pepper Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and so many more are now in my repertoire. So when I heard about her cookbook, Chinese Homestyle, I was so excited to try it, especially since all the recipes are Plant Based. While I am not a vegetarian, I have been trying to incorporate more vegetables and vegetarian dishes into my diet and Maggie has plant-based versions of many favorites such as Orange Cauliflower and General Tso’s Tofu. I’ve made several recipes already, and the cookbook has the same beautiful photography, easy to follow instructions, and delicious recipes as I have come to expect from Maggie’s blog. There are, of course, some ingredients and tools that will not be familiar to the average home cook, but these are clearly explained so that you will know what to expect, and where to find them.

Do yourself a favor and step outside your comfort zone. Don’t miss Chinese Homestyle (or Omnivore's Cookbook). You won’t be sorry. It has a permanent place in my kitchen.

I am so grateful to Maggie Zhu, Quarto Publishing Group – Rock Point, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review (and cook my way through) Chinese Homestyle.

Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More is a good introduction to Vegetarian Asian cuisine. The author does a great job of introducing ingredients that may be unfamiliar to some readers, explaining, recommending brands and must haves. The prepping vegetables section is very useful, helping readers to utilize all of the vegetables in an authentic way. The accompanying photographs help readers to visualize the prep. One section I really like is all about tofu, as it includes eye-opening tips about freezing the product. I have thrown away so many half used packages in the past. The author also gives a good summation about tofu and how it is made.

The recipes are divided into logical sections, including:

Sauces and Condiments
Appetizers & Salads
Favorite Takeout
Dim Sum
Noodles & Soups
Tofu, Seitan, and Tempeh
Hearty Seasonal Mains
Easy Seasonal Mains
Sweet Treats

Some of the standout recipes are Hot and Sour Soup; Vegetable Spring Rolls; Scallion Pancakes; Shredded Potato Salad; Easy Cucumber Salad; and Sesame Noodles. Though this is a cookbook designed for vegetarian eating, it is easy enough to add meat if you so desire.

Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More is an enjoyable cookbook and one I would recommend to other readers.

Whilst I liked the title of the book 'Chinese Homestyle', what it does indicate to me is that it is all vegetarian recipes, which made me feel disappointed with the book.

Overall, it's a nice set of recipes if you are into vegetarian cookery, with ingredients and steps laid out well, and colour photography of dishes.

I think the book could have been labeled better in its main title.to show its veggy.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved that this cook book has vegetarian based food. There are so many yummy looking recipe's I can’t wait to try. It’s always great to have some go to veggie packed meals for the family.

I enjoyed reading this cookbook. Chinese food is so delicious and I liked learning more recipes to try at home.

Yum. My overall opinion of this book is, just, yum.

Many many recipes have made it to my table, and I would cook them all again. Her writing is clear and thoughtful, the recipes simple to follow, well set out and diverse. I have followed her blog for a while, and this book is of great complement to her work and online presence.

I will be purchasing a copy for my kitchen, and continue to cook many more flavorful plates from this awesome book! Thank you

I don't always write full-blown reviews for the cookbooks I read, but every once in a while a cookbook comes along that fully deserves it. Last time, it was an exciting dip into French cuisine. This time it is at once a new adventure but also something of a home-coming to Chinese cuisine! I'm so grateful to Maggie Zhu for Chinese Homestyle and hopefully my review below will explain why! Also a quick note on Quarto Publishing Group at large. I have been consistently super happy with their books in the last two years! Thanks to Rock Point and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As some of you may know, I lived in Shanghai for four years. They were some of the most exciting years of my life, not only because I grew into myself as an adult and made amazing friends, but also because I got to explore a millennia-old culture and cuisine and discover it for myself. I was quite nervous, initially, about the move because I had never been a fan of Chinese takeaway in the UK. What a silly worry! The actual food in any country will differ vastly from the way it comes to us in fast food form. And so I developed a massive love for many staples of Chinese cooking which I have missed sorely the last two years. I must also admit here that while in China I didn't learn how to cook the food. It was so delicious and available right outside my door, so why bother? Realising I didn't know how to make it myself only became a problem once I could no longer find it. And so I have been scouring different cookbooks for recipes and finally Chinese Homestyle has found me!

Because I eat mostly vegetarian the fact that this book is plant-based works really well for me. The book is split into different sections, 'Sauces and Condiments' first, followed by 'Appetizers & Salads', 'Favorite Takeout', 'Dim Sum', 'Noodles & Soups', 'Tofu, Seitan, and Tempeh', 'Hearty Seasonal Mains', 'Easy Seasonal Mains' and 'Sweet Treats'. So Maggie Zhu is really covering the whole breadth of what you might want in Chinese Homestyle. For me, the second section, 'Appetizers and Salads' was an immediate hit because it featured three (!) of my favourite dishes which I had missed so much. These were 'Sichuan Spicy Peanuts', 'Shredded Potato Salad', and 'Easy Cucumber Salad'. Especially that last one has been on my mind for two years now. I used to make my friends order this twice so I would have an entire bowl of this spicy, sour deliciousness to myself! I'm also really happy to have found a recipe for 'Scallion Pancakes' and 'Soy Sauce Noodles'!

What I appreciated most about Maggie Zhu's approach to this cookbook is the care she takes in explaining some of the aspects of Chinese cuisine that might be unusual or unexpected. In a section at the beginning she explains some of the different staples, what they can be replaced with, why she thinks they're important, etc. (At her recommendation I bought some Chinkiang vinegar and it is amazing.) She also has really clear and helpful photos that explain the different techniques of cutting tofu, crafting/rolling scallion pancakes, and putting together dim sum. There are even pictures of how to cut/prep certain vegetables Western readers might not be super familiar with! This could feel condescending with another author, but with Zhu it feels like you're being welcomed into her kitchen and given a friendly introduction. I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on a physical copy of this book so I can have these invaluable tips right there with me in the kitchen as I make my first attempt at Zhu's recipes!

Chinese Homestyle by Maggie Zhu is everything I have been looking for! With beautiful photos and very clear steps and instructions, Zhu makes sure that everyone, no matter their comfort level in the kitchen, can create Chinese dishes at home for themselves.

Chinese food is slowly starting to become a regular meal choice, whether it be takeaway or making it at home. Chinese Homestyle Cooking aims to make it easier for the home cook to give some of their favourite Chinese food at home.

9 seperate chapters focusing on recipes: Homemade Sauces & Condiments; Appetisers & Salads; Favourite Takeout; Dim Sum; Noodles & Soups; Tofu, Seitan & Tempeh; Hearty Seasonal Mains; Easy Seasonal Sides; and Sweet Treats. Some of my favourite recipes included are: Soy Sauce Noodles, Char Siu Chow Mein, Sesame Noodles, Char Siu Bao, and Scallion Pancakes. Also before the recipes, 3 chapters focus on the Chinese Pantry, Cooking Equipment & Tools, and how to prep Aromatics & Vegetables. These additional chapters are particularly helpful if you have never done any styles of asian cooking, but for someone who regularly cooks asian food they do start to get very receptive and you do start to skim or skip these useful tips.

A very good Chinese cookbook that I would recommend to anyone interested in Chinese food.

LOVED! This cookbook is amazing. I always thought Chinese would be too complicated to make at home (& some aren’t easy easy) but this book makes me feel confident I can.

I love Chinese food and am always on the lookout for an accessible book which has manageable recipes and ingredients which are easy to get.
Chinese Homestyle is one of those books, the photos are clear and delicious looking and the recipes are full of variety and veggies! I am looking forward to trying the handmade noodles and pretty much any recipe which can be made with them and the Buddha’s delight which is my husband’s favourite.

There are some nice recipes in this book that I plan to try. I like that they are vegetarian based and they don't seem to be too hard to make. Looking forward to incorporating more veggie-based recipes into our weekly meal plans.

I looked forward to expanding my Chinese cookery and had hoped that this book would assist. I liked the concept of the focus being vegetarian with many like us looking to incorporate more vegetables into our diet. However I disliked that the bulk of the recipes featured tofu. Had this been in the blurb, I would not have reached for this book. There are many like me who do not take tofu or soya products and it would have been beneficial if this emphasis is in the blurb or alternative vegetable combinations suggested within the book.

I love that this focuses on vegetarian Chinese cooking, and has easy to follow instructions and a good guide on where to find ingredients you might not easily find in say, suburbia. Highly recommended.

This book had some great recipes. I especially loved the essential Chinese chilli oil, the black pepper portobello mushrooms and the hot n sour soup recipes, all easy enough to make with the right ingredients and the outcome was very tasty.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Chinese Homestyle is an authentic Chinese, plant-based cookbook. My husband is vegan and we love Asian cuisine, so I was excited to read this advanced copy. The photos are gorgeous and the background information shared by the author is very informative. My only complaint is that the ingredients are not very accessible and no substitutions are provided. The only way to obtain many of the main ingredients is shop at an Asian market (as long as you have one close by) or order off of Amazon.

Thanks to Rock Point Publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very creative recipes though not the easiest to read on a kindle.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I definitely love Chinese food but my silly self didn't realize this was a vegetarian cookbook! While I do eat meat - it was actually interesting to see what all you can substitute for meat other than tofu. Maggie's cookbook had a lot of tricks to the trade for meals and popular appetizers that I'm interested to try. I will have to try some of these with my preferred meat but I also want to try the meals as is to try them as she created them! Thank you for this eARC!

Such a great compilation. This gave me a lot of nostalgia flipping through. I really enjoy how most if not all of the recipes have photos, I find cookbooks with photos for the recipes are a lot more enticing! Can't wait to try the recipes out with my Chinese parents :)

Absolutely delicious! This is the first Chinese plant-based cookbook I’ve ever used and it was such a great experience. The recipes are easy to follow and I love the basic recipes, like the noodles, that can be used to make so many dishes. So much flavor and great mix of quicker recipes and more time-intensive ones.

This will be a great gift option for all of your vegetarian and non-plant-based friends!