I loved this cookbook. It was not only aesthetically pleasing but also a beautiful personal journey. I loved the author’s personal anecdotes which made the cookbook more than a compilation of delicious recipes. This is a must own for me and can’t wait to buy a hard copy.

I opened “Mooncakes and Milk Bread” with equal parts curiosity and trepidation. I was so intrigued by the description of the book, but as a resident if a small town in rural North Carolina I was afraid the recipes would be outside the scope of what I felt capable of cooking. I was thrilled to see how approachable author, Kristina Cho, made the book. From an incredibly thorough introduction that explained not only her personal background and passion for preserving and passing on her cultural heritage through her recipes, but also a detailed list of equipment, ingredients, and a super handy guide to visiting Asian grocery stores. It is clear to me as a reader how hard she has worked to make “Mooncakes and Milk Bread” a cookbook that anyone can enjoy. I cannot wait to make my first loaf of milk bread or to try steaming buns in the bamboo steamer I’ve already ordered to use for recreating Cho’s incredible buns. From the beautiful photos accompanying every recipe to the step by step instructions that will set even the most novice of cooks up for success, “Mooncakes and Milk Bread” is sure to become a modern classic and is one to which I will be returning week after week.

This was such a beautiful book! The photos were lovely and really added to the experience of reading the book. I would love to get a hard copy to work my way through all the recipes in the book.

First off, can the title be any more alluring and adorable?! Kristina Cho's book features sweet and savory recipes inspired by Chinese bakeries. The book starts off with background, essential tools, and basics and then progresses to beautifully laid out recipes. With mouth-watering photos paired with stories and step-by-step instructions, you can't go wrong! Perfect for any cook, beginners welcome thanks to the phenomenal instructions. The title drew me in and the content held me hostage.

I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher, and here are my thoughts.

I have lived in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and this book brings back so many memories of the sweet and savory treats that I miss. Thanks to this book, I will be able to make them for myself.

If you're also missing some of these classic treats from a Chinese bakery, this book will inspire you to make your own. It has clear step-by-step instructions and photos for every dish.

Highly recommended!

I like how there’s a backstory for each chapter. I also like that she put the various festivals in the book as well.

Disclaimer: Received this via Netgalley and Harper Horizon (Thank you!!!)

This is a wonderful cookbook. I loved all the color photographs of finished products and the pictorial step-by-step instructions. I enjoyed learning new recipes with unfamiliar ingredients and techniques. And I am now a die hard Milk Bread fan, I make it regularly.

The cookbook is the outcome of a successful blog by Kristina Cho. She accurately notes her background as an architect positioned her well for delivering a clear, concisely written cookbook. If there's a baker in your life, this book would make an excellent gift.

I was introduced to the world of Chinese baking in college. I went to school with a few international students and quickly became friends. One of them loved baking and would frequently share her delicious treats with me. Everything she made was delicious. This cookbook brought back memories of what she made, and now I'm determined to try and make some. (Especially that milk bread!) This cookbook is chock full of recipes sure to delight your senses. The pictures are well thought out, and used well; you can actually tell what you're going to be making! Instructions seem to be well written, and easy enough to understand. I also liked that there are also tidbits of history and personal stories in between. I will be buying this.

I love moon cakes and any time of milky bun. I was overjoyed when I saw this and couldn’t wait to try. Everything is delicious and simple. Thank you!

I loved this book! And Asian pastries are my fave. The book was easy to follow and had great photos. I really liked how it gave detailed descriptions of the ingredients and materials you may need, that aren't familiar to most people. I have made the milk bread recipe and the bolo bao and they both turned out pretty good!

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy.

This cookbook is very aptly named as probably half the recipes either are or include some variation of milk bread, and a decent chunk are mooncake variations. But there's a lot in between as well, and I really can't say enough good things.

I loved how steeped in culture this cookbook is. Every recipe comes with a story, and every story speaks to the community behind the things we make and the things we eat, and to the way food brings people together and is so intrinsically tied to our memories. Foods are exciting, and comforting, and nostalgic, and traditional. All very delightful. I especially loved the pages and pages of stories relating the recipes to her childhood, that human connection to all the recipes, and the cultural background on a lot of the celebrations that these foods are connected to.

It doesn't hurt that I basically live for mooncakes and dim sum.

Many of the recipes tend to build on other base recipes. Especially the milk bread. I caught myself wishing about halfway through that I'd started counting at the beginning all the recipes that called for "Mother of All Milk Bread Dough" because most bread recipes stemmed from that base dough recipe. It's the same throughout that you'll see a lot of recipes that use the same dough recipes from earlier in the book as an ingredient. It could be a little repetitive in that, but it didn't really put me off other than my first few attempts at milk bread have been tragic and it makes a decent portion of this book feel inaccessible until I nail that one thing.

It's a lesson in patience and perseverance, which I think is good when it comes to traditional recipes. Families spend generations perfecting some recipes, I can spare a fourth attempt for the perfect milk bread dough.

I loved the food photography. There are a ton of pictures in this book, including some very useful progress pictures. I will say that I don't think this is a cookbook for beginners. The recipes are almost all fairly involved and require a moderate level of skill at a minimum (don't let it scare you though, these recipes are worth the effort!). I'd argue Kristina Cho does a decent job of making even the more technical recipes accessible with lots of tricks and tips. All in all, a really good cookbook.

Thank you muchly to Harper Horizon and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This cookbook opened up a world of wonderful culinary delicacies which I had never heard of before. I hardly know where to start other than simply bake my way through the book. The recipes are straight forward. I appreciate all of the photos and the tips as I have never seen most all of the things I will be attempting.

(This review is based on an ARC. Thanks to Harper Horizon for the ARC.)

This had a variety of recipes for breads, steamed buns, cookies, cakes, dim sum dishes, and drinks. Some of the recipes are traditional flavors, while others the author puts a more modern twist to them. I enjoyed reading how to make some pastries I'd grown up with, like pineapple buns, egg tarts, mooncakes, shrimp dumplings, sponge cakes, and almond cookies. I've made my own milk teas and boba before, but haven't tried making the Hong Kong style milk tea, so I'm excited to try it. I also want to try the coffee with grass jelly; I've enjoyed both separately before, but I haven't thought of ever combining the two. There's so many recipes I want to try, so I think I'll start with the two drinks and the almond cookies.

In the sections of the cookbook there are also the author's bakery recommendations and personal stories. I think these fitted in well with the book and I liked reading about the bakeries and about the author.

I love that the cookbook starts out with the author talking about Chinese bakeries and how incredible the selections are. You almost feel like you’re there and can smell the sweetness of the pastries. I also like how she has a small section explaining some of the different ingredients that we may not be used to seeing in the US and she gives detailed descriptions as well as pictures of them. SUPER helpful for someone who is a visual learner such as myself. While I will say that some of the recipes are kind of intimidating, some of them seem like I wouldn’t have a problem and I can’t wait to actually try them. The pictures through out the book are stunningly beautiful as well, which makes me want to use these recipes even more. Even though I know my food will never come out that gorgeous and incredible. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to branch out from normal boring food.

Although I love Chinese food, I'm not overly familiar with Chinese bakery goods, and I'm not much of a baker myself. This cookbook may well change that, though. Cho presents Chinese bakery and dim sum classics in an easy, accessible way that highlights the deliciousness of these treats. The recipes range from savory to sweet, from rice porridge to dumplings to cakes and everything in between, and the instructions are simple to follow. Cho writes (and bakes) from the heart, and her deep appreciation for the cultural touchstones of bakeries and pastries shines through. What a lovely and inspiring cookbook.

A wonderful book on Chinese baking lovely recipe's with clear step by step instructions and good photos throughout.
I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for a review.

tl;dr
Exactly what it says on the label, expertly taught.

I'm a pretty good baker, so I typically don't care about cookbooks, but I've never been able to figure out mooncakes, so I jumped at the chance to read this. Turns out I'm going to be trying a lot of the recipes here.

My favorite part is actually the all the technique and basic knowledge stuff. Very easy to understand for beginners, and some great bread shaping tips to make even simple recipes come out looking incredibly fancy. The recipes are great, too. Lots of traditional ones, and several really cool modern twists that I am going to have to try - Thanksgiving leftovers in a bao? Yes please.

And as a final note, can I just say that the photography is SO good. Not just photos of the final bakes, but so many great process shots. Beautiful to look at, and also extremely easy to follow.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars. I absolutely love the cover of Mooncakes and Milk Bread. It doesn't hurt that everything on the cover makes my mouth water. I would recommend this book to everyone.

Positively inspired! Not only does Kristina Cho bring delicious recipes of all types to the home baker to try she also highlights several must try bakeries for Chinese scrumptiousness. Cho brings a high attention to detail with each recipe, providing more than just a final product photo when necessary and helpful tips throughout is italicized gold. Every single one of the recipes featured in this cookbook entice me to try them out, and as an avid cookbook fan that does not happen often. You may come for the breads but you will stay for the flavor combos, heritage, and the wide array of techniques featured within the pages of "Mooncakes and Milk Bread". Happy feasting!

I love this book! I grew up with a Chinese grandma and this whole cookbook is nostalgia. I love the pictures, the cultural background and twists on some favorite treats. In a crowded cookbook field, this is a standout.