回顾二十世纪二三十年代，彼时西方人对中国烹饪之微妙艺术的好奇正在迅速增长。作为外交官夫人，周德丽女士敏锐地发现，品赏各式中式美食是国际宾客的共同喜好。以此为契机，她着手将私家家宴菜谱与传统中餐礼仪融于一册，以中英双语著成《中国食谱》一书（即本书之原型），于1936年在上海初次出版，后又于上海、香港、东京和纽约等地再版68次，**逾30万册。借由介绍中餐餐仪之道与中式美食制作之法，进而向当时的西方展示中华文化是她写作此书的主要目的。而如今，这本小书亦成为我们现代读者回味旧时饮撰与人文食风的时光之匙。

酒与歌 无酒不成宴。酒可助兴舒压，使长者重焕青春，年轻者愈发朝气。适度而饮，乃**助兴之物。北方偏寒之地盛产高粱， 高粱酒之烈更甚于俄罗斯伏特加与英伦杜松子，饮者甚众。 华东之绍兴酒稍温和，十分流行，可谓国酒。因其产地乃浙江之酒乡绍兴，故得名绍兴酒；其又名“花雕”，即以花雕饰之意，皆因盛酒之坛壁上常饰有花形之故。民间有俗，家中得女，双亲即制绍兴酒数坛，长置于阴凉避光之所。而酒之数量，全仗富贫之况。待女儿结秦晋之好，便可在大喜之日奉上数坛陈年佳酿以乐宾客。 华南之地，气候更暖，惯饮之酒“料半”亦更温和。料半，即中度之意。然，“双蒸”“三蒸”更烈之，亦可得。又有“橙花”“青梅”等香酒，则为后添香料加工之酒。 孔子对入口之物素讲究食精脍细，不食之物甚多，唯对酒或酒类无框定。其酒量虽无文献可考，盖同多数古时文人一样擅饮。 吾之酒量，仅抵���杯绍兴酒，是以，难言深味酒之趣。此或非憾事，论起饮酒之道，吾怀疑西方友人比起东方民众亦不遑多让。 清朝时期，曾有以官员姓名为佳酿冠名之俗。无独有偶，吾从上海酒商黄宇浩(音译)处得来的上好绍兴酒即取名LL.D.酒，名从中国一位**律师，而此人亦是黄的*佳顾客。为得此佳酿，吾须携律师好友之便笺访问酒家，而对不懂如何品鉴此酒的顾客，店家一概谢绝出售。 该律师现已在日内瓦，但吾丝毫不怀疑店家会继续为其供应他*爱之佳酿。 在中国人看来，饮茶当处清幽之境，饮酒则应以歌助兴。此大抵为餐馆总是人声鼎沸之根源。 名留青史之文人骚客，如李白、陶潜、白居易等，无不是擅饮之辈。杯中之物乃灵感之引，饮至酣处，诗兴奔涌，翰墨淋漓。时至**，学生们依旧在朗朗背诵他们的众多佳作。 以下诗歌乃“竹林七贤”之一亦是**酒鬼的刘伶，为哄骗妻子以获贪杯之乐而作。某日，他告知妻，言戒酒心已定，奈何酣嗜时日已久，当在戒酒之前痛饮*后一回。妻子闻言，欢喜异常，为其遍访村镇寻酒。然，刘伶得酒后，便一口饮尽，遂吟出这首与中国酒量之法有关的诗歌：
天生刘伶，以酒为名。 一饮一斛，五斗解酲。 妇人之言，慎不可听。 WINE AND SONG No dinner is complete without wine, which brings joy and drives away depression, and makes the old feel young and the young still more youthful. Taken in moderation, it is undoubtedly an excellent stimulant. In the far north where the climate is cold and kaoliang abundant, Kaoliang wine, which is somewhat stronger than Russian vodka or English gin, is commonly drunk. In Central China a milder drink known as Shaohsing wine—named after its producing centre in Chekiang—is very popular. It is the wine of China. It has another name Hua Tiao (花雕) meaning flower decoration, because the jars in which the wine is kept usually bear a floral decoration. When a girl is born, it is the common practice for the parents to make several jars of Shaohsing wine, the quantity depending upon the size of their purse, and keep them in a cool and dark room, until their daughter is married, so that on her wedding day, they will have at least some good old wine with which to entertain their guests. In the South, where the climate is much warmer, a still milder drink known as Liao Pan (料半) meaning half strength, is commonly used. Stronger varieties , the double distilled (双蒸) and triple distilled (三蒸) are, however, obtainable. The flavouring of the wine is usually added afterwards, such as orange blossom (橙花) and green plum (青梅). Though Confucius was very particular in regard to food, his list of undesirable foodstuffs being a long one, he was not so with wine, as apparently all wines were acceptable to him. There are no records as to his capacity, but he is believed to have been a good drinker like the rest of those ancient scholars. My own capacity does not exceed one wine cup of Sha- ohsing, so I am really not qualified to say much on the art of drinking. Perhaps it is well, for it is a subject in which I suspect our Western friends can give Eastern folk quite a few lessons. In days gone by, good wine was named after an official in Chingchow. By a strange coincidence, the best Shaohsing wine obtainable at the wine merchant Wong Yu Ho in Shanghai is called LL. D. wine, after a famous Chinese lawyer who was one of his best customers. To secure some of this brand for my own use I have to go to the shop armed with a note from my legal friend as I know full well that I would not get it otherwise; the shop will not supply it to anyone who they think will not appreciate it. The lawyer is now in Geneva, but I do not doubt that this shop continues to supply him with his favourite wine. According to our ideas tea should be drunk in quiet surroundings, while wine should be accompanied by song. This may be the reason why restaurants are always noisy.

目录
5 再版序言
11 序一
15 序二
21 自序 22 家庭主妇与烹饪
25 烹饪的艺术
26 烹饪之方法
29 调味法
29 面粉之用法
30 选料
30 侍餐
32 宴席
33 酒席
34 家厨酒席
35 家常便饭
51 餐桌礼仪
52 座位安排
54 中国餐仪之禁
55 执箸
56 持碗
59 餐桌食具
62 茶
68 酒与歌
72 炊具
78 配料与调料
78 酱油
78 绍兴酒
78 冬菇
79 蘑菇汤
79 山楂饼
79 竹笋
80 姜
80 葱
中馈珍藏 83 基础类
93 禽类
133 肉类
165 河海鲜类
203 菜蔬类
229 汤类
247 甜点心
261 面食
302 建议菜单 314 索引
319 后记