CHAN, Shiu Wong.

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The Chinese Cook Book. First edition of the first Chinese cookbook written in English by a Chinese author. "This book is meant not only for the housewife but also for the restaurateur" (preface). Chan presents authentic Chinese recipes such as "Bird's Nest Soup" and "Dry Duck" to American Western households. The author also describes a "stove party", now popularly known as a hotpot.Little is known about Shiu Wong Chan except that he lived in New York. His range of ingredients such as "Fun wine" (Shaoxing wine), lotus nuts (lotus seeds), and shark fins shows a familiar knowledge of regional Chinese cuisine. Copies bound in yellow cloth were simultaneously published, with no known priority.

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