Send Me Your Noods

Xi’an Famous Foods by Jason Wang and Jessica K. Chou

Cookbook Type: Chinese

Favourite Recipe: Spicy and Tingly Boiled Bean Curd Sheet Skewers (pg 196)

Favourite Page: The Hot Pot (pg 138)

Favourite Quote: “Your body will hate you. You should know every little detail of how your business runs, and be able to do it, too, which means you’ll be working harder and longer than any of your employees” (pg 156)

Rating: 5/5 Larousse Gastronomiques (📕📕📕📕📕)

Review

Happy Lunar New Year, my lovelies! It’s that time of year where Auntie is focused on nothing but FOOOOOOD. Hot pot with friends, dinner out with family rotating the lazy susan, bowls of late night noodles, too many glasses of wine.. it’s my FAVOURITE time of the year.

So tickle me spicy with this find today. Xi’an Famous Foods! And what a solid find indeed. This is my new years gift to myself.

Jason Wang gives us a cumin-cuddle with not just his beautiful recipes, building from chili oil all the way to sweet rice soup, but with STORIES and advice from his experience in the restaurant industry. Bourdain was a fan. Auntie is a fan!

Wang walks us through the Chinatown’s of New York, paying homage to his family and mentors as he goes. There is a solid pantry section to kick off the book, and then he walks us through his personal food journey. The American immigrant story, the hustle, the party. It is humble and thoughtful and in between all that are some fantastic, solid, accessible Chinese recipes.

This book was perfectly timed to come into my life as I look foward to the Lunar New Year (Year of the SNAKE!! Go Slitherin) and prepare for a Hot Pot with my friends and family.

Big love to you and yours!