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Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese

by Chen Kenichi

Description
From the Japanese TV cooking sensation, Iron Chef—the inspiration for the Food Network hit series of the same name—comes this cookbook by one of the original Iron Chefs, Chen Kenichi.

With Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese, you can have Chinese food any night of the week without fear of MSG. Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese presents more than 50 easy-to-prepare recipes using the signature unique approach of a true Iron Chef.

A Chinese of Japanese nationality born January 5, 1956 in Tokyo, Japan, Chen Kenichi is best known as the Iron Chef Chinese on the original Japanese Iron Chef television series. He is the only Iron Chef to have held his position on the show throughout its 6-year run.

As the son of Chen Kenmin, who is regarded as the father of Sichuan cuisine in Japan, Kenichi is often compared to his father on the series, with some saying that Iron Chef helped the son exceed the skills of the father.

One of the most appealing facets of the show is each chef's unusual approach to familiar ingredients. "Where do they get their ideas?" is a frequent refrain echoing in the heads of the viewers. Finally, the Iron Chef approach is available to all; however, despite the pedigree of the recipes, the instructions are easy to follow and accessible to all.

With such interesting and useful categories as "Chinese the Chen Way," "Creative Concoctions with Leftovers," and "Simply Delicious Sides," Knockout Chinese is a choice cookbook for anyone buying their first or the perfect addition to a kitchen with an already extensive library.

Despite the fact that he is the only lifetime and longest-serving Iron Chef, Chen had considered leaving the show on several occasions. Among his reasons was the desire to tend to his restaurants--which, unsurprisingly, had become fully-booked every night since the show's beginning--as well as suffering a bout of depression following the death of his mother. It was fellow Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai who convinced Chen to stay, both agreeing that should one leave, so would the other. Because of his long tenure, Chen has fought more battles than any other Iron Chef--a whopping 92 in all--with a win/loss record of 67223, including a record 14 consecutive victories.