Show 110, February 14, 2015: Chop Suey, USA – The Story of Chinese Food in America

 Chop Suey USA The Story of Chinese Food in AmericaAmerican diners began to flock to Chinese restaurants more than a century ago, making Chinese food the first mass-produced cuisine in the United States. By 1980, it had become the country’s most popular ethnic cuisine. Chop Suey, USA – The Story of Chinese Food in America by Professor Yong Chen offers the first comprehensive interpretation of the rise of Chinese food, revealing the forces that made it ubiquitous in the American gastronomic landscape and turned the country into an empire of consumption.

“Engineered by a politically disenfranchised, numerically small, and economically exploited group, Chinese food’s tour de America is an epic story of global cultural encounter. It reflects not only changes in taste but also a growing appetite for a more leisurely lifestyle. Americans fell in love with Chinese food not because of its gastronomic excellence but because of its affordability and convenience. This explains why Americans preferred the quick and simple dishes of China while shunning its haute cuisine. Epitomized by chop suey, American Chinese food was a forerunner of McDonald’s, democratizing the once-exclusive dining-out experience for such groups as marginalized Anglos, African Americans, and Jews.”

A nice extra included in the book are recipes for a number of Chinese dishes particularly popular in America.

Chop Suey, USA just received honorable mention in the 2015 PROSE Awards in the category of American History.

Our guest, Yong Chen, raised by his food-loving mother in China, is a professor of history at the University of California, Irvine.

Show 81, July 26, 2014: Founder Danielle Chang, LUCKYRICE Los Angeles continues…

Luckyrice Night MarketLUCKYRICE Founder Danielle Chang is an award-winning media entrepreneur. Prior to launching LUCKYRICE in 2010, she was CEO of Vivienne Tam, a fashion company. Danielle has also worked for Goldman Sachs, The New York Times, and as a Professor of Contemporary Art History. Born in Taiwan, Danielle created LUCKYRICE to share her life-long affinity for Asian cuisine and lifestyle.

Our own Chef Jet Tila is preparing a five spice pork belly taco for LUCKYRICE Los Angeles.

Danielle is finishing the manuscript for her eagerly anticipated first cookbook. It’s inspired by her many years of experience working with both Asian and non-Asian chefs who are cooking Asian specialties.

LUCKYRICE Las Vegas is set for the pool deck at The Cosmopolitan on October 16th.