Ah Lin Tang's Chinese Whispers Cookbook

About the Book

I was born in Malaysia in the 1950s. My parents were Chinese and my godparents were Nonya. As a child watching my godmother prepare food and assisting her to grind spices and cook on the kitchen stove helped me grow fond of cooking. That and the help of my aunt and mother made me decide to learn catering after I left school.

When I came to England I taught Chinese cooking at college and started my own catering business. Instead of my customers travelling to a restaurant I prepared the food in their own home for a far more personal and enjoyable meal. I have divided my dishes into four main menus specialising on the area to which those dishes originate, each menu having its own story. These are the same menus which I have prepared for my customers. These menus are from Penang, Thailand, Singapore and Beijing. They produce lovely dishes using ingredients which are now readily available in England. Originally when I began I had to go to London to buy specific items, but now they can be purchased in local Chinese supermarkets which many major towns presently have. With this book it will be possible to learn dishes from 'Fried Crispy Wonton' to 'Crispy Duck Aromatic style.' This collection of recipes will enable you to throw an outstanding dinner party where the guests are not just full of delicious food but are also asking you for the recipes and how you became such an excellent cook!

I call my book Chinese Whispers because all the recipes have been passed to me by my relatives. They have been altered & improved to fit their choices, and I myself have enhanced them by incorporating the freshest ingredients, the finest spices, and ensuring the steps taken to produce a dish are followed as perfectly as possible. These are workable recipes as used by myself on a professional basis, and will produce real, original and most importantly delicious results.

About the Author

Ah Lin Tang studied Oriental catering in Perak before coming to England. She subsequently taught Chinese cooking at college before a pupil suggested that people would be interested in trying a new way to enjoy Oriental cooking and that she should go to peopleÕs houses to cook and inform guests about her cuisine. As a professional Oriental caterer for many years she also become adept at carving an assortment of animals and garnishes from vegetables and fruit to enhance the appearance of dishes or to provide a talking point for guests.
Ah Lin Tang has appeared on local television and radio shows, and has had numerous newspaper articles detailing her Oriental business and carving skills.