The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food is a 2008 non-fiction book by Jennifer 8. Lee, published by Hachette/Twelve. It discusses the significance of Chinese American cuisine.
Publishers Weekly described the book as a "travellike narrative". [1] The work discusses the sheer prevalence of American Chinese restaurants, [2] and the genesis of said cuisine. Lee also describes how the cuisine is fundamental in American culture. [3]
Lee traveled to East Asia to do research. She, in a 16 day period, went to Mainland China and Hong Kong as well as Taiwan. Between the three areas she traveled to 16 different cities. [4]
The chapter "Open-Source Chinese Restaurants" compares the cuisine to open source software as restaurants shared recipes. [3]
The book discusses origins of particular Chinese food items, and it also discusses human trafficking involved in the restaurant trade. [5]
The bibliography has five pages. [6] Mark Knoblauch of Booklist described the bibliography as "Extensive". [7]
Leslie Cauley of USA Today described the book as a "sweet treat"; she stated sometimes there was excess "mind-numbing crush of details" [5]
Jacqueline M. Newman, editor of Flavor and Fortune , praised the extensive research and described the work as "a fine chow down". [6] Newman stated that she wished that the author had cited some articles in the magazine Newman edited, and that Lee "did not always delve deeply enough." [6]
Kirkus Reviews described the book, metaphorically, as "Tasty morsels delivered quickly and reliably." [2]
Martha Cornog of the Library Journal "[h]ighly recommended" the work, describing it as a "detailed and fascinating documentary". [8]
Tim Kindseth of the Far Eastern Economic Review criticized the book for having an overall lack of focus and for, at times, focusing too much on the author; he stated that the contents "only faintly resemble those of more serious academic studies" although he stated the content was "ravenously researched". [9] Kindseth stated that the content about the abuse of restaurant workers is the "most compelling", and a chapter about woes facing a Chinese immigrant family running a restaurant is "The most wrenching". [9]
Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review and stated that the work is "a winner". [1]
American Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in many North American Chinese restaurants are adapted to American tastes and often differ significantly from those found in China.
A fortune cookie is a crisp and sugary cookie wafer made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a piece of paper inside, a "fortune", an aphorism, or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation and/or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers. Fortune cookies are often served as a dessert in Chinese restaurants in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries, but they are not Chinese in origin. The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century. They most likely originated from cookies made by Japanese immigrants to the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century. The Japanese version did not have the Chinese lucky numbers and were eaten with tea.
A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes.
Jennifer 8. Lee is an American journalist who previously worked for The New York Times. She is the co-founder and president of the literary studio Plympton and a producer of The Search for General Tso, which premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
Chez Panisse is a Berkeley, California restaurant, known as one of the originators of California cuisine, and the farm-to-table movement. The restaurant emphasizes ingredients rather than technique and has developed a supply network of direct relationships with local farmers, ranchers and dairies.
"The Misfortune Cookie" is the third segment of the fourteenth episode of the first season of the television series The Twilight Zone. In this segment, a restaurant critic discovers a Chinese restaurant where the fortune cookies have fortunes which come true.
General Tso's chicken is a sweet and spicy deep-fried chicken dish.
Tsujiura are notes used in Japan in conjunction with rice crackers called senbei in a similar way to fortune cookies. Several publications make the claim that fortune cookies are derived from tsujiura senbei.
This article discusses the various cuisines in Houston, Texas.
Hong Kong Noodle Company is a manufacturer of Chinese noodles, wonton skins, and egg roll wrappers in Los Angeles, United States. It was founded in 1913 by Canton native David Jung, who had immigrated to Los Angeles.
Matthew Locricchio was an American author of cookbooks for young chefs and an actor. His cookbook, The International Cookbook for Kids won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Book for Children and Family in 2005. Locricchio also authored other cookbooks such as Teen Cuisine, Teen Cuisine: New Vegetarian, The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids, and eight individual titles in the Superchef series.
The Search for General Tso is a documentary film that premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. It was directed by Ian Cheney and produced by Amanda Murray and Jennifer 8. Lee. Sundance Selects acquired it in December 2014, and it was released January 2, 2015, in theaters and on demand.
Jacqueline M. Newman is a professor emeritus at Queens College-CUNY, specializing in Chinese cuisine, history, gastronomy, and food culture. Considered a trailblazer in the field, Newman has authored numerous books on the subject of Chinese cuisine and is the editor-in-chief of the Flavor and Fortune, a periodical focusing on the science and art of Chinese cuisine. She has also served on the awards committee of James Beard Foundation and on Board of Directors of the Food Exhibition Museum in Suzhou, China.
A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales is a young adult fiction book written by Ying Chang Compestine. Set in China, the book blends Chinese culture, cuisine, and modern customs into eight horror stories.[1][2]
Emily Kim, commonly known as Maangchi, is a South Korean-born American YouTuber and author. She is notable for producing cooking videos centered around Korean cuisine. She was described by The New York Times as "YouTube's Korean Julia Child.".
Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food is a non-fiction book by Jeffrey Pilcher, published by the Oxford University Press in 2012. Pilcher discusses the history of Mexican cuisine and Tex Mex cuisine as well as perceptions of the concept of "Mexican food" around the world.
Cornbread Nation 1: the Best of Southern Food Writing is an essay collection edited by John Egerton, published by University of North Carolina Press in October 2002.
High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America is a non-fiction book by Jessica B. Harris, published in 2011 by Bloomsbury.
Pike Place Chinese Cuisine is a Chinese restaurant at Seattle's Pike Place Market, in the U.S. state of Washington.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Alternate copy: "Excerpt from 'The Fortune Cookie Chronicles'". USA Today .