Sharp Knives, Sharper Wits Front-Burner Humor With Martin Yan
http://californiawineandfood.com/articles/255/1/Sharp-Knives-Sharper-Wits-Front-Burner-Humor-With-Martin-Yan/Page1.html
CWF Sources
By CWF Sources
Published on 02/23/2006
By Christina Hamlett Two thousand cooking shows, a prestigious culinary school in San Francisco and twenty-six best-selling cookbooks have made Martin Yan a household word on the celebrity culinary circuit. During a recent luncheon at Pasadena’s 561 Restaurant on Green Street, China’s most energetic and engaging export also demonstrated that his comedic timing in person is as well honed as his expertise in the kitchen. “If the cooking gig doesn’t work out,” I was tempted to quip to an associate, “he’d be a natural in stand-up.”
Sharp Knives, Sharper Wits Front-Burner Humor With Martin Yan
Two thousand cooking shows, a prestigious culinary school in San Francisco and twenty-six best-selling cookbooks have made Martin Yan a household word on the celebrity culinary circuit. During a recent luncheon at Pasadena’s 561 Restaurant on Green Street, China’s most energetic and engaging export also demonstrated that his comedic timing in person is as well honed as his expertise in the kitchen. “If the cooking gig doesn’t work out,” I was tempted to quip to an associate, “he’d be a natural in stand-up.”
“Humor is an essential ingredient in my style of cooking and writing,” he reveals. “I love the opportunity to share and to interact with my fans. Having a bit of humor goes a long way in captivating my audience and increasing their interest and enthusiasm in what I’m doing.” On one of his programs, he illustrated his sense of mirth by setting his twin boys – five months old at the time – in a huge wok. “I called it the ‘Yan Family Wokker’. It was a moment that all my fans still remember years after the show was aired.”
Chef Yan explains a dish to diners at 561 Restaurant.
Born in Guangzhou, China, Yan can’t remember a time that he didn’t love the art of cooking. “My mother would often come home late. When I was barely 10 years old, I cooked up a simple dish for my younger brother and me, using leftover rice, a small piece of preserved pork and preserved duck egg.” He grins in reminiscence. “It turned out to be a quite satisfying ‘comfort’ food and didn’t taste too bad, either!”
He fondly maintains that, even today, his mother is still the better cook within his immediate family. “She can whip up a banquet with very few tools and ingredients. She makes a terrific poached chicken with minced ginger and garlic-a simple, yet difficult dish to do well.”
His favorite comfort food as an adult? “That would have to be a simply flavored dish of tofu with fresh seasonal vegetables – it’s something my mom often prepared when I was growing up.”
For the new cook moving away from home for the first time, I ask Yan what he’d recommend if he or she could only splurge on one special item for the kitchen.
“I would definitely tell them to get the wok which, according to Bon Appetit Magazine, is the world’s most functional and versatile kitchen tool around. You can prepare practically everything in it.”
Yan’s apprenticeship in the world of cooking began when he was only 13. “As a young child,” he reflects, “I didn’t have a career path. In fact, I actually had no idea cooking would become my life-long pursuit until I left Hong Kong and came to North America. When I left home at age 13, I figured that by hanging around the kitchen, I wouldn’t go hungry. At that time, most Chinese kitchens took in kids around my age to help out.”
On the heels of attaining his diploma from the Overseas Institute of Cookery, he traveled to Canada and then the United States where he earned his Master’s degree in Food Science. His roommates, I learn, used to joke about his becoming a television chef because of his habit of watching Julia Child while he was eating dinner. His unabashed admiration for watching Child’s effervescence and showmanship in the kitchen inspired him to adopt his own style of educating and entertaining aspiring cooks both here and abroad. “Throughout my career, I have learned from and admired many culinary professionals including Jacques Pepin, Emeril, Mario Molto, Nick Stellino, and countless others. They are all masters who are passionate about their work.”
Executive Chef Angela Goodman and Martin Yan.
In addition to his international recognition, Yan has won quite a few awards in the food and beverage industry as well as a Daytime Emmy and two James Beard honors for Best TV Food Journalism and Best TV Cooking Show. Yan also holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University, the world’s leader in culinary training.
I ask whether he considers himself to be a perpetual student. “Absolutely!” he replies without hesitation. “When you love what you do, you are constantly curious and never stop wanting to learn more, because there is always something new to discover. I try to keep my skills as sharp as my cleaver! Fortunately, I travel around the world, working with and learning from many truly passionate master chefs and home cooks.”
Being on the road and in demand so much, of course, would seem to leave little time for entertaining at home. “Given the opportunity,” he says, “I do like to invite friends and neighbors over for a casual outdoor barbecue. I enjoy large parties – the bigger the crowd, the more fun and excitement.”
Of all the enterprises in which he is currently engaged – restaurants, television and teaching – Yan shares that he derives the most pleasure from conducting cooking classes and making personal appearances. “That’s where I can reach and interact with a lot of people. I receive a great deal of positive feedback from fans and friends.”
Even as we chat, there’s an excited gaggle of California School of Culinary Arts students who are awaiting the demonstration he’s going to do for them as soon as lunch is over. Many of them – myself included – have just purchased his latest book, “Quick and Easy”, for autographing. When I mention that my husband is a gourmet chef and does most of the cooking at our house, Yan grabs my pen and fills the entire front page with his signature whimsy, concluding with the postscript, “Christina says you’re a real cut-up and a sharp mind.” He then proceeds to point out the highlights of his latest release, a text that lives up to its name by making Asian cuisine approachable even for first-timers. His introductory chapters on cooking tools and techniques, online market sources for stocking one’s pantry and a user-friendly glossary of ingredients make this a must-have edition for anyone’s collection.
The best advice he offers for cooking is also translatable to his personal recipe for life: “Always be prepared and remain calm- things eventually will turn out fine. Even though we make mistakes,” he points out, “we can learn from them.” If his philosophy were printed on the front of a tee-shirt, he volunteers, it would declare, “If Yan Can, So Can You!”
“Fusion” is a word that is often used in today’s cooking. I query the master chef as to how he views this particular trend in restaurant cuisine.
“My personal definition of ‘fusion’,” he explains, “is simply a melting pot of appropriate ingredients and seasonings. If you do it properly, it’s a masterpiece – if not, it is ‘mass-confusion’. Culinary professionals will continue to use their imaginations to create new and exciting dishes.”
He seamlessly segues to his observations about the changes that he sees occurring in his Chinese homeland and the opportunities that have been created for new and emerging chefs. “I have heard many people say, ‘this is the China century’. China is changing and growing in leaps and bounds. The Chinese people are hungry for new things, new trends, and anything American. There are many American success stories in China with tremendous opportunities. I just started hosting a one-hour cooking and travel program in China geared for the Chinese audience. My goal is to introduce the western culinary tradition to the Chinese audience.”
So if he weren’t a master chef, what would he envision himself doing?
Yan chuckles in preface to his response. “If I weren’t a chef, I don’t know whether I could survive! I love eating and sharing my enthusiasm for food so much.”
What’s cooking in this man’s future? “I love what I do so much,” he answers, “that I won’t change courses. Like my dear friend Julia Child, I won’t stop. For me, the future is exactly what I’m doing, past and present. I’m having a great time.”
Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is an award winning author and script coverage consultant for the film industry. Her credits to date include 22 books, 118 plays and musicals, 4 optioned feature films, and columns/interviews that appear throughout the world. She and her gourmet chef husband, Mark Webb, reside in Pasadena, California.
“Humor is an essential ingredient in my style of cooking and writing,” he reveals. “I love the opportunity to share and to interact with my fans. Having a bit of humor goes a long way in captivating my audience and increasing their interest and enthusiasm in what I’m doing.” On one of his programs, he illustrated his sense of mirth by setting his twin boys – five months old at the time – in a huge wok. “I called it the ‘Yan Family Wokker’. It was a moment that all my fans still remember years after the show was aired.”
Chef Yan explains a dish to diners at 561 Restaurant.
Born in Guangzhou, China, Yan can’t remember a time that he didn’t love the art of cooking. “My mother would often come home late. When I was barely 10 years old, I cooked up a simple dish for my younger brother and me, using leftover rice, a small piece of preserved pork and preserved duck egg.” He grins in reminiscence. “It turned out to be a quite satisfying ‘comfort’ food and didn’t taste too bad, either!”
He fondly maintains that, even today, his mother is still the better cook within his immediate family. “She can whip up a banquet with very few tools and ingredients. She makes a terrific poached chicken with minced ginger and garlic-a simple, yet difficult dish to do well.”
His favorite comfort food as an adult? “That would have to be a simply flavored dish of tofu with fresh seasonal vegetables – it’s something my mom often prepared when I was growing up.”
For the new cook moving away from home for the first time, I ask Yan what he’d recommend if he or she could only splurge on one special item for the kitchen.
“I would definitely tell them to get the wok which, according to Bon Appetit Magazine, is the world’s most functional and versatile kitchen tool around. You can prepare practically everything in it.”
Yan’s apprenticeship in the world of cooking began when he was only 13. “As a young child,” he reflects, “I didn’t have a career path. In fact, I actually had no idea cooking would become my life-long pursuit until I left Hong Kong and came to North America. When I left home at age 13, I figured that by hanging around the kitchen, I wouldn’t go hungry. At that time, most Chinese kitchens took in kids around my age to help out.”
On the heels of attaining his diploma from the Overseas Institute of Cookery, he traveled to Canada and then the United States where he earned his Master’s degree in Food Science. His roommates, I learn, used to joke about his becoming a television chef because of his habit of watching Julia Child while he was eating dinner. His unabashed admiration for watching Child’s effervescence and showmanship in the kitchen inspired him to adopt his own style of educating and entertaining aspiring cooks both here and abroad. “Throughout my career, I have learned from and admired many culinary professionals including Jacques Pepin, Emeril, Mario Molto, Nick Stellino, and countless others. They are all masters who are passionate about their work.”
Executive Chef Angela Goodman and Martin Yan.
In addition to his international recognition, Yan has won quite a few awards in the food and beverage industry as well as a Daytime Emmy and two James Beard honors for Best TV Food Journalism and Best TV Cooking Show. Yan also holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University, the world’s leader in culinary training.
I ask whether he considers himself to be a perpetual student. “Absolutely!” he replies without hesitation. “When you love what you do, you are constantly curious and never stop wanting to learn more, because there is always something new to discover. I try to keep my skills as sharp as my cleaver! Fortunately, I travel around the world, working with and learning from many truly passionate master chefs and home cooks.”
Being on the road and in demand so much, of course, would seem to leave little time for entertaining at home. “Given the opportunity,” he says, “I do like to invite friends and neighbors over for a casual outdoor barbecue. I enjoy large parties – the bigger the crowd, the more fun and excitement.”
Of all the enterprises in which he is currently engaged – restaurants, television and teaching – Yan shares that he derives the most pleasure from conducting cooking classes and making personal appearances. “That’s where I can reach and interact with a lot of people. I receive a great deal of positive feedback from fans and friends.”
Even as we chat, there’s an excited gaggle of California School of Culinary Arts students who are awaiting the demonstration he’s going to do for them as soon as lunch is over. Many of them – myself included – have just purchased his latest book, “Quick and Easy”, for autographing. When I mention that my husband is a gourmet chef and does most of the cooking at our house, Yan grabs my pen and fills the entire front page with his signature whimsy, concluding with the postscript, “Christina says you’re a real cut-up and a sharp mind.” He then proceeds to point out the highlights of his latest release, a text that lives up to its name by making Asian cuisine approachable even for first-timers. His introductory chapters on cooking tools and techniques, online market sources for stocking one’s pantry and a user-friendly glossary of ingredients make this a must-have edition for anyone’s collection.
The best advice he offers for cooking is also translatable to his personal recipe for life: “Always be prepared and remain calm- things eventually will turn out fine. Even though we make mistakes,” he points out, “we can learn from them.” If his philosophy were printed on the front of a tee-shirt, he volunteers, it would declare, “If Yan Can, So Can You!”
“Fusion” is a word that is often used in today’s cooking. I query the master chef as to how he views this particular trend in restaurant cuisine.
“My personal definition of ‘fusion’,” he explains, “is simply a melting pot of appropriate ingredients and seasonings. If you do it properly, it’s a masterpiece – if not, it is ‘mass-confusion’. Culinary professionals will continue to use their imaginations to create new and exciting dishes.”
He seamlessly segues to his observations about the changes that he sees occurring in his Chinese homeland and the opportunities that have been created for new and emerging chefs. “I have heard many people say, ‘this is the China century’. China is changing and growing in leaps and bounds. The Chinese people are hungry for new things, new trends, and anything American. There are many American success stories in China with tremendous opportunities. I just started hosting a one-hour cooking and travel program in China geared for the Chinese audience. My goal is to introduce the western culinary tradition to the Chinese audience.”
So if he weren’t a master chef, what would he envision himself doing?
Yan chuckles in preface to his response. “If I weren’t a chef, I don’t know whether I could survive! I love eating and sharing my enthusiasm for food so much.”
What’s cooking in this man’s future? “I love what I do so much,” he answers, “that I won’t change courses. Like my dear friend Julia Child, I won’t stop. For me, the future is exactly what I’m doing, past and present. I’m having a great time.”
Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is an award winning author and script coverage consultant for the film industry. Her credits to date include 22 books, 118 plays and musicals, 4 optioned feature films, and columns/interviews that appear throughout the world. She and her gourmet chef husband, Mark Webb, reside in Pasadena, California.