Feasts of Good Fortune

75 recipes for a full year of celebrations with family and friends the Chinese American way in this deeply personal intergenerational cookbook, cowritten by mother and daughter. Covering everything from traditional Lunar New Year menus with recipes passed down generations to Thanksgiving get-togethers celebrated with tantalizing side dishes, Feasts of Good Fortune invites you to take a seat at the Chou's warm family dinner table. Author and former James Beard Foundation cookbook committee chair Hsiao-Ching Chou (Chinese Soul Food) brings her on-ramp approach to Chinese cooking full circle with fresh, uncomplicated home cooking for celebrations typical of the Chinese American experience. Master dumplings, scallion pancakes, and more, to contribute to "tuan yuan" (the act of coming together) that define family meals in these 75 tried-and-true recipes anyone can tackle. Cowritten with Hsiao-Ching's 17-year-old daughter, Meilee, on reconnecting with her Chinese American heritage as a young adult, this deeply meaningful cookbook is an exploration of what it means to grow up in a "forever hyphenated culture" and celebrates the joy of the mother-daughter bond in cooking together. Organized chronologically with menus that'll take out the guesswork, including:
Lunar New Year (Sticky Rice with Chicken and Chinese Sausage)Lantern Festival (Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Paste)Honoring the Dead/Qing Ming (Steamed Spinach Dumplings)Dragon Boat Festival (Zong Zi) Mid-Autumn Festival (Mooncakes)Birthdays & Party Bites (Stir-Fried Long-Life Noodles)Side Dishes for East-meets-West Menus (Braised Kale with Dried Cranberries)Hot Pot Parties