Mooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries

Description

In Mooncakes & Milk Bread, food blogger Kristina Cho (eatchofood.com) introduces readers to Chinese bakery cooking with fresh, uncomplicated interpretations of classic recipes for the modern baker. Inside you'll find sweet and savory baked buns, steamed buns, Chinese breads, unique cookies, whimsical cakes, juicy dumplings, Chinese breakfast dishes, and drinks. Recipes for steamed BBQ pork buns, pineapple buns with a thick slice of butter, silky smooth milk tea, and chocolate Swiss rolls all make an appearance—because a book about Chinese bakeries wouldn't be complete without them! Kristina teaches you to whip up these delicacies like a pro, including how to • Knead dough without a stand mixer • Avoid collapsed steamed buns • Infuse creams and custards with aromatic tea flavors • Mix the most workable dumpling dough • Pleat dumplings like an Asian grandma This is the first book to exclusively focus on Chinese bakeries and cafés, but it isn't just for those nostalgic for Chinese bakeshop foods—it's for all home bakers who want exciting new recipes to add to their repertoires. Introduction: From Hong Kong to Cleveland .............................. viii Cafe Culture ............................................................................................... xii Sharing Chinese American Stories through a Chinese American Lens ....................................................................... xiv Typologies ................................................................................................. xvi Ingredients for a Better Bake ................................................................. xvii How to Shop at an Asian Grocery Store .............................................. xxii Essential Equipment .............................................................................. xxvi Chapter 1: Bread, Bing, Bao ........................................................... 1 Fay Da | New York City ........................................................................... 40 Chapter 2: Not- Too- Sweet Buns .................................................... 43 Keeping Tradition with Auntie Lydia ................................................... 80 Chapter 3: Pork Buns and Beyond ................................................ 83 Eastern Bakery | San Francisco ............................................................ 122 Chapter 4: Gao (Cakes & Tarts) ................................................... 125 Chapter 5: No Fortune Cookies ................................................... 191 Phoenix Bakery | Los Angeles .............................................................. 214 Chapter 6: Chinese Breakfast ..................................................... 217 Ray ’s Cafe & Tea House | Philadelphia ............................................... 248 Chapter 7: Sips ............................................................................. 251 Some Assembly Required ............................................................ 263 Building Your Own Pink Box ............................................................. 264 Ultimate Steamer Basket .................................................................... 266 Holiday Cookie Box .............................................................................. 267 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................. 268 Index .................................................................................................................. 269 About the Author .............................................................................................. 274