On Sun, 18 Mar 2007 22:00:16 -0500, ian > wrote:

>blake murphy wrote:
>> On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 22:03:25 -0500, ian > wrote:
>>
>>> blake murphy wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 14 Mar 2007 22:03:54 -0600, Steve Wertz
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:45:36 GMT, blake murphy wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> since i just got a used copy 'the people's republic of china
>>>>>> cookbook,' and i know some folks here cook from it, i was wondering if
>>>>>> you have the name of a good brand of 'brown bean sauce.'
>>>>> Koon Chun brand:
>>>>> http://www.koonchun.com.hk/product_s...tml#seasoning2
>>>>>
>>>>> The "Bean Sauce" has chunks in it, the "Ground Bean Sauce"
>>>>> doesn't. Both are the same, just different textures. Several
>>>>> "experts" recommend the bean sauces made from broad beans, but I
>>>>> can't find any made with broad beans, just soy.
>>>>>
>>>>>> for that matter, since i'm going to store, how about hot bean and
>>>>>> sweet bean pastes?
>>>>> I had a hell of a time finding a good, basic, unadulterated
>>>>> Sichuan-style hot bean sauce. I finally settled on Kim Lan,
>>>>> which I found at a Mexican grocer of all places. This one may be
>>>>> a little harder to find.
>>>>>
>>>>> Here's pictures of both. Also posted to alt.binaries.food under
>>>>> title "Bean Sauces".
>>>>>
>>>>> http://i16.tinypic.com/2qlflgz.jpg
>>>>>
>>>>> -sw
>>>> koon chun i know i've seen, not sure about kim lau.
>>>>
>>>> just for reference, what i've been using is szechuan brand, both hot
>>>> and sweet bean pastes, from taiwan, in little cans. my boy robert
>>>> delfs in 'the good food of szechuan' (1977) says to stay away from
>>>> these but i don't find them all that bad - but was curious as to what
>>>> others use.
>>>>
>>>> thanks, steve.
>>>>
>>>> your pal,
>>>> blake
>>> Hi Bake -
>>>
>>> I saw a copy of this book at a book sale yesterday, and was very
>>> interested in it, but the copy was just too dirty to buy. Is it a good
>>> book - should I be keeping a look out for it?
>>>
>>> Funny coincidence to see it mentioned here the next day - I never heard
>>> of it before.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Ian
>>
>> i haven't yet cooked from mine. she (?) divides china into north,
>> east, southeast and southwest quadrants, and divides the recipes that
>> way also. i looked mostly at the szechuan stuff (southwest by her
>> taxonomy, and the spicing as given seems on the not-too-hot side (say
>> a tsp. vs. a tbl hot been paste, etc. the book does say 'adapted for
>> the american kitchen' not 'to the american taste,' so hard to say.
>> others here have recommended it though (i think).
>>
>> i got mine, used, he
>>
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Republic-China-Cookbook/dp/0394733800/ref=sr_1_1/102-1892494-4483316?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174241413&sr=1-1>
>>
>> for about five bucks, incl. shipping. no gravy stains that i can see.
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>>
>>
>
>Hi Blake -
>
>I'm sorry, I just wasn't very clear. I was asking about the Robert Delfs
>book 'the good food of szechuan' (1977).
>
>I have the 'Peoples' book too, and have liked several recipes from it.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Ian

oh! well, let's just say that *my* copy is stained in several places.
i like it very much. i think when i bought it there weren't szechuan
joints on every corner, so it was very useful. there's a basic pork
with vegetables stir-fry recipe that i use all the time. dry-fried
beef with celery and carrots is very good too.

amazon has a few used copies also, at a good price:

<http://www.amazon.com/Good-Food-Szechwan-Robert-Delfs/dp/0870112317/ref=sr_1_4/002-9824231-8583202?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174321869&sr=8-4>

ian, i can't remember if you're in the united states or not, but you
could probably get someone to accommodate you.

it's definitely worth having.

your pal,
blake