Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees

Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees was written by Kian Lam Kho, a food writer and culinary educator specializing in Chinese cuisine. The cookbook was published in 2015. Kho is also known for his Chinese home-cooking blog called Red Cook.

The book is organized around fundamental Chinese cooking techniques—such as stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming, and red cooking (hong shao)—rather than by region or ingredient category. Each chapter focuses on a specific technique and demonstrates it through regional Chinese recipes. This structure teaches readers the underlying methods rather than just providing a collection of recipes.

"Phoenix Claws" is the poetic Chinese name for chicken feet, a beloved dim sum dish. "Jade Trees" refers to a visual description of a vegetable dish, likely representing greens arranged to resemble trees. The title exemplifies the way Chinese cuisine uses evocative and poetic names for dishes.

The book is aimed at home cooks who want to understand the foundational techniques of Chinese cooking rather than simply follow recipes step by step. It is suitable for intermediate to advanced home cooks, though motivated beginners can also learn from the technique-focused approach. Kho provides detailed explanations of equipment, ingredients, and methods throughout.