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This is a bilingual book written in Chinese (left page) and English (right page).Ms. Fu Pei-Mei started her cooking show in 1962. For most Chinese people, she *IS* the Julia Childs of Chinese cooking. Before she died in 9/16/2004, she was considered a legend of Chinese cooking and a national treasure. Her TV cooking program was on air for 40 years, and her cooking school (opened in 1957) was opened for just as long.(yes, I use present tense even though she died, because like Rembrandt or Picasso, she’s still considered a legend and a master).She was the first person who made real Chinese recipes available to the public. She demystified the Chinese cooking techniques, and for all the Chinese people who wanted to open Chinese restaurants, her classes were de-riguer. (Back then, there were no Chinese culinary school. Studying with her is like studying with Julia Childs.) And most of her students went on to become famous chefs and restauranteurs worldwide.In China, many recipes were handwritten, passed down the family through their restaurants, and were guarded secrets. Royal cuisine in the Imperial Palace obviously had their own cookbooks, but they were not open to the public.So having Ms. Fu demonstrate over 4000 dishes in her 40 years of TV cooking shows really was a testament to her skills, and her teaching ability, and her friendly smiles.I have all her original cookbooks that my mother used in the 1960s and now I’m using them. Lifestyle changes and healthier cooking habits may make some of these recipes seem outdated, but if you moderate the amounts of salt and fat, the recipes still work extremely well. Not only that, but she includes many dishes that are truly regional that you don’t find in Europe and US, and these are invaluable to any serious foodie. The Chinese food you get in the States represents about 5% of all Chinese dishes – there’s plenty to explore in a cuisine that’s 5000 years old.Any of Ms Fu’s cookbooks are well worth the investment. Here’s the list of her cookbooks:”Pei Mei Cookbook 1, 2 and 3″ (original set of 3)”Pei Mei’s Home style Chinese Cooking”,”Pei Mei’s Chinese Snacks and Desserts””Pei Mei’s Lunchbox Cookbook””Pei Mei’s TV Program Cookbook I, II, III, IV, V”(tv program companion series)”Pei Mei’s Best Selection Chinese Cuisine I, II”(these are the most famous Chinese banquet dishes that she feelsbest represent all 8 regional cooking styles, by region)”Pei Mei’s Recipe Cards I, II, III, IV, V”