Pearl Buck in China
I recently finished reading Hilary Spurling’s masterful biography of Pearl Buck, the daughter of American missionaries who grew up in China and became a novelist who…
Banquets in Washington DC and Changsha
Chinese President Hu Jintao was honoured with a state banquet at the White House last night. Apparently he and his entourage had requested a ‘quintessentially American’…
The ultimate multi-function kitchen gadget
You can hear me talking about the versatility of the Chinese kitchen cleaver (èœåˆ€) in last week’s edition of The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4.…
Hunanese government award!
At the conference today I received a Hunanese government award for contributions to the internationalisation of Hunan cuisine! It was worth getting up at what seemed…
In praise of hong cai tai (and other Chinese greens)
I’m back in Changsha, where I lived for a few months while researching my Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, for the first time in five years. It’s wonderful…
Shanghai in November
Arrived in Shanghai to warm and sunny weather! I had a simple vegetarian lunch at a Buddhist monastery (Shanghai wontons stuffed with shepherd’s purse, green pak…
Guild of Food Writers knife clinic
The knife clinic, held last Thursday, was great fun. Delicious canapes by Daylesford Organic, great demos by Marianne Lumb and Corin Mellor. And I did a…
A Chinese view of Italian food
You can read my piece about eating my way around Piedmont with Chinese restaurateur A Dai on the From Our Own Correspondent pages of the BBC’s…
Vegetable extravaganza
For special banquets in the private rooms at Barshu restaurant, the kitchen can provide carved-vegetable centrepieces for the table. This carrot-bird ensemble is what one of…
Turin adventures
I’m just back from a week in Turin for my first Slow Food Salone Del Gusto and Terra Madre. The Salone Del Gusto centres on a…