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The Last Chinese Chef
by
Nicole Mones
In her satisfying, sensual third novel, Nicole Mones takes readers inside the hidden world of elite cuisine in modern China through the story of an American food writer in Beijing. When recently widowed Maggie McElroy is called to China to settle a claim against her late husbands artistry to glimpse its coherent expression of Chinese civilization. It is here, amid lessons ...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
June 6th 2008
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published 2007)
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Very enjoyable read about the history and culture of Chinese cuisine, which I knew almost nothing about. Unlike Western culture, the Chinese have a very different take on food, it's preparation and presentation. The subtle but important nuances of their cuisine reveal aspects of their political structure, their fine arts, their history, their religion and their reverence to family. This part was fascinating to read about, and the backstories provided an informative and engaging peek into that...more
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This is an amazing book and one of the best books I've read all year.
As someone who has limited cooking skills and who is even less adventurous with new food than your average five year old - trust me when I say that this book has made me want to try a world of new things.
Maggie is a widow who writes for Table Magazine. Her husband died a year ago in a sudden accident and she's just found out that a claim has been filed against his estate in China, where he frequently tr...more
As someone who has limited cooking skills and who is even less adventurous with new food than your average five year old - trust me when I say that this book has made me want to try a world of new things.
Maggie is a widow who writes for Table Magazine. Her husband died a year ago in a sudden accident and she's just found out that a claim has been filed against his estate in China, where he frequently tr...more
One of the main characters, Sam, talks about the striving for simplicity of Chinese food. The Chinese chef should put so many layers into their food that to the observer, the food, like tofu, looks simply like tofu, but when they bite into it, they realize that what is seemingly simple, is very complex and surprising.
Mones surprises with her layers of subplots that will appeal to more than one kind of reader. There's the story of Maggie, recently widowed and in China to address a pa...more
Mones surprises with her layers of subplots that will appeal to more than one kind of reader. There's the story of Maggie, recently widowed and in China to address a pa...more
This book was written by the same author as Lost In Translation, Nicole Mones
I really liked this book about a woman who is widowed when her husband is run over by a car when is is on a buisness trip to San francisco.
She is a food writer and travels often herself. They agreed to never have children, and yet he starts to feel differently, and pressures her to reconsider.
He had traveled often to China on business with his law firm. One of the partners from the China office calls...more
I really liked this book about a woman who is widowed when her husband is run over by a car when is is on a buisness trip to San francisco.
She is a food writer and travels often herself. They agreed to never have children, and yet he starts to feel differently, and pressures her to reconsider.
He had traveled often to China on business with his law firm. One of the partners from the China office calls...more
I've never been a great fan of Chinese food. Now I understand why: I've never eaten Chinese food, only some poor hybrid cousin that is is ubiquitous at strip malls and shopping center food courts from Paris, Texas to Paris, France. I might have come close to the real thing a few years ago in Chinatown, San Francisco, but I think cooking as Mones described can only be found in China...
Mones introduced me to a sublime and seductive world of Chinese cuisine that left me trembling with d...more
Mones introduced me to a sublime and seductive world of Chinese cuisine that left me trembling with d...more
Because Nicole Mones was/is a writer for Gourmet Magazine, I fully expected beautifully tantalizing textual food to tempt me off the path of my diet. This book delivers in spades-- with the added benefit of being incredibly, emotionally TRUE to what it means to cook and eat Chinese food. This is the Chinese food I grew up with and the Chinese food that I cook. This is food that I have never really been able to verbally articulate to my Western friends, being forced to instead fall back to cookin...more
A fascinating look into the Chinese culture, especially regarding the importance of food - and not just eating food, but the whole "guanxi" or relationship of the bonds between those who prepare the food and those who partake of it.
Yes, this is a novel, and a major component of the book is the story of newly widowed Maggie as she comes to terms with her husband's death and his possible betrayal of her, which in turn becomes her reason to travel to China. Her assignment as ...more
Yes, this is a novel, and a major component of the book is the story of newly widowed Maggie as she comes to terms with her husband's death and his possible betrayal of her, which in turn becomes her reason to travel to China. Her assignment as ...more
This is a must read. Fascinating to read about how food is so much a part of the social aspect of Chinese culture. I love learning about my heritage...as I'm more white than yellow sometimes.
Fun learning that these things that I'm used to are... dissected so clearly and explained so well.
I have never, ever wanted to visit China. My perception is a place that is dirty, polluted, crowded and poor. Now I want to go on a food tour of China. I adore gourmet cooking...and this boo...more
Fun learning that these things that I'm used to are... dissected so clearly and explained so well.
I have never, ever wanted to visit China. My perception is a place that is dirty, polluted, crowded and poor. Now I want to go on a food tour of China. I adore gourmet cooking...and this boo...more
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I admit I am on a Chinese jag right now. I was curious about Chinese culture after reading “the Hotel on the corner of Bitter and Sweet” which somehow led me to this book.
“The last Chinese Chef” is about Maggie, a widowed American food writer, who learns about a paternity case filed against the estate of her late husband. She flies to Beijing to investigate. While there her editor asks her to interview Sam Liang, a Chinese American Jew w...more
“The last Chinese Chef” is about Maggie, a widowed American food writer, who learns about a paternity case filed against the estate of her late husband. She flies to Beijing to investigate. While there her editor asks her to interview Sam Liang, a Chinese American Jew w...more
The Last Chinese Chef, by Nicole Mones, narrated by Elizabeth Rodgers and James Chen, produced by Audible inc., and downloaded from audible.com.
In her third novel, Nicole Mones takes readers inside the hidden world of elite cuisine in modern China. American food writer, Maggie McElroy is called to China to settle a claim against her late husband's estate. She is blindsided by the discovery that he may have fathered a child with a Chinese woman. Since work is all that will keep her sa...more
In her third novel, Nicole Mones takes readers inside the hidden world of elite cuisine in modern China. American food writer, Maggie McElroy is called to China to settle a claim against her late husband's estate. She is blindsided by the discovery that he may have fathered a child with a Chinese woman. Since work is all that will keep her sa...more
You may know Chinese food; you may even love it. But The Last Chinese Chef will take you into a world of Chinese food you never even knew existed. Here is the hidden universe of one of the world's great cuisines. Its philosophy, its concepts, and its artistic ambitions are all illuminated in a story that's entertaining, emotionally satisfying, and erudite.
When widowed American food writer Maggie McElroy is hit by a paternity claim against her husband's estate, she has to go to China im...more
When widowed American food writer Maggie McElroy is hit by a paternity claim against her husband's estate, she has to go to China im...more
The author also wrote Lost in Translation which was made into a hollywood film starring Scarlett Johanssen and the comedian Bill Murray. I don't remember the story of that film [I haven't read the book:], but I recall it starting with a close up of Ms. Johanssen's butt, that it was set in Japan, that Bill Murray was much older than Ms. Johanssen, and all throughout the film I've been wondering if the two will ever get to have sex [they didn't as far as I recall:].
This book's setting ...more
This book's setting ...more
the author ran a textile business in China for 30 years, so she knows and loves China and the culture with an insider’s grace and knowledge, but with an outsider’s appreciation for detail. although this is her third novel, it is the first i read of this author, and i'm glad: it's a very rewarding read and an education in Chinese history, culinary culture, and rapidly changing modern culture. this book is about a half Chinese-half Jewish chef, who is the grandson of a famous Imperial chef whose...more
I truly enjoyed this book. The star here is clearly Chinese cuisine which I have never particularly liked for largely the reason the main character Maggie states early on in the novel. So much of it does seem to be rather one note. I have had high end Chinese which is better, but most prepare Hunan and Szechuan dishes in pretty much exactly the same way. It makes for kind of a boring meal. Clearly, I have been eating the wrong stuff.
Synopsis: Maggie, a widow of a year, goes to China wh...more
Synopsis: Maggie, a widow of a year, goes to China wh...more
The author presents the reader with a feast of knowledge about the history, the geography, the ceremony, and the subtle nuances of true Chinese dishes through a story that is as tantalizing as the aromas surrounding Chinese restaurants are to a passerby. Readers are introduced to these flavors through Sam, the grandson of one of the last great chefs as he prepares for a culinary competition that will decide who will cook for the Games. Woven into the story is Maggie, an American food writer, ...more
I love this book. I checked it out at the library, read it over the weekend, and promptly got on Amazon and bought it. I only barely resisted just leaving for China to eat.
I love books that revel in food. I also love reading about China. The Last Chinese Chef has both, what an indulgance.
From the first line - "Apprentices have asked me, what is the most exalted peak of cuisine?" I was totally absorbed. I loved the (fictional) quotes from an Imperial Chef, I was fascinated b...more
I love books that revel in food. I also love reading about China. The Last Chinese Chef has both, what an indulgance.
From the first line - "Apprentices have asked me, what is the most exalted peak of cuisine?" I was totally absorbed. I loved the (fictional) quotes from an Imperial Chef, I was fascinated b...more
I'm not sure if this was chinese gastronomy in the form of a novel or a story of people immersed in life in china where food is everything, but it works regardless. This was a fascinating, enjoyable read as I was happy to learn more about Chinese culture, especially in seeing the cross over to Korean culture. It was sort of redemptive to see my own family's obsession with food is really just cultural, and for good reason. I love food and I certainly loved to read about it in this book.
As fo...more
As fo...more
As I read "The Last Chinese Chef" I craved every dish described, begged my husband to go out to Chinese food, spent tons of money at Uwajimaya on all sorts of noodles and spices and sauces that I can't read let alone know what to do with, got a really fancy rice cooker for Christmas, and am now trying to figure out how to use cleavers. One dish in particular, in which the chef works the skin off of a whole chicken in one piece and then stuffs the skin with sliced vegetables, pork, and...more
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Aaliyah
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone that has a love of China for sure!
Recommended to Aaliyah by:
No one
I finally got to purchase this book while visiting here in the states. I loved every moment in this book and appreciated the time the author, Nicole Mones, took to ensure accuracy.
Having been to China myself, I could picture the banquet I attended while there in Beijing. The meal now took on a whole new meaning and now two years later, I only had to close my eyes and picture the system of how our food was served.
The tastes and smells have never left me and with my n...more
Having been to China myself, I could picture the banquet I attended while there in Beijing. The meal now took on a whole new meaning and now two years later, I only had to close my eyes and picture the system of how our food was served.
The tastes and smells have never left me and with my n...more
Nikki Broadwell
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who enjoys fantasy and a few who don't.
I've read "Lost in Translation" as well as "A Cup of Light" and although I really enjoyed "The Last Chinese Chef", I didn't like it as well as the other two. That said, Nicole Mones is a wonderful writer. I had a little e-mail exchange with her after I read the book because the main character, a woman in her forties, talks of feeling old--it seemed implausible to me since I don't remember having those thoughts at that age--and yet I know many do. Nicole was very gra...more
By the author of Lost in Translation (loved the film, didn't read the book), who has obviously spent a lot of time in Asia. Her knowledge is meticulous (or at least I assume it is as my knowledge of Beijing and Chinese cooking is nonexistent), and the story is ok, not exactly compelling but I'm still reading it, and the writing is fine, she's no Steinbeck but she's not Dan Brown either. not sure if I'll end up liking it, but I'm pretty sure I'll be going out for Chinese soon. Okay so its not th...more
This book is filled with mouth-watering descriptions of Chinese food: tastes, textures, appearances, and smells. I felt the stories moved slowly at first, although they picked up at the end. I've read quite a few novels set during the post-1949 revolution, so was waiting for a death-defying escape by the father of one of the main characters. I was a little disappointed that that never happened. I also thought Sam's character could have been developed better. He's supposed to be half-Jewish, but ...more
The blurbs on the cover and the reviews give you just about everything you need to know about this book going in--it's a combination of mystery/drama and culinary guide to Chinese food. It's a solid book, but given the level of ambition here I felt like I needed a bit more from it. The setup is somewhere between postmodern and magic realist, but the prose is not quite equal to either subgenre. My problem with the novel is this: as trade market novels go it's quite good, but there's potential for...more
Another great choice by my book club -- really enjoyed this one. Sort of a foodie/romance/travelogue. You DEFINITELY must read it while eating, though, as you will almost certainly become ravenous while reading all these great food descriptions. Since I seem to naturally link the book to the space I was in while reading it, I will forever think of this book fondly in recalling the night that I took myself out to dinner at Cafe Dupont and sat outside reading and eating a really good boeuf bour...more
This is why I belong to book groups. I wouldn't have read this book otherwise. I love food, and I love books, but generally I do not enjoy lengthy discriptions of ___________(insert your favorite food adjective here)infusions and "heady" aromas.
It was a great fall read warm food, frienship, and family.
It was a great fall read warm food, frienship, and family.
The story goes down like steamed chow mein: Soft and amiable, with nothing too heavy to chew on. Before I realized it, I had finished over half the book. I just kept shoving the words in my brain without stopping to ponder them.
The Last Chinese Chef satisfies the Recommended Daily Allowance of insight into China's culinary traditions. In fact, it contains abundant, nearly toxic levels of Chinese food descriptions, all punctuated by our heroine Maggie gloating about how incredible it...more
The Last Chinese Chef satisfies the Recommended Daily Allowance of insight into China's culinary traditions. In fact, it contains abundant, nearly toxic levels of Chinese food descriptions, all punctuated by our heroine Maggie gloating about how incredible it...more
I read 'Lost in Translation' long enough ago now to have forgotten most of the details, and having only the mist of the story drifting in my memory, so when I began "Last Chef", I was expecting explorations in human relationships and personal truths. These are present, in spades, but I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that these are subsumed underneath, around, and within the more prominant story which is the relationship that Chinese have with their food, and how deeply and ...more
maggie is dealing with her husband's death when she finds out he may have fathered a child when he was in china. she travels to china to deal with the paternity suit and to interview "the last chinese chef". loved this book- the descriptions of china, as well as the food, were wonderful.
I have to send out a big thank you to my friend, Cathy Ikeda, who loaned me this book! She and I have been on a food genre kick and this one fit right in. But while the other books recently read included a lot of great humor this one was all about food and romance and honoring the past and tradition and the connection between all things.
I donʻt know if I liked this even more because I am part Chinese or because I like Chinese food. But apparently the Chinese food I like (in America) ...more
I donʻt know if I liked this even more because I am part Chinese or because I like Chinese food. But apparently the Chinese food I like (in America) ...more
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