An authoritative and delightful book about food and cultural practices in a very food-oriented culture. "Have you eaten yet?" the Chinese traditionally ask each other when they meet by chance in the street, and here Eileen Yin-Fei Lo has written a cookbook which doubles as an introduction to China itself. It's a compendium not only of recipes (of which there are hundreds, all authentic, all clearly explained), but also of lessons in Chinese history, folkloric tales, and reminiscences of the author's childhood in Guangdong province, where she learned to cook at her grandmother's side. With chapters on Chinese tea and how to stock a Chinese pantry, plus a recipe for the 28-ingredient feast dish known as "Buddha Jump over the Wall", this is a book -- in English! -- that any Chinese cook would want.  (CHN134, $39.95)