Exquisite, subtle, different recipes are here, but this book provides much more than that. It shows how and where to shop, how to select meats and vegetables, how to buy and how to prepare. You will discover the correct way to make Chinese tea, prepare rice, and use chopsticks, and you will learn about the three great regional schools of cooking within China: Cantonese, Mandarin, and Szechuan. Mrs. Chen carefully explains, and demonstrates with illustrations when necessary, all the processes of preparing food the Chinese way. Her recipes are simple, clear, and flexible enough so that you can find substitutes for ingredients that may be hard to procure.