Synopses & Reviews
A food writer travels the Silk Road, immersing herself in a moveable feast of foods and cultures and discovering some surprising truths about commitment, independence, and love.
Feasting her way through an Italian honeymoon, Jen Lin-Liu was struck by culinary echoes of the delicacies she ate and cooked back in China, where sheandrsquo;d lived for more than a decade. Who really invented the noodle? she wondered, like many before her. But also: How had food and culture moved along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking Asia to Europeandmdash;and what could still be felt of those long-ago migrations? With her new husbandandrsquo;s blessing, she set out to discover the connections, both historical and personal, eating a path through western China and on into Central Asia, Iran, Turkey, and across the Mediterranean.
The journey takes Lin-Liu into the private kitchens where the headscarves come off and women not only knead and simmer but also confess and confide. The thin rounds of dough stuffed with meat that are dumplings in Beijing evolve into manti in Turkeyandmdash;their tiny size the measure of a brideandrsquo;s worthandmdash;and end as tortellini in Italy. And as she stirs and samples, listening to the women talk about their lives and longings, Lin-Liu gains a new appreciation of her own marriage, learning to savor the sweetness of love freely chosen.
Review
"The finest book on Chinese food and#8211; how it is cooked and eaten and why it matters and#8211; in decades."
Review
"a delicately crafted steamed dumpling of a book. ...
Serve the Peopleandnbsp;is the sort of happy-go-lucky, multicultural, foodie type of writing that readers (and publishers) love. It's peppered with delicious descriptions, authentic recipes, humorous anecdotes and all the goodness of a young woman who finds her way in life, and even falls in love."
Review
"Jen Lin-Liu gives a wonderfully vivid picture of Chinese society along with its cuisine."
Review
"A mouthwatering tale of the thriving culinary scene in todayand#8217;s China ... top-rated by ZAGAT."
Review
"A humorous and insightful look at China through its most famous export: its cuisine."
Review
"A wonderfully funny and fascinating look at one of the worldand#8217;s great food cultures."
Review
"Lin-Liu is a charming guide to modern China and its kaleidoscopic cuisine."
Review
"Set against the backdrop of China's booming capitalist economy, Jen Lin-Liuand#8217;s memoir is deliciously authentic. And what a cast of characters! I loved this book."
Review
"Lin-Liu is a charming guide to modern China and its kaleidoscopic cuisine."--
People"Serve the People is light fare, a delicately crafted steamed dumpling of a book. It's peppered with delicious descriptions, authentic recipes, humorous anecdotes and all the goodness of a young woman who finds her way in life, and even falls in love."--International Herald Tribune
"A mouthwatering tale of the thriving culinary scene in today's China--top rated by Zagat."--Nina and Tim Zagat, co-Founders and co-Chairs of Zagat Survey
Review
PRAISE FOR SERVE THE PEOPLE: A STIR-FRIED JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA
and#8220;Do not let Jen Lin-Liuand#8217;s little gem of a book pass you byand#8230; here is a rarityand#8212;and one which is fun, tooand#8230; downright touching.and#8221;and#160;and#8211;The Wall Street Journal
"Lin-Liu is a charming guide to modern China and its kaleidoscopic cuisine." and#8211;People
and#8220;Fascinating portraits of the vast world of Chinese cuisineand#8230;and#8221;and#160;and#8211;The New York Review of Books
and#8220;Entertaining and offbeat.and#8221; and#8211;Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air
and#8220;A delicately crafted steamed dumpling of a book. Jen Lin-Liuand#8217;s memoir is the sort of happy-go-lucky, multicultural, foodie type of writing that readersand#8230; love. Itand#8217;s peppered with delicious descriptions, authentic recipes, humorous anecdotes and all the goodness of a young woman who finds her way in life, and even falls in love.and#8221;and#160;and#8211;International Herald Tribune
and#8220;Her feel for the physicality of food preparation springs from every page of this lively account of learning to cook in China.and#8221; and#8211;Christian Science Monitor
and#8220;A captivating, often humorous tale of the Chinese-American author's stint in cooking school in Beijing.and#8221; and#8211;Newsday
and#8220;[Lin-Liu] charts her journey of discovery engaginglyand#8230; The memoir offers an enticing taste of Chinese food and cooking culture.and#8221; and#8211;Atlanta Journal-Constitution
and#8220;Entertaining and eye-opening, Lin-Liu's portrait of modern China reflects its changing trends and attitudes and its timeless cuisine.and#8221; and#8211;Portsmouth Herald
and#8220;Lin-Liuand#8217;s book is highly entertainingand#8230; she manages in the end to truly delve into the culture and history of the country and its food.and#8221; and#8211;Toronto Star
and#8220;[A] lively and rare look at Chinese cuisine.and#8221; and#8211;Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Review
PRAISE FOR ON THE NOODLE ROAD: FROM BEIJING TO ROME WITH LOVE AND PASTA
"Lin-Liu made a point of invading the kitchens of her hosts and local cooks, and she was amazed at similarities between regional noodle dishes and rustic Italian food; appalled or pleasantly surprised by strange ingredients; and, from yurt to hovel, delighted by the local hospitality. Lin-Liuand#8217;s journey is a bold palate-awakening adventure, endearingly rendered." and#8211;Publishers Weekly
"A footloose, spontaneous and appetite-whetting journal of culinary adventure." and#8211;Kirkus
"Some writers follow the money; Jen Lin-Liu follows the noodle. Whipping up a delicious concoction of a travelogue as she journeys between China and Italy, she proves that food is not only the way to the heart but a way into understanding the psyches of the people doing the cooking and eating.and#8221; and#8211;Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
"I was so riveted by Jen Lin-Liu's On the Noodle Road I could hardly put it down. I found it moving, enlightening, and funny, offering insight into contemporary life infused with a social history of food. Joyful and thoroughly entertaining." and#8211;Ken Hom, chef, author, and BBC-TV presenter
"Whether sheand#8217;s attending cooking school in Iran or showing us how to find a Turkish pork speakeasy, Jen Lin-Liu is the perfect guide to all the flavors and fascinations of the Silk Road." and#8211;Peter Hessler, author of River Towns, Oracle Bones, and Country Driving
PRAISE FOR SERVE THE PEOPLE: A STIR-FRIED JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA
and#8220;Do not let Jen Lin-Liuand#8217;s little gem of a book pass you byand#8230; here is a rarityand#8212;and one which is fun, tooand#8230; downright touching.and#8221;and#160;and#8211;The Wall Street Journal
"Lin-Liu is a charming guide to modern China and its kaleidoscopic cuisine." and#8211;People
and#8220;Fascinating portraits of the vast world of Chinese cuisineand#8230;and#8221;and#160;and#8211;The New York Review of Books
and#8220;Entertaining and offbeat.and#8221; and#8211;Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air
and#8220;A delicately crafted steamed dumpling of a book. Jen Lin-Liuand#8217;s memoir is the sort of happy-go-lucky, multicultural, foodie type of writing that readersand#8230; love. Itand#8217;s peppered with delicious descriptions, authentic recipes, humorous anecdotes and all the goodness of a young woman who finds her way in life, and even falls in love.and#8221;and#160;and#8211;International Herald Tribune
Synopsis
A memorable and mouthwatering cookand#8217;s tour of todayand#8217;s China and#160;
As a freelance journalist and food writer living in Beijing, Jen Lin-Liu already had a ringside seat for Chinaand#8217;s exploding food scene. When she decided to enroll in a local cooking schooland#8212;held in an unheated classroom with nary a measuring cup in sightand#8212;she jumped into the ring herself. Progressing from cooking student to noodle-stall and dumpling-house apprentice to intern at a chic Shanghai restaurant, she finds poor young men and women streaming in from the provinces in search of a and#8220;rice bowland#8221; (living wage); a burgeoning urban middle class hungry for luxury after decades of turmoil and privation; and the mentors who take her in hand in the kitchen and beyond. Together they present an unforgettable slice of contemporary China in the full swing of social and economic transformation.
Synopsis
Advance Praise for
Serve the People"The finest book on Chinese cuisine -- how it is cooked and how it is eaten and why it matters -- in decades."Edward Gargan, author of The Rivers Tale: A Year on the Mekong
"A humorous and insightful look at China through its most famous export: its cuisine.--Ian Johnson, author of Wild Grass: Three Portraits of Change in Modern China
"Funny, original, atmospheric and alluring. It sent me straight to the kitchen."--Oliver August, author of Inside the Red Mansion: On the Trail of China's Most Wanted Man
"A wonderfully vivid picture of China's society along with its cuisine."--Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans and Mao: The Unknown Story
"Deliciously authentic, and what a cast of characters! I loved this book."--Jan Wong, author of Red China Blues
"A wonderfully funny and fascinating look at one of the world's great food cultures."--Peter Hessler, author of Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present
About the Author
Born inand#160;Chicago andand#160;raised in Southern California, Jen Lin-Liu attended Columbia University and went to China as a Fulbright fellow.and#160;The founder of Black Sesame Kitchen, aand#160;Beijingand#160;cooking school, she is the authorand#160;Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey through China. She has written about food, culture, and travel forand#160;The New York Times,and#160;The Wall Street Journal,and#160;Saveur,and#160;Newsweek,and#160;Travel + Leisure, and other publications. She lives inand#160;Chengdu,and#160;China.