11/16/2015
The recipes in this irreverent chronicle are enriched by a very personal story. “I look at this cookbook as a document of a specific time and set of experiences: the early years of Mission Chinese food, the end of my 20s, growing up as a chef,” Bowien writes. With childhood photos, interviews with mentors such as Anthony Bourdain, and a chronology that charts the ups and downs of Bowien’s cooking career, the book offers rare insight into the making of a young American chef. Bowien’s undying love for Chinese food—“What I ate when I had no money”—finds expression in his profane interpretations of the classics, a melding of tastes and cultures that is truly American. The recipes are “Chinese by way of Oklahoma, San Francisco, and New York.” The dishes are big and bold, with no regard for culinary boundaries whatsoever. An Oklahoma-inspired smoked beef brisket with smoked cola BBQ sauce sits alongside a recipe for crunchy tea-smoked eel rolls (a burrito-like snack nicknamed “the Chinito” by Bourdain), which pales in comparison to the incredibly over-the-top Beggar’s Duck, a sticky rice–stuffed whole duck that’s baked in potter’s clay, cracked open at the table, and lacquered with sauce. Bowien advises, “If you’re going to invite people over for a meal, really have them over. Be generous, be ridiculous.” Fortunately for readers, he wrote his cookbook in the same spirit. (Nov.)
Bowien dares to go far beyond the recipes to reveal his own mind and spirit — the mercurial and creative force behind it all — making for an immersive and personal read… His candid writing serves as inspiration for peers and a true page-turner for his many fans.” — Eater
“In his new cookbook, [Bowien] again defies expectation.” — Tasting Table
“The young culinary star chronicles his unconventional rise in a “cookbook in conversations” that combines raucous storytelling with his addictive - and often surprisingly simple - recipes.” — Food Republic
“To hear Bowien in his own words is a treat, and his debut cookbook is not to be missed. Like Gabrielle Hamilton’s Prune, this will thrill foodies and aspiring chefs.” — Library Journal
“One of the most affecting books I’ve read all year…. When the odd recipe pops up, it feels like a lifeline, or a turning point.” — New Yorker
“…the conversational tête-à-tête with Lucky Peach editor Chris Ying, and down-to-earth candor, makes this book an enjoyable read for fans of Asian fusion cuisines.” — Shelf Awareness
“The creators of the San Francisco and New York hot spots don’t just share their recipes, they reminisce about their early days as well.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Throwing caution (and tradition) to the wind, [Bowien] combines scrupulous, exact culinary skills with an intuitive common sense about what will taste good and be nourishing without boring the palate. What results is a menu full of rule-breaking surprises” — Men's Journal
“What makes The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook compulsively readable is Bowien’s voice: fiercely honest, self-critical, incredibly sympathetic. Although ostensibly a recipe book, this is as engaging and readable a memoir as Kitchen Confidential…” — The Atlantic
“Danny Bowien is one of the most innovative chefs-and arguably the ballsiest-in the country, taking the culinary world by storm with Mission Chinese Food. His new book...makes home cooks of all levels rethink what it means to cook Chinese food.” — AndrewZimmerman.com
In his new cookbook, [Bowien] again defies expectation.
The creators of the San Francisco and New York hot spots don’t just share their recipes, they reminisce about their early days as well.
What makes The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook compulsively readable is Bowien’s voice: fiercely honest, self-critical, incredibly sympathetic. Although ostensibly a recipe book, this is as engaging and readable a memoir as Kitchen Confidential…
One of the most affecting books I’ve read all year…. When the odd recipe pops up, it feels like a lifeline, or a turning point.
The young culinary star chronicles his unconventional rise in a “cookbook in conversations” that combines raucous storytelling with his addictive - and often surprisingly simple - recipes.
Danny Bowien is one of the most innovative chefs-and arguably the ballsiest-in the country, taking the culinary world by storm with Mission Chinese Food. His new book...makes home cooks of all levels rethink what it means to cook Chinese food.
Throwing caution (and tradition) to the wind, [Bowien] combines scrupulous, exact culinary skills with an intuitive common sense about what will taste good and be nourishing without boring the palate. What results is a menu full of rule-breaking surprises
Bowien dares to go far beyond the recipes to reveal his own mind and spirit — the mercurial and creative force behind it all — making for an immersive and personal read… His candid writing serves as inspiration for peers and a true page-turner for his many fans.
…the conversational tête-à-tête with Lucky Peach editor Chris Ying, and down-to-earth candor, makes this book an enjoyable read for fans of Asian fusion cuisines.
One of the most affecting books I’ve read all year…. When the odd recipe pops up, it feels like a lifeline, or a turning point.
Throwing caution (and tradition) to the wind, [Bowien] combines scrupulous, exact culinary skills with an intuitive common sense about what will taste good and be nourishing without boring the palate. What results is a menu full of rule-breaking surprises
★ 11/15/2015
Introduced by Momofuku kingpin David Chang as "a portrait of an artist still in progress," this unconventional cookbook traces Korean American chef Bowien's emergence as a major force in the restaurant industry. Bowien's experiences growing up in Oklahoma and cooking in San Francisco and New York are relayed in captivating interviews conducted with Lucky Peach editor-in-chief Ying and other longtime colleagues. Interspersed with the narrative are challenging original recipes from Bowien's acclaimed Mission Chinese Food restaurants, including kung pao pastrami, fried pigs' tails with smoked cola barbecue sauce, and squid-ink noodles with minced pork and peanut sauce. A final chapter offers guidance on Asian spices, condiments, and pantry basics. VERDICT To hear Bowien in his own words is a treat, and his debut cookbook is not to be missed. Like Gabrielle Hamilton's Prune, this will thrill foodies and aspiring chefs.
