A pioneer in the food world, Chiang introduced Americans to authentic northern Chinese cuisine at her San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin. Now she shares more than 80 signature recipes, along with her gripping life story. Full color.

"A foreword by legendary chef Alice Waters hints that this volume is filled with authentic recipes, cultural stories and food memories. And indeed, Chiang, the one-time proprietor of San Francisco's famed Mandarin restaurant — which is widely credited with introducing Americans to real regional Chinese cuisine — presents a rich, heartfelt volume filled with recipes and stories from her life. There are recipes from the original Mandarin, of course: its Pot Stickers, Sichuan Spicy Eggplant, and Beggar's Chicken, which Chiang says is a favorite of Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams. There are also recipes from the Mandarin in Beverly Hills (such as Sesame Shrimp) and many recipes from Chiang's family. Of Yun Hui's (My Mother's) Red-Cooked Pork, Chiang says, 'I've had dreams about this dish that have been so vivid that I thought I could actually smell the aroma of the meat as it was being carried from the kitchen to the dining room of our family home in Beijing.' Interspersed among the recipes are tales of growing up in China, leaving there after the Communist takeover in 1949 and founding her landmark restaurant in the U.S. Foodies intrigued by Chinese food and culinary history — and the life of a remarkable restaurateur — will relish the journey through this book." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

A pioneer in the food world, Cecilia Chiang introduced Americans to authentic northern Chinese cuisine at her San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin, in 1961, earning the adoration of generations of diners, including local luminaries such as Marion Cunningham, Ruth Reichl, and Chuck Williams. In THE SEVENTH DAUGHTER, Chiang presents a classic collection of recipes framed by her gripping life’s story. Beginning with her account of a privileged childhood in 1920s and 1930s Beijing, Chiang chronicles a 1,000-mile trek on foot in the wake of the Japanese occupation, her arrival in San Francisco, and her transformation from accidental restaurateur to culinary pioneer. The book’s recipes feature cherished childhood dishes and definitive Mandarin classics, while showcasing Cecilia’s purist approach to authentic Chinese home cooking.

LISA WEISS trained at the California Culinary Academy and cowrote the critically acclaimed Farallon Cookbook with Mark Franz, Bruce Aidells’s Complete Book of Pork, and BOULEVARD: THE COOKBOOK with Nancy Oakes and Pamela Mazzola. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.