I'm am very unfortunate to not have access to a nice little Chinese bakery in my area, but god, do I want to put my steaming basket to use now. Very prettily curated recipes, with easily gathered ingredients. :o

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful cookbook!

There are helpful pictures throughout the book on rolling techniques and finished dishes. This is a great recipe book that explores Chinese pastries and the history of bakeries and delis. There are recipes beyond breads - there's tea and desserts and other other recipes.

Some of the recipes are time consuming, but the recipe steps are listed in depth and helpful. Overall a fun find!

I loved being able to learn new customs and it is made very easy in the recipes so when someone like me who doesn't bake a lot wants to do it, I can! I cannot wait to share with my daughter when she gets older. If you love to bake and are looking for something different I highly recommend this cookbook!

A great collection of recipes for cooks of all skill levels. The instructions were concise and easy to follow and the photographs made me want to cook everything in the book.

I absolutely love Chinese baked goods so I am so happy to have found this cook book! My boyfriend and I will be spending lots of time trying out these recipes!

Mooncakes and Milkbread is a beautiful and robust cookbook that guides you through a mouth-watering tour of North American Chinatowns. From bakery classics to dim sum go-tos, Cho's recipes are thorough and easy-to-follow, replete with handy tips on techniques or where to source ingredients. As the grandchild of Chinese immigrants, I've grown up with these unique flavours, but have never before been able to find authentic recipes that didn't run me head-first into a debilitating language barrier. As such, this cookbook was a godsend!

Punctuating the recipes are heartfelt stories about living and growing up in a Chinese American community, which called to mind my own experiences. Due to never learning Chinese (my Canadian-born Chinese father barely speaking it himself) I have often felt fragmented in my connection to my culture. Food was the one thing that I could share effortlessly with my grandparents and other elders, so I perfectly understand the power it has as a tool for communicating care and affection. I can feel a similar level of care and affection of each of Cho's recipes. She brings a true love and a fresh take of the cuisine to the table, and I look forward to her future releases!

Recipe Review:
I test-ran the Chinese sponge cake recipe to celebrate my father's recent retirement, and it turned out flawlessly. Prior to finding this book, I had tried to replicate the airy, semi-sweet sponge cakes that you can find decorating the displays at any Chinese bakery. However, my searches online weren't particularly successful, and I had to resort to using a (far-more complicated) recipe for Japanese-style shortcake. Cho's recipe blew that one out of the water, baking for shorter, turning out fluffier, and setting perfectly level - making assembly a cinch. I also used her recipe for stabilized whipped cream, pairing it with both macerated and fresh strawberries to make a beautifully light, spongey take on strawberry shortcake. I can't wait to try more recipes from the book, especially classics like the "white pizza" (steamed rice cake), almond cookies, and pineapple buns.

Mooncakes and Milk Bread is a warm invitation into the world of Chinese baking. Kristina Cho starts off with a glimpse into her background, how she was born in Cleveland and moved to San Francisco when she finished college. The move to San Francisco (and the Inner Richmond in specific) changes her life - she begins a blog to document her foodie adventures and snippets into her own life.

This book is truly a celebration of Chinese cooking and baking. Kristina delves into the different types of Chinese bakeries and even offers tips for how to shop at Asian specialty shops, which I really appreciated. I love Asian markets, but they are a bit overwhelming. Kristina’s advice walks you through all of the departments and what you should look for before you begin your Chinese culinary adventure. She also offers advice on pantry staples and what cookware you will need.

And the recipes! There are so many tasty sounding recipes in this book, both savory and sweet. The recipes are clearly explained and illustrated in a way that makes it seem like you actually can make these recipes at home. The problem is choosing which one to start with (the pineapple buns are particularly tempting).

I loved how bright this book is. The colors of the pages and the clear photographs make this an aesthetically beautiful book. I love how Kristina spliced in snippets of her upbringing and also snapshots of different bakeries in between each chapter,

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I really enjoyed learning more about Chinese bakeries and look forward to trying some of these recipes.

This book makes me so freaking happy. It's like a warm hug to my soul since I grew up with all these special treats (because of my Chinese mom). I actually follow Kristina on Instagram and have been for ages...when I saw that she had a cookbook coming out, I rushed onto NetGalley and lo and behold, I was able to get the ARC. I'm so thankful that I was able to peek into her world even more, and throughout the entire book, I felt connected to her story and her recipes.

She's made this book really easy to follow and the recipes even easier. A lot of them use her base milk bread recipe which I'm so excited to be trying this week. There's a variety of recipes in here that are truly made EASY for everyone to enjoy making. Typically, these dim sum-type recipes online tend to be convoluted but Kristina made them so easy to follow that I think everybody should try them, haha.

This book is really, really special. It's a beautifully portrayed connection between growing up in America and still hanging onto the strong Asian roots via food/holidays. Kristina has reached out a warm hand to readers that are interested in the Asian bakery world...and especially Chinese-Americans. My mom and I always make dim sum goodies together when we see each other, and this book just wrapped all that love into one place.

I honestly loved this book so much that I'm going to buy my own hardcopy so I can hold onto it forever.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The author shares not only her memories of her Chinese-American upbringing, she also shares some great recipes! Her memories and background of the foods is like reading a biography that makes you hungry and feeds the soul. It’s personal and delicious all at the same time. 

Between the memories and background are some great recipes that the author takes you through. The pictures are drool worthy and i’m sitting here with a pad and pen to write down what I need from our large Asian grocery store here in town. I can’t wait to try so many of these recipes.

While I may not be Asian, I do love Asian food and culture. When I was a little girl, my grandmother would take me to Chinest restaurants that served meals in silver domed serving pedestals. It was Americanized, but it was exciting and I loved the experience. When I grew older, I would take my daughter to Chinatowns around the United States for treats and then spent quite a bit of time working in China over the years, I love trying to make some of the favorite treats and meals I have had while there. This book will help me recreate more of these recipes and enjoy my own trip down memory lane.

A great reference cookbook! I learned about the cuisine and origins of some of the dishes. I'm a cookbook author myself and appreciated how easy the book was to follow.

GORGEOUS BOOK!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy to read and then write an honest review.

Loved the pictures and the helpful hints for shopping in Asian grocery stores.

I am desperately craving all things bread right now - even though I do find Asian breads usually not to my liking. Reading through this brought back all my memories of living in Japan and Hong Kong and I'm now hungry again. :)

https://bonnevivantetr.wordpress.com/2021/08/08/book-review-mooncakes-and-milk-bread-by-kristina-cho/

Kristina Cho is a food blogger and recipe developer from Ohio. Her family owned a Chinese restaurant hence her love for sharing recipes and making good food.
I LOOOOOOVED this cookbook. I don’t even know where to start. First of all, it was very informing. The recipes were informative, precise and detailed with mostly accessible ingredients. Other than the recipes, there were many educational parts that gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about some things I was always interested in: Chinese customs, culture and cuisine as well as Chinese bakery culture over at the US.
If you’ve ever been to a Chinese bakery or seen some of the baked goods from there, you’ll know how detailed some of these products may be. This book however, did an excellent job at depicting and explaining how these intricate designs were normally made thanks to photos and illustrations. Needless to say, this book was filled with beautiful photographs of absolutely delicious looking dishes and pastries. As a bonus, there weren’t only pastries, breads and other baked goods in this book. Even if it didn’t contain many vegetable and meat based dishes from Chinese cuisine, it still made an effort to teach the readers about the breakfast culture and products that are usually consumed in a traditional Chinese breakfast. It also contained some yummy looking beverage recipes at the end, all of which I’m very excited to try.
This book serves and deserves every single penny it costs! If you’re already into Chinese culture and food like me or if you’ve just been curious about it after being into a Chinese bakery and wanted to try some of the recipes yourself, I would recommend this book. And if you want to go over and see some of the mouthwatering recipes from Kristina, you can access her blog over at https://eatchofood.com
“Mooncakes and Milk Bread” by Kristina Cho will be published on October 12th this year and is now available for pre-order.

This cookbook had some really great recipes. The recipes were easy to understand and not too complicated for the average cook. I enjoyed the illustrations and look forward to making these recipes for years to come.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

What a phenomenal cookbook!! I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from it but my expectations were blown away. Kristina from Eat Cho Food shares intimate parts of her life including family events, photographs, and outstanding recipes. Some recipes were particularly heartwarming and an honour to read such as her Goong Goong’s Almond Cookies. She not shares her family recipes but encourages us to make this part of our own recipe repertoire and to share with our families.

I believe every recipe included a stunning photograph. What may have been difficult to visualize is brought to life with vibrant, skillfully taken photographs.

The cover and title are very beautiful and let readers know what to expect. The font used for chapter titles was also very whimsical and fun, identifying each chapter. The chapter titles were also quite cute. Chapter title pages were immediately followed by descriptions and a breakdown of what to expect.

Kristina’s story at the beginning was very lovely and relatable discussing her passion for baking and its importance. I immediately felt a connection to her family and the food that she presented. I was inspired to go and bake her recipes myself, as she shares them with open arms and without judgement of your background and abilities.

She gives several tips throughout the book, as well as beautiful and informative step-by-step photographs of several seemingly complex processes. For visual learners, this is a major gamechanger and makes difficult recipes more approachable.

Kristina’s highlights of Chinese bakeries definitely left me with an ongoing bucket list of places I would like to visit as well as inspiring me to visit my own local Chinese bakeries. Mentioning the difference between bakeries but reminding us that they are all connected nonetheless with passion.

She mentions the pandemic several times in the book, making it relatable for readers and once again drawing a connection between her own life and ours. I truly feel like I know her on a deeper level and have never interacted with her previously!!

I noted several times the nice touches Kristina included, such as the typologies segment, ingredient breakdown by category and uses, navigating Asian markets, and equipment. These are all ideas I never would have thought of previously to include in a cookbook but are greatly appreciated. Readers can clearly see how much thought and effort was put into the production of her book.

Kristina’s writing is playful and encourages people to try out new recipes. Her writing is not condescending and offers variations as needed. A prime example is when she mentions Mooncake molds and their various styles, as well as alternatives.

The recipes were mostly based on classics and then elevated with modern twists. The Sips section was unexpected but stood out and was quite memorable!

The book finishes off with Building Your Own Pink Box, Ultimate Steamer Basket, and Holiday Cookie Box which were also very unexpected but extremely helpful and inspirational!! I hope to create my own pink box & holiday cookie boxes soon to share with those I love.

Thank you Kristina for being so intimate with your readers and lovingly sharing tips, recipes, and beautiful photography.

I really loved this one, not just the recipes but the background Kristina Cho provided of how she came about making of all these delicious treats! Love the pictures too, and can't wait to try some of these recipes!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I was beyond thrilled when I saw this available from Netgalley. I fell in love with the Chinese bakery near my mom's home and this love was only multiplied when I moved to China year's later. Now I am thrilled to be able to make some of these delicious items in my own home. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the most excited about the pineapple buns, but I'm also excited to try out the Xi'an-style Braised Lamb Ro Jia Mao (something that I really miss), some Youtiao and hotpot, and something new like the Asian Pear Turnovers with Miso glaze. Definitely come hungry when you open this book.

I will say that some readers may not find these recipes to be accessible either due to certain tools or ingredients not being readily available to them. While I know that Amazon delivers just about everything not everyone is going to want to order cooking ingredients online. However, I think a lot of readers will be able to appreciate the wealth of information and the personal stories that are provided along with the recipes. This is a great book for anyone looking to dip their toes into Chinese baking.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kristina Cho for providing me with an e-ARC of this book, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this book. I loved reading the authors stories about her childhood and how she now bakes the same treats from her youth. I share the same stories of wandering Asian markets and various Chinatowns. I remember the smells and being able to pick out goodies with my parents. This book provides amazing recipes and a nice trip down memory lane.

As a lover of Asian culture and baker and lover of baked goods myself I was thrilled to pick up this book. Coming from a heavily Asian-influenced part of Texas and being a huge fan of my own accord this book has to be one of the best guides I’ve ever seen on how to make the treats I love so much at my local bakeries and from some of the more famous chains like Mozart Bakery and 85°C.

These bakeries and the baked goods inside of them have become such an integral part of my convention experience; I now end each successful panel with hot tea and a slice of cake and more from Mozart Bakery. My friends and I shop at 85°C early into the weekend to load up on snacks and bread for the hotel room and I get one more trip in so I can bring these treats back home with me where I lack easy access to such delicacies.

Fortunately now, with the help of this book, I can make some of these recipes at home. No recipe seemed overly difficult and is written in a way that is fun, enlightening and instructional without babying me (a moderately seasoned [pun!]) baker.

I highly recommend Mooncakes & Milkbread to anyone who wants to learn more about baking, the cultural significance of many of the baked goods you may already love or simply want to learn more about a baking culture that may be different for you.

Mooncakes & Milkbread by Kristina Cho is out October 12, 2021

Baked goods and Chinese food are not frequently talked about in the same sentence … or even the same paragraph! When I first moved to China, I was not only taken aback by how many bakeries lined the streets, but also how overly sweet all the pastries were. I’m still not a fan of those commercial bakeries, but I learned to love treats like mooncakes and milk bread, so this cookbook was a great surprise when I saw it on the NetGalley site.

Although I don’t think this will be everyone’s cup of tea, I think it would be an incredibly worthwhile addition to anyone’s kitchen library. I love the explanation of ingredients and specific holidays for which some of the recipes are made. I appreciate the introduction about cafe culture and the specificities of the Chinese markets and equipment.

If you were to ask the average foreigner to talk about Chinese cuisine, he/she would mention noodles, rice, and maybe “chow mein.” I think this book will educate and entertain a whole new audience and get them familiar with, and excited for, a completely different type of a Chinese cuisine. Hopefully more people will realize what they’ve been missing!

#MooncakesandMilkBread #NetGalley.
I'm so excited to try all of the recipes in Mooncakes and Milk Bread. The book is such a personal story and love of food, home, and culture. The photos are beautiful yet I wish the instructions were numbered. It's a bit daunting to me to venture outside of my baking comfort zone and I'm grateful that the author has shared this part of herself with others to expand our lives a bit more.