Feeding The Dragon Cookbook - Review

Title: Feeding the Dragon
Author: Mary Kate Tate & Nate Tate
Publisher: Andrews McMeel
Price: $24.99 US/$28.99 Canada


Feeding the Dragon is an amazing book. The tagline states “A culinary travelogue through China with Recipes.” I’ve never seen something designed to sell a product that was more fitting. Originating from the blog Feeding the Dragon, American siblings Nate and Mary Kate Tate (I love their names! Makes me smile every time I say them!!) travelled through China eating, photographing, and living among the locals.

Feeding the Dragon covers all regions of China, not just Szechuan province, as we’re used to. In fact, it seems that they covered the entire continent of Eastern Asia, including Tibet and Mongolia. Sections are based on the Tates’ travels to various regions (Beijing, Macao, Hong Kong, etc.) Sections are then broken down by neighborhoods in those regions. In each section, there are great stories about their travels and sometimes, travails, in the region. The easy to prepare recipes also have great stories regarding their origins, history, and the sibling’s ingredient swaps.

Wouldn’t it be fun to have a get together sampling dishes from different regions? How about a Lychee Martini in Beijing? Radish and Baby Corn Quick Pickles from Fujian sound like a great relish. Or Char Siu Pork Buns in Hong Kong – quite possibly my favorite food in the world! And some Guotie Pot Stickers from Shanghai. Macanese Crab Curry from – you guessed it - Macao. Tangerine Beef that originates in Sichuan province. We could have Grilled Lamb kebabs with yogurt from Xinjiang. Serve Tibetan Curry potatoes as a side dish. Ooohhh….A Jungle Passion Fruit Smoothie from Yunnan. I kind of love passion fruit. Well, there’s no kind of about it. Youitao fried dough sticks in Shanghai for dessert, even though they’re traditionally a breakfast food? It would be like our own travels through China.

With gorgeous photography and a comprehensive look into Chinese culture and how traditions and foods differ from region to region, Feeding the Dragon sucks you in. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to cook or likes to travel. This book would also be great for that foodie friend.

I received no compensation for this post.  I did receive a copy for review purposes.