CECILIA CHIANG

THE SEVENTH DAUGHTER:

My culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco

With Lisa Weiss, foreward by Alice Waters

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A review by Marty Martindale

This fascinating book is not only a food book and cookbook but a historical memoir of an 87-year-old, famed, accidental restaurateur, Cecilia Chiang, who is credited with introducing Americans to real Chinese cuisine. Her memoirs include tales of her privileged youth in China in the 1920s and 1930s, then her vivid departure during the Communist takeover. Once in San Francisco, she founded her remarkable restaurant, the Mandarin, in 1961. Here, in this book, with 80 of her treasured recipes, she displays her pure, unique approach to authentic Chinese cooking in the home.  

Amid her telling of childhood memories in China, find some of her early family pictures and later early pictures of her early days of the Mandarin Restaurant and the important California culinary relationships she made.  

One of the most fascinating dishes your reviewer found was TEA EGGS. One simply brings older eggs to a boil in water then adds four black-tea bags to the water. After 15 minutes, tap the eggs to crack them slightly with a metal spoon while they are still cooking. Next add one-quarter cup soy sauce and continue to gently boil the eggs for one hour and 15 minutes. Remove from heat, covered for another hour.

Famed recipes for the more elaborate Mu-Shu Pork with a Hat and Beggar’s Chicken are in the book, as well. Many recipes call for Shoaxing wine also Chinkaing black vinegar made from glutinous rice and malt. 

Here’s a summary of a few of Chiang’s recipes:  

POT STICKERS
She used Napa cabbage, green onions, fresh ginger, ground pork, sesame oil, flour, pot-sticker wrappers, egg and peanut oil. Her simple, three ingredient dipping sauce merely called for soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili oil. 

HOT-AND-SOUR SOUP
Called for black mushrooms, pork loin, broth, bamboo shoots, tofu, black vinegar, white vinegar, soy sauce, an egg, sesame oil and cilantro 

TOFU AND SPINACH SOUP
A simple recipe of broth, tofu, spinach leaves and sesame oil 

MINCED CHICKEN AND SWEETCORN SOUP
Egg whites, cornstarch, chopped chicken beast, broth, fresh sweet corn, Virginia ham and cilantro  

SHANDONG ASPARAGUS
A simple mixture of asparagus spears, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and toasted sesame seeds

KUNG PAO CHICKEN (Seinfeld’s friend, George’s favorite)
Shelled raw peanuts, peanut oil, Shoaxing wine, soy sauce, whole dried red child peppers, chicken thighs and green pepper pieces

SICHUAN CRISPY DUCK
Duck breast halves, green onions, peeled ginger pieces, five-spice powder, Shaoxing wine, peanut oil and sesame oil garnish

MANDARIN OXTAILS
Fresh ginger, celery, soy sauce, mushroom soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, carrots and sugar

EGGPLANT IN GARLIC SAUCE
Calls for premium soy sauce, chili oil, black vinegar, minced ginger, garlic and green onion

THREE-SHREDDED SALAD
Premium soy sauce, black vinegar, rice vinegar, sesame  oil, sugar, carrots, daikon radish and cucumber 

GREEN-ONION OIL-TOSSED NOODLES
Large dried shrimp, peanut oil, green onions, soy sauce and Chinese noodles 

BEIJING WONTONS IN RICH BROTH
Ground pork shoulder, fresh ginger, green onion, sesame oil, Shoaxing wine, soy sauce, flour, eggs, wonton wrappers and broth 

This book is a nifty collection of simple, authentic Chinese cooking made with usually a minimum of ingredients, and as with most Asian dishes, most of the recipe items are pantry items. The Seventh Daughter also serves to refresh our knowledge of Asian/American history as seen through the eyes of an important food woman.  

Marty Martindale’s website is Food Site of the Day