Secrets of Fat-Free Chinese Cooking

To prove that traditional Chinese cuisine does not have to include greasy egg rolls or beef with broccoli in peanut oil, Compestine provides more than 120 recipes using cooking methods (e.g., broiling and steaming rather than frying) and ingredients (vegetables and small amounts of flavored oils) that generally yield less than two grams of fat per serving. Instructions are easy to follow and uncomplicated. Among the predominating vegetable-based dishes are Cucumber and Almond Salad with Spicy Dressing; Dry-Cooked Green Beans in Szechuan Sauce; Asparagus in Orange-Ginger Sauce; and Spinach-Topped Noodles. In other dishes, meat is generally limited to about two ounces per serving: Mu Shu Chicken, with flour tortillas as pancakes; Four-Spice Pork with Spinach. Unexpected dishes include a Green Tea and Beef Soup; Trout with Szechuan Sauce or simple and zesty Bai Zai Chicken from the south of China. Compestine reduces fat content in many foods that dieters would normally shun: Ginger and Scallop Dumplings and Noodles in Peanut Sauce. A glossary describes common and unusual Chinese ingredients; a resource list and advice on dining out are also included. (June)