Fuchsia Dunlop burst on the cookbook scene in 2001 with "Land of Plenty," a Sichuan cookbook of such power, confidence, and verve that it was hard to believe the London-based writer hadn't been doing this for years. Now she is back with "Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, Recipes From Hunan Province," which documents the region of spicy food with the same fierce loyalty and attention to detail she gave Sichuan cuisine.
Hunan province was the birthplace of Chairman Mao, the point from which the revolution sprang. Hunanese cuisine is famous for being the hottest of Chinese cuisines -- also sour, salty, and liberal with oil. I had a strange sensation when I opened the book. The dishes seemed so familiar, but why? I have never been to China, but it turns out that my mother's hometown was not far (as these things go in a massive country) from this province. Maybe that explains why steamed eggs and vinegary cucumbers were some of my favorite childhood foods, and why today nothing settles me better after a rough night than a bowl of rice that is stained mouth-blisteringly crimson with chili sauce. It was almost impossible to winnow my recipe-testing selection down to a handful. By the time I got to the end of my list, I was already going back to the beginning to cook my favorites again.
