Feasts of Good Fortune

75 recipes for a full year of celebrations with family and friends the Chinese American way in this deeply personal intergenerational cookbook, cowritten by mother and daughter.

Covering everything from traditional Lunar New Year menus with recipes passed down generations to Thanksgiving get-togethers celebrated with tantalizing side dishes, Feasts of Good Fortune invites you to take a seat at the Chou's warm family dinner table.

Author and former James Beard Foundation cookbook committee chair Hsiao-Ching Chou (Chinese Soul Food) brings her on-ramp approach to Chinese cooking full circle with fresh, uncomplicated home cooking for celebrations typical of the Chinese American experience. Master dumplings, scallion pancakes, and more, to contribute to “tuan yuan” (the act of coming together) that define family meals in these 75 tried-and-true recipes anyone can tackle.

Cowritten with Hsiao-Ching’s 17-year-old daughter, Meilee, on reconnecting with her Chinese American heritage as a young adult, this deeply meaningful cookbook is an exploration of what it means to grow up in a “forever hyphenated culture” and celebrates the joy of the mother-daughter bond in cooking together.

Organized chronologically with menus that'll take out the guesswork, including:

• Lunar New Year (Sticky Rice with Chicken and Chinese Sausage)
• Lantern Festival (Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Paste)
• Honoring the Dead/Qing Ming (Steamed Spinach Dumplings)
• Dragon Boat Festival (Zong Zi)
• Mid-Autumn Festival (Mooncakes)
• Birthdays & Party Bites (Stir-Fried Long-Life Noodles)
• Side Dishes for East-meets-West Menus (Braised Kale with Dried Cranberries)
• Hot Pot Parties

256 pages. Paperback. 

About the Author

Hsiao-Ching Chou is an award-winning food journalist and author of three cookbooks on Chinese home cooking. Known for her potsticker classes, she has taught hundreds of students over the years. She is the past chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards Committee and serves on the board of directors for the Ballard Food Bank. When she’s not wearing her culinary hat, she makes a living as an editorial director in the tech industry. Chou lives with her family in Seattle.

Meilee Chou Riddle is a student of filmmaking, writing, and music. She comes from a family of storytellers, including her TV producer dad, Eric Riddle; cookbook author mom, Hsiao-Ching Chou; and lifestyle blogger grandma, Ellen Chou. Meilee is always looking for ways to express her creativity. Her award-winning films have been featured in regional and national film festivals. She lives in Seattle with her family.