Cecilia Chiang (1920–2020)

I happened to be watching the PBS channel titled "Create TV" (this is a PBS channel that airs old episodes of shows produced for, and distributed by, PBS) and they showed one episode of a 6 part series done for San Francisco PBS about Cecilia Chiang. It was fascinating watching her cook and work with other famous Chefs of the Bay Area. At the time this show was produced she was in her late 80's. She is now 98 and still living in the San Francisco area. Her son, Philip Chiang, is a co-founder of the restaurant chain P. F. Chang's.

This book is part memoir and part cookbook. Chiang has a co-author, and this co-author has selected and written the story of Chiang's life. These memorys are interspersed with recipes from Chiang's famous Mandarin Resturant that was located in San Francisco. This format works very well. The recipes are interesting, but what I was really interested in was the story of this woman's life. The memoir reads like a novel, almost like a Lisa See novel come to life. This is not an objective look at history or culture. It is the story of one woman's life and her point-of-view about how events affected her and her family. It is also the immigrant story of a filthy rich Asian who comes to America and makes good. I am not saying that Chiang didn't work hard and that she doesn't deserve her fame and success. I am saying that she came to the U. S. not intending to immigrate - but she did, eventually. Not intending to open a business - but she did. Not intending to live apart from her husband and raising her children in the U. S. - but she did. I am saying that she is not your typical immigrant. She came to the U. S. with all the advantages and made good use of them by finding something that she loved doing and making it a success.

This book will be on my best of the year list, because so far it has been the best memoir I have read this year. I highly recommend it if you like culinary reading.… (meer)

Is it a cookbook? Is it an autobiography? Is it social commentary? I found this book to be all of these things. Cecilia Chiang has led an adventurous life, ranging from the acquisition of a bicycle, a walk across China, life as the seventh daughter in a large Chinese family, life in Tokyo, to running a very successful restaurant in San Francisco. I'm not sure I will use the recipes, but they resonate as commentary on the life and times that Cecilia shares with us. I found this book very compelling.… (meer)