Benedictine

1959 · 11340 — Tokyo: Charles E Tuttle 1959. Second-hand hardcover. <p>The Benedictine Sisters of Peking. The Art of Chinese Cooking. 9th Imp Charles E Tutlle: Tokyo 1959. 8vo 180x130mm white comb bnd illust stiff card boards xi1946pp. SIGNED</p> <p>THE BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF PEKING Sister M Francetta Vetter O.S.B. 1896 - 1966 and Sister M Regia Zens O.S.B. 1894 - 1987<br /> <br /> The Art of Chinese Cooking. <br /> <br /> Tokyo : Charles E Tuttle Company 1959. Ninth impression first published June 1956. Illustrations by Masahiro Kuwata. Printed by Obun Printing Co Japan Price. $2.00 in the US; ¥ 540 in Japan.<br /> <br /> Octavo 180x130mm white comb bound illustrated stiff card boards flush cut edges xi1946pp. Printing to comb binding faded; hinges creased; boards faintly soiled; small signs of kitchen use. Detailed marginal notes in ink to one recipe likely added during a cooking class run by the sisters in Tokyo. Signed in ink to the title page by Sister M Francetta O.S.B. and Sister M Regia O.S.B. <br /> <br /> ¶ In 1930 at the request of the Benedictine administration of the catholic Fu Yen University in Peiping six missionary sisters from the Order of St Benedict Convent Minnesota led by Sister Vetter travelled to Peiping to teach college preparation courses to young Chinese women wishing to study at the University. By 1935 the financial circumstances of the University had changed and the Sisters removed to Kaifeng a city in East-Central Henan Province. There they opened a medical dispensary often providing desperately needed care to Chinese soldiers wounded during the Sino-Japanese war. In 1941 the sisters were interned by the Japanese for the duration of the War in the Pacific. They returned to Kaifeng but by 1949 had been evacuated first to Shanghai then Formosa Taiwan. In 1950 half the mission was then evacuated to Tokyo. <br /> <br /> Before leaving for China Sister Francetta had been the head of the Home Economics Department of St Benedict and Sister Regia had been the head of the kitchen at their Minnesota Convent. During their time in China they learnt much from their Chinese cook Ta Shih Fu and on arrival in Tokyo they decided to sustain their missionary activities by offering Chinese cooking classes. By 1956 the sisters were teaching 150 students a week. <br /> <br /> The Art of Chinese Cooking is a collection of 69 simple mostly Northern Chinese home-style recipes in eight chapters written longhand. Each recipe is named in English romanised Chinese and traditional Chinese. A brief introduction explaining seventeen ingredients precedes the recipes. At the end there is a tri-lingual glossary of ingredients.<br /> <br /> An excellent early impression of a well-loved Chinese cookery book during the 1960s and 70s. Extremely rare to be signed by the authors. <br /> <br /> § Institutionally well held in various editions and printings. No signed copies recorded either institutionally or in the trade.<br /> § Newman later printings only.<br /> <br /> </p> Charles E Tuttle unknown