Oriental Culinary Art. An authentic book of recipes from China, Korea, Japan and the Philippines

Los Angeles, Calif: G.I. Kwon, 1933. Small octavo (18.3 x 13 cm.), [4] 11-115 pages. Text paginated back to front. Tale of contents. FIRST EDITION. Perhaps the earliest book of Korean and Philippine recipes published in the U.S. The quite detailed recipes are not divided into geographical chapters, but are mixed within sections on Noodles, Chow Mein, Eggs, etc. Some of the recipes would certainly be adventurous for most American cooks, including Dinogo-An, fried blood and organs of a pig, or Tripe Chun-Yuah. But there is plenty for the American cook of the 1930s, including Mandoo (Korean stuffed dumplings), Duck Chow Mein with Walnuts, or Chestnut Soup. Interestingly, there is a recipe for American Chop Suey which uses ribbons of cabbage instead of pasta noodles. The foreword by Essie L. Elliott, the first president of the California Home Economics Association calls this, "a rather remarkable racial potpourri" and recommends the book to both home cooks and professionals. Fine in blue cloth, gilt-titled and -decorated. Signed in ink by Kwon on the title page. [OCLC locates twenty-four copies; Newman, Chinese Cookbook 345; not in Newman, Melting Pot]. (Inventory #: 9237)