Chu, a cooking instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education, and Lovatt, a personal chef, offer a global perspective on dumplings, which they liberally define as being made out of some kind of dough, batter or starch and either steamed, simmered or boiled. They provide 135 dumpling recipes from all over the globe, with each labeled as to country of origin, and include an additional 60 recipes for soups, stews and sauces in which to use dumplings. Dishes are divided seasonally—with eight to 13 recipes for each month—when ingredients are at their natural peak. Recipes are arranged from easiest to most challenging.
An experienced teacher of Chinese cooking and a well-established author in the field (Chinese Regional Cookbook, etc.), Lin contrives here a novel departure from conventionally organized cookbooks. She divides the contents into three kinds of doughs: wheat-flour, rice-flour and those made from beans and other starches, and provides numerous recipes for noodles, dumplings and breads in each category. Much of the volume, however, is given over to fillings and accompanying dishessoups, salads, sauces and a wide variety of casserole combinations.
