A Blog, a Chef, a Cookbook – Long Lost Relatives Chef Katie Chin and Bicultural Mama Unite

Chef Katie Chin sits in Macy’s executive office in New York City waiting for her Macy’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month cooking demo event to begin. Surrounded by her publicist, book publishing rep, friends, and demo assistant, she welcomes me — her newly discovered family member.

The importance of family runs deep for Chef Katie who continues the legacy of her late restauranteur mother Leanne Chin — the inspiration of her new cookbook, Katie Chin’s Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother’s Kitchen. So it’s no surprise she invites me to her event to meet for the first time.

In a story of coincidences, surprises, and joy, Chef Katie and I find each other through my Bicultural Mama blog and her cookbook. Tuttle Publishing had contacted me to review her new book, and after publishing my post, my mother calls to say, “Did you know we’re related to Katie Chin?” I exclaim disbelief, and my mom then contacts my great aunt (a.k.a. the family matriarch) to confirm the ties. My great aunt explains she and Katie’s father are cousins. In fact, Katie, as a child, had stayed at my great aunt’s daughter’s house during a visit with her family. My mother reminisces how she and my dad met Katie’s parents decades ago at the funeral of my great grandfather General Ying-Hsing Wen, but has since lost touch with the Chin family.

We discover more ties. In 1980 Leanne Chin opens her first restaurant in Minnetonka, Minnesota before selling her chain to General Mills in 1985 (Chin later regains ownership in 1988 before selling it again in 2007). Coincidentally, after college I work at General Mills, live in Minnetonka, and even dine at Leanne Chin’s restaurant without realizing our connection. In other instances, Real Simple and Cooking Light magazines feature Chef Katie. After getting my MBA, I work in marketing for both publications. It seems only a matter of time before we cross paths.

Now we are face to face just before Chef Katie’s New York demo event, and after big hugs and introductions, I conduct a pre-arranged interview. I ask her what she thinks about our new family discoveries. She admits, “At first I didn’t believe it…but then you mentioned the names of relatives. I thought it was great. The first thing I did was call my siblings (because my parents have both passed). We were so excited.”

Chef Katie explains the inspiration behind her new cookbook: “I felt my mother’s story needed to be shared because it was so incredible. She was a minority business woman born in China who faced challenges, but worked hard and succeeded. So many people can relate to the immigrant experience. The cookbook was also a means of healing for me as she passed away six years ago. I still hear her voice a lot. For me to be able to share her legacy, give this to my kids, and allow them to carry it on…it will be a testament through time that they’ll always be able to refer to.”

Chef Katie’s recipes are accessible not just to foodies, but also to home cooks and busy parents. As a working mother of twins, Chef Katie can commiserate. She observes, “Like everybody else, I struggle to get dinner on the table on time — something healthy that the kids are actually going to eat. So I always try to create recipes through that lens. I try to relate to people who have never cooked Chinese food before who may feel intimidated, so I try to give as many tips as possible — like you don’t really need a wok, you can just use a skillet. Or you can go to the grocery store and get vegetables that are cut, cleaned, and ready to go because it just saves a lot of time. I also try to infuse some humor because cooking should be fun, and food is something to be shared. For example, people are often scared to make dumplings, but no matter how they look they are going to taste good.”

With her cookbook and Macy’s tour, Chef Katie hopes to achieve a connection with her readers as well as her children. She explains, “Food is such a huge part of Asian culture. I thought my cookbook would be a great fit with Macy’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month activities. It’s so important for me to instill pride in our Asian heritage with my kids. Growing up in Minnesota, we belonged to the Sons of Norway and the Jewish Community Center because we had no [Asian] clubs, and we were ashamed [of our background]. We always felt like a fish out of water, and were almost embarrassed of our heritage. So I feel excited for my generation of kids because they’re so proud of being Chinese. I’m also teaching them to have pride through food because Chinese cuisine is all about symbolism, history, and heritage.”

Chef Katie then highlights some of her favorite recipes from her new cookbook:

“I love the Cantonese Style Chow Mein because it reminds me of the rare occasions when my mother didn’t have to work so she would make a giant pot of it, and our whole family would eat it for lunch on Saturday. It’s also a quintessentially Cantonese dish that reminds me of my mom.

Another dish is the Lemon Chicken recipe because it is so emblematic of my mom’s success with the restaurant chain. In fact, it was once so popular that at one point in Minneapolis there was a sign with just a picture of the Lemon Chicken with an arrow pointing down to the restaurant located right underneath.

I also love Shu Mai (dumplings) because it was one of the first things she taught me how to make when I was little. She was so patient. But she was so not patient when I was an adult. We did this Food Network special at Jumbo, the biggest floating restaurant in Hong Kong. The Master Chef was there, and we were being filmed. My mom said to me, ‘Why are you so slow?’ But it was all said in love.”

With the Macy’s tour ending in May, Chef Katie will be focusing on several projects. She states, “I have a live-streaming, interactive cooking show Katie Woks on the new digital platform NOM so I’m continuing to work on that. I’m also brainstorming for my next book project and revamping my website (The Sweet and Sour Chronicles). In addition, I’m tinkering in some product ideas.”

Chef Katie mentions her young daughter, Becca, who has inherited her mother’s and grandmother’s entrepreneurial spirit. Becca runs her own You Tube Channel, Becca’s YummyTown, featuring cooking demonstrations. Her mother is so proud.

At the end of our interview, Chef Katie states, “Food and cooking is storytelling.” This is certainly true, not only through her cookbook which seamlessly weaves stories of her mother and heritage, but also through our newly written story of long lost relatives united.

Pineapple Fried Rice

This popular recipe is from Katie Chin’s Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother’s Kitchen. The cookbook is currently the #1 New Release in Wok Cookery on Amazon.

Macy’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration

Macy’s welcomes renowned author, chef and television personality, Katie Chin, at six stores nationwide for cooking demos and discussions on Asian Cuisine and her new book, Katie Chin’s Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother’s Kitchen as part of its Macy’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration. Following the cooking demo, Macy’s will host a customer reception, where Chin will sign her new cookbook. Plus, with any home purchase of $50 or more, guests will receive limited-edition branded chopsticks and a copy of Chin’s newest cookbook (while supplies last – purchase must be at the specific Macy’s event location and made on the day of the event). Remaining dates include: Macy’s Pasadena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. and Macy’s Union Square in San Francisco on Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m.

About Chef Katie Chin

Author Katie Chin’s love of cooking blossomed at an early age as she helped her renowned mother, Leeann Chin, prepare delicious Chinese dishes in her popular restaurants. Together they hosted the national PBS cooking series Double Happiness, taught cooking classes, wrote Everyday Chinese Cooking, and made appearances on NBC’s Today. Now, Katie is a world-renowned Asian food expert, blogger, TV host and author. She has written 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes and the award-winning bestseller Everyday Thai Cooking. She has also been featured in several national publications including O Magazine, Cooking Light, bon appetit, Elle, Real Simple, and Family Circle. Katie has made appearances on the Hallmark Channel, The Daily Buzz, Cooking Channel, has served as a guest judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America, and has participated as a chef contestant on Cutthroat Kitchen. Her latest release, Katie Chin’s Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother’s Kitchen, is a family treasury of memories and recipes that introduces her mother’s mastery of Chinese flavors and techniques to the everyday kitchen.