The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco

Almost as much memoir as cookbook, "The Seventh Daughter" recalls life in a wealthy family in pre-communist China and the upheavals that eventually led to Chiang's panicked flight to Tokyo with her husband, then to San Francisco and the opening of her famed restaurant, The Mandarin, in 1960. Born in 1920, the seventh daughter, Chiang grew up in a household of 10 children, 20-plus servants and numerous animals. Though her mother's tiny bound feet were her pride (if not joy), Chiang's father had decided that none of his daughters would suffer that agony. "Twentieth-century China saw a great number of changes, but none so radical as the role of women in society." Chiang never cooked herself until she was 40, but her mother insisted on her children developing keen palates. Chiang knew what the food should taste like and although the restaurant nearly foundered in its earliest incarnation, she survived and grew with the help of friends and perfect classic Northern dishes like Jiao Zi Dumplings, Hot-and-Sour Soup, Red-Cooked Pork, and Five-Spice Beef. She also added dishes she encountered while fleeing from the communists - Sichuan dishes like Steamed Rice-Powder Ribs, Spicy Eggplant, and Twice-Cooked Pork and a few Japanese dishes like Spinach in Sesame-Seed Paste. Full of classic dishes (some updated, like steamed fish done in the microwave) and absorbing stories, and illustrated with lush food presentations and photos of Chiang and her family throughout the years, "The Seventh Daughter" is a must-have for fans of Chinese cooking.

Cecilia Chiang (whose son co-founded the chain PF Chang's) founded San Francisco's ground-breaking MANDARIN in American in 1961, introducing Chinese cuisine that rocked our jaded concepts of oriental foods. Recipes for her authentic dishes are the secrets carried through turmoil and heartbreaking sacrifices, showing both the terrible damages of wars and the strong spirit of a soul meant for greater things. If you think that running your business is tough, draw inspiration from the woman whose determination to survive humbles the mightiest of us. Recommended. Mark Braun Associate Publisher Food Industry News

This is not just a book filled with great, genuine yet easy-to-handle recipes for Northern Chinese food, it is a also a very heart-warming and educational book telling us for example how a lady who has never cooked until she was 40 became a revolutionary force in Chinese food in the U.S. and all the heart-warming, fun and sad stories throughout her life in China, Tokyo and in the States.

Reading The Seventh Daughter is akin to partaking in a sumptuous banquet, which satisfies the palate, but more importantly feeds and nourishes the soul. The aptly described "culinary journey" is just that, as author Lisa Weiss brilliantly blends Chinese old-world, delectable recipes with deftly seasoned insights into the life of a truly remarkable and regal lady -- Cecilia Chiang. My family had enjoyed the excellent cuisine at The Mandarin restaurant almost from its opening at Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco, but had no idea that its owner Cecilia Chiang had such a remarkable history personifying in her elegant way the Chinese intellect and spirit of her heritage with the American dream. Weiss brings such evident devotion and love to her work and successfully elevates the reader's understanding of Cecilia Chiang's passage from early, upper-class childhood in China to escaping on one of the last flights from the specter of the Communists to arriving in San Francisco -- penniless in money, rich in courage and tradition. The Seventh Daughter is a veritable feast, destined to be savored over and over again. It is most highly recommended.

Wonderful! Food is so often distanced from the study of history and civilizations. The Seventh Daughter truly offers a remarkable blending. It provides not only recipes from a great chef (thank goodness we gained Chinese dishes beyond the too-often blandness of Cantonese) but real context. Great stories go with great dining. Chinese cuisine is world-class while Cecilia Chiang's stories offer an enlightening take on the human condition. I also very much appreciate Lisa Weiss's tips that help make preparing Cecilia's dishes practical in a home kitchen. I hope we see more cookbooks like this one.